It doesn’t take much to reach the conclusion that the Heat haven’t had the greatest summer.
Following a euphoric, underdog run to the Finals, the league’s runner-up lost guard Gabe Vincent to the Lakers on the first day of free agency. The following day, reports surfaced that free agent Max Strus, another key piece of last season’s club, would be headed to the Cavaliers.
Many—the Heat almost certainly included—believed those losses might eventually be softened by the biggest acquisition of all: Upon asking for a trade out of Portland, star floor general Damian Lillard made it known that Miami was the only place he wanted to land. He figured to be a close to perfect fit for a team that sometimes struggles to score for stretches, and has a tendency to lean too heavily on 34-year-old workhorse Jimmy Butler to create offense for it.
