Fans of the Miami Heat feel the time has arrived for wholesale changes after the franchise failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Erik Spoelstra’s team suffered a 127-126 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday. As the 10th seed (43-39), the Heat won’t get any more chances to sneak into the postseason. Their season ended on a whimper.
Although the loss was marred by controversy — with Bam Adebayo sustaining a back injury in the second quarter — Heat fans were still livid that their team couldn’t beat a young Hornets team with no experience in high-pressure games.
Miami Heat Fans Want Changes
One fan was glad the Heat lost in the play-in, as the front office would now be compelled to tear up the roster.
“The most logical answer is a Miami Heat loss tonight,” wrote the fan.
“The front office needs to witness this team miss the playoffs entirely so we can finally see real changes, they all need a wake up call.
“Also the possibility of getting a lottery pick would be a game changer.”
Further to the fan’s point, the one blessing in disguise is that the Heat now have a 3.0% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick and a 13.9% of a top-4 pick in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft class. Those odds would have shrunk if the Heat qualified for the postseason as the eigth seed (which they would have done by winning two play-in games).
Miami Heat Stuck in Mediocrity
Since Jimmy Butler III led the Heat to the 2023 NBA Finals, the franchise has been in a rut. In 2023-24, they finished as the eighth seed and lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics. The following year, they again finished as the eighth seed but were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
The Heat made significant roster changes last summer, adding All-Star Norman Powell and 2022 NBA champion Andrew Wiggins to the core of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware. However, they were simply not good enough.
“Yeah, I’m confident now. This is the last game Tyler Herro plays for the Miami Heat,” wrote X account HeatMuse, urging the franchise to trade Herro this summer.
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