The Miami Heat’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers is humiliating, to say the least. The Cavs not only swept the Heat, but they did that in a dominating fashion in almost every single game.
The Cavs won four games by a total of 122 points, the most in league history. In the series opener, they sealed a 121-100 victory, followed by the closest game of the series, a 121-112 home win. They then headed to Miami for a 124-87 Game 3 victory. That finally ended with one of the most dominant performances in playoff history in Game 4 (138-83). The 55-point win was the fourth-highest margin of victory in postseason history.
After all this, Miami’s center Bam Adebayo knows that some changes need to be made. The Heat have already been through plenty over the last two seasons, and the prospects with their current squad are not great.
Bam Adebayo Believes Roster Overhaul Is Coming
During his postgame press conference, Adebayo admitted that the Heat should make some trades during the offseason. He even made a joke at Pat Riley’s expense.
“There are going to be a lot of changes this summer, knowing how the guy with the silver hair works,” Adebayo said per The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.
The Heat made the playoffs despite the turbulence that went on with Jimmy Butler. However, the Cavaliers not only swept them but also tore them to shreds, demonstrating how far away Miami is from being a title contender again.
Not all hope is lost, as the Heat still have Erik Spoelstra, but his magic can only work so much when there is no superstar. Miami got the most they could out of the Butler era, much like they did during the LeBron James era. Now is the time to find their next face of the franchise.
It will all depend on who that is. The Milwaukee Bucks may also make some changes this offseason, which could mean Giannis Antetokounmpo could hit the market, but the Bucks would ask for pretty much everything in return for the two-time MVP, which the Heat might not be able to match.
Kevin Durant will also hit the market this summer, and he may not cost that much compared to what it used to require to acquire him. However, plenty of teams will be calling the Phoenix Suns about Durant, so if the Heat go that route, they’ll have to get in line.
If they can’t get Durant, the Heat could also take their chances on Zion Williamson, who has shown how immensely talented he is, but also how fragile he is. There aren’t a ton of options as good as James and Butler were when the Heat brought them to the team.
However, Riley has a history of pulling off the impossible since running the Heat. Besides signing James, Butler, and Chris Bosh, among others, he also acquired prime Shaquille O’Neal two decades ago, leading to a title.
Miami’s down, but they are not out. Adebayo knows they need more help, and Riley just happens to be a guy who gets just that.
