Right now, the Miami Heat are in a difficult situation. Since taking over as the team’s face in 2019, Jimmy Butler has exceeded most supporters’ expectations by leading the team to two NBA Finals trips.

Butler’s career appears to be at a crossroads right now. The Heat did not offer him a long-term extension this offseason, and he will become a free agency the following summer if he decides to exercise his player option for 2025–2026.

As possible future destinations for Butler, teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors are already being mentioned. Butler’s successor would be difficult for the Heat to find. not only his skill on the court, but also his capacity for self-improvement.

Few players are available that can even remotely replace the vacuum left by Butler. Is Brandon Ingram a suitable substitute? According to Andy Bailey’s analysis in Bleacher Report’s piece titled “Best and Worst Landing Spots for NBA’s Top Trade Targets,” the Heat would be the ideal destination for Ingram.

Naturally, that would rely on Butler’s future circumstances. Bailey wrote: “Building more slowly and concentrating on Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. might be the best course of action for the Heat if Butler leaves.” Beyond its superstar, that squad already has a fairly interesting core.

Easing the burden on those three players would be advantageous, and Brandon Ingram’s playmaking skills and mid-range game could make him resemble a Butler-type player.

“Of course, he’s not quite at the same talent level, so for Ingram to serve as a potential Butler replacement, Herro and Jaquez would need to elevate their game. However, Miami could maintain stylistic consistency.”

.@WindhorstESPN breaks down the issues with trading for Brandon Ingram, notably the fact that he wants a $200 million contract extension… pic.twitter.com/RtqMF3qkvq

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 9, 2024

Currently with the New Orleans Pelicans, Ingram is reportedly seeking a large contract extension, something the franchise might not be inclined to offer.

According to Brian Windhorst’s July post on ESPN Cleveland, Ingram is pursuing a $200 million contract extension.

Ingram is by no means a subpar player. In actuality, he is an All-Star at the top of his game. Is he, however, even close to Butler’s caliber? No. The Heat could be better off giving the Miami legend Butler a massive extension than signing Ingram to a $200 million contract.

Options for the Heat’s starting backcourt in the upcoming campaign: 1 obvious, 2 not so obvious

The Miami Heat had an odd and depressing summer before to the start of the previous season.

The Heat were forced to settle for another “run it back” summer after their unsuccessful attempt to sign Damian Lillard left them without a viable backup plan. They still had a lot of depth on paper, however sadly that was never put to use as they ultimately had one of the NBA’s most injury-plagued rosters.

Pat Riley stated at his season-ending news conference that he wanted to give the current Heat core another shot heading into the 2024–25 campaign, and it appears that he is enthusiastic about wanting to see this group available together on the court.

Riley’s reluctance to end things should come as no surprise given how close Miami has come. The potential has always been there.

Everyone can now start over. In what could be a contract year, Butler is anticipated to be as eager as ever, and Terry Rozier, who has completed a full training camp and is totally healthy, should also be fired up. Both Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will aim to maintain their progress and, in Herro’s case, their health.

Because of these availability problems, the Rozier and Herro tandem didn’t get much playing time together last season. However, with a new campaign quickly approaching, Spoelstra might have to select between a few potential backcourt lineups.

Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier

Should we abandon the Herro/Rozier experiment now? In the 2023–24 campaign, this combo only accrued about 175 minutes collectively. They made 40.2% of their 3-pointers and 52.2% of their 2-pointers during those minutes. If these two are both clicking, the offensive production and shooting volume might be intimidating for opposition teams.

The problem lies on the other end of the court, where they gave up a 2-point shooting efficiency to opponents that was about 60%. Additionally, they let up 42.7% of the opponent’s 3-pointers. Fortunately, the Heat were still among the top five in DRTG the previous season thanks to Adebayo’s defensive performance.

The Rozier and Herro combination probably has the inside track to be the starting backcourt because defense hasn’t been an issue and the Heat need to boost their bottom-10 offense. However, Spoelstra might choose a different course of action.

Rozier Terry and Haywood Highsmith both

There are also other reasons why this combo is appealing. To begin with, with a defensive specialist like Haywood Highsmith to help bring balance to touches on that end, Rozier can make a bigger impression as an offensive playmaker. The 3-and-D adaptability of Highsmith will always be a plus for any roster.

When Highsmith was playing as a starter at the beginning of the previous season, the Heat went on a seven-game winning streak and won nine out of ten games. He recently signed a new deal and is hungry to continue having an impact, so he might be the go-to player to relieve Adebayo of some defensive responsibility.

Above all, a backcourt pairing like this would put Herro back in as an off-the-bench sixth man. The playmaking and scoring abilities of the former Sixth Man of the Year can help the second unit win. Herro comes off the bench as Miami’s all-time record is 283-210 against opponents.

Herro Tyler and Highsmith Haywood

A Herro/Highsmith combination and a Rozier/Highsmith one in the starting backcourt are very similar.

When Highsmith plays next to Herro, he can get more shots, manage the playmaking, and show off his combo guard abilities. Additionally, Highsmith adds length and size to the backcourt, something the Heat has been lacking in recent postseason runs.

Herro (6’4″) and Highsmith (6’5″) are a formidable combination. It might even serve as a means of extending Adebayo’s centering role until Kel’el Ware eventually asserts his right to play next to him. In terms of size, Butler, Nikola Jovic, and Adebayo would create a solid frontcourt, particularly if they had even more size in the backcourt to support them.

This alternative moves Rozier into a sixth-man role and distances him from Herro as well. Since arriving in South Beach earlier this year, Rozier has also been vocal about his desire to contribute in any way to the squad. With his skill set and self-assurance, he can easily become the league’s best sixth man.