The post-Jimmy Butler era is underway. How can Miami reach contention?

Trading away a superstar is rough. It often means a total reset for a team and a long era of rebuilding. Examples of this include Kevin Garnett being traded to Boston, Kawhi Leonard being traded to Toronto, and James Harden being traded to Brooklyn.

Each of these moves left their former teams back to square one, often left with little in return.

But Miami is different.

The Miami Heat made 2 finals appearances with Jimmy Butler before trading him at the 2025 trade deadline. It appeared that they would have to reset. Without their superstar, they seemingly had little chance of contending.

But they aren't too far off.

Tyler Herro, in the middle of Butler's departure, made the All-Star team. So after acquiring Norman Powell for very little in the offseason, the Heat had 3 All-Star level players, a 6th man of the Year candidate in Jaime Jaquez, and one of the league's most efficient passers in Davion Mitchell.

So why didn't they leap, as everyone thought they would? Well, injuries

Tyler Herro missed the majority of the season, playing only 33 games, and Norman Powell had long stretches of missed games, playing only 58 games. And while Bam Adebayo and his 83-point performance during this stretch were able to keep Miami afloat, it wasn't enough for them to make the playoffs.

So what is next for the Heat?

They have a solid roster, but also a few holes they need to fill. The most prominent of these holes is the fit between Tyler Herro and Norman Powell.

It may seem good on paper to have 2 All-Star level guards, but in reality, this backcourt cannot stay.

Neither Powell nor Herro plays much defense, and their ball-dominant and high usage playstyles often lead to stagnation and poor fit with Miami's free-flowing offense.

This weakness wasn't much of a problem during the regular season, as Powell and Herro didn't share the court much, but it was glaring when it mattered most in the Play-In.

So what Miami needs is to move off of either Powell or Herro and get back a defensive guard who can distribute the ball well, while maintaining their depth.

What they should do:

Free Agency: Exercise team options on Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and Pelle Larson

Resign (G) Norman Powell to a 3-year, $90 million contract

Resign (F) Simmone Fontecchio to a 2-year, $20 million contract

Sign (G) Matisse Thybulle to a 2-year, $10 million contract

Orlando Magic receives: (G) Norman Powell

Miami Heat receives: (G) Jalen Suggs

Why this works:

With these moves, Miami goes all in on its playstyle.

Addressing their biggest issue, the Heat trade Norman Powell after re-signing him to the Orlando Magic for Jalen Suggs. Getting Jalen Suggs gives Miami a defensive point guard who provides spacing and ball handling.

Pairing Suggs with Herro fixes the issue of backcourt defense while building on their playstyle of free-flowing offense without a primary ball handler.

For Orlando, getting Powell offers another potential solution to their spacing issues. Pairing Powell with Desmond Bane and Franz Wagner all but guarantees a good floor spacing nucleus.

On to Free Agency, the Heat maintain their depth, while adding on Matisse Thybulle as another Dru Smith-type player.

The key to surviving a superstar's departure is maintaining structure.

A good front office can navigate eras with maturity, leaving with more than what they started with.

Trading a superstar doesn't always mark a reset.

Miami Heat potential 2026-27 starting lineup + bench:

PG: Jalen Suggs SG: Tyler Herro SF: Andrew Wiggins PF: Bam Adebayo C: Kel'el Ware

G: Davion Mitchell, Kasparas Jakucionis, Pelle Larson, Dru Smith, Matisse Thybulle, F: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Simone Fontecchio, C: Nikola Jovic