While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.
In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.
With the Jimmy Butler era officially over, Pat Riley has some decisions to make about the future of this team.
Miami Heat 2024-25 Season Recap
Record: 37-45 (10th, East, lost in first round)
Offensive Rating: 106.7 (29th)
Defensive Rating: 115.7 (24th)
Net Rating: -19.1 (27th)
Pace: 98.22 (23rd)
2024 Draft Picks: 20
While the Heat were able to keep their playoff streak alive, this was a disappointing season for the franchise. Their 37 wins were the fewest by the team since the 2014-15 season, which was the year after LeBron James left to go back to Cleveland. Of course, they also traded away Jimmy Butler after his dramatic feud with Pat Riley. It took time for head coach Erik Spoelstra to pick up the pieces, but they were able to close out the regular season well and beat the Bulls and Hawks in the play-in tournament before getting swept by the Cavaliers in the first round.
So where do they go from here? #HeatCulture has been able to keep this team competitive for Spoelstra’s entire tenure with the team, even when they were in between stars. Riley said the team “probably won’t run it back” with what they had this season. The Heat don’t have extra assets to make big moves, but they will likely make chances to improve this team’s chances of winning next season. Don’t expect this team to enter a rebuild.
Fantasy Standout: Tyler Herro
Despite the saga surrounding Jimmy Butler, Herro was able to have the best season of his career. He averaged 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.3 three-pointers per game, which led to the first All-Star appearance of his career. Herro provided third-round value and set new career-highs for points, assists and threes per game while also posting the best field goal percentage of his career.
Herro was fantastic in the play-in tournament, though he struggled in Miami’s loss to Cleveland in the first round. Still, with the way the roster is currently constructed, Herro will continue to be the leader on offense moving forward. Is that enough for Miami to contend the way they’d like to? Probably not, but it will work out well for him in fantasy. Herro took a legitimate step forward as a player this season, and he was one of the few players on the Heat who were actually worth rostering in standard leagues.
Fantasy Revelation: Kel’el Ware
As the Heat’s earliest draft pick since Tyler Herro (13), the expectations were high for Ware. The 15th overall pick ended up taking advantage of an increased role and averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22.2 minutes per game as a rookie. Ware’s role was inconsistent, but he had some incredible stretches that provided plenty of optimism for his future in the league.
Miami doesn’t pick early often, but when they do, it tends to work out well. Their last three picks in three picks in the top 15 have been Ware, Herro and Bam Adebayo. As a starter, Ware averaged 10.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 28.4 minutes per game. Having him as a center alongside Adebayo was an experiment that worked out well. The Heat haven’t had much center depth when Bam isn’t on the floor in recent seasons, and Ware fills that role perfectly. Among Miami’s pieces for the future, Ware is one of the brightest.
Fantasy Disappointment: Terry Rozier
With a Yahoo! ADP of 106.7, Rozier certainly didn’t live up to those expectations. He finished outside the top-250 in nine-cat leagues with averages of 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 triples per game. Rozier was entirely out of the rotation for most of March and April and didn’t see the floor at all during the postseason.
Rozier still has one more season on his contract before he enters free agency, and with the way things ended this season, the odds of him playing enough to earn a nice payday are low. Rozier had been a top-100 player in five straight seasons before this year, which was why his dramatic fall from grace came out of nowhere. Rozier is also under investigation for “potentially manipulating his performance as part of an illegal sports betting scheme in a 2023 game for the Hornets.” It’s a situation that is worth monitoring, with Jontay Porter receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA because of his involvement in a similar issue.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Bam Adebayo
Things started off slow for Adebayo, but he ended up figuring things out and had a strong season. He averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 triple in 34.3 minutes per game. Adebayo’s points and rebounds took a hit, but his assists were the highest they’ve been since the 2020-21 season. Bam is an excellent playmaker for a center, and with Jimmy Butler gone, he’ll continue to see his playmaking opportunities increase next season.
Adebayo is an incredible piece for the Heat to have, and he is one of the best defenders in the league. He represents everything they want to be, but he isn’t enough to make this team a contender on his own. The combo of Bam and Herro is a strong one, but they need more to truly contend. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to bring that player in this summer. Barring major changes, Adebayo and Herro will be the 1A and 1B on this team, with Bam taking on more leadership on the defensive end while still being involved on the offense. He became a legitimate three-point threat this season, and while that did result in the worst field goal percentage of his career, he was a more dynamic player on offense. He may never become a high-volume sharpshooter, but his ability to space the floor opens things up for the rest of the team.
Andrew Wiggins
As part of the Butler trade package, Wiggins was sent to Miami after spending the last few seasons in Golden State. In 17 appearances for the Heat, Wiggins averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 block and 2.1 threes per game. He has two more seasons left on his contract, with the second year as a player option.
Assuming he isn’t on the move again, Wiggins should be a productive option next season. He really struggled during the 2023-24 season after a phenomenal campaign before that, and he was back to being an average contributor this past season. However, his production did increase with the Heat, and he was prioritized more than he was with the Warriors this season. He hasn’t been a great option in nine-cat leagues for most of his career, but his current situation in Miami is a favorable one for him. However, that doesn’t mean he's a lock to stick on this roster, especially if a better player becomes available.
Nikola Jovic
Limited to 46 games because of a hand injury, Jovic still had a decent year for Miami. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 threes in 24.6 minutes per game. Those marks allowed him to finish inside the top 200 in nine-cat scoring for the first time in his young career. Jovic will turn 22 in June and still has plenty of untapped potential. He has been able to showcase his upside in spurts, but the hand injury in February derailed a golden opportunity for him to step up after the Jimmy Butler trade.
Entering next season, Jovic is one of the few young players with upside on Miami’s roster. He is worth stashing in dynasty formats and could take a leap as soon as next season. The Heat have a lot of questions to answer about their future, but Jovic does provide a glimmer of hope for the future, whether he is allowed to develop or used as a trade piece to help bring in a new star to get this team back to being a contender in the East.
Davion Mitchell
After starting off the season in Toronto, Mitchell was traded to the Heat at the trade deadline for PJ Tucker and a future second-round pick. He made 30 appearances for Miami and averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 threes per game. Mitchell was in and out of the starting lineup for the Raptors, but he immediately entered the starting lineup for Miami.
He didn’t maintain that role for the rest of the season, but he had a lot of success as a reserve, which carried over into the postseason. He had at least five assists in all six of his postseason games and at least 15 points in the first five. A restricted free agent, Mitchell could be a decent late-round swing next season if he is back with the Heat.
Duncan Robinson
The veteran three-point marksman continues to play a large role for Miami. He played 24.1 minutes per game this season, averaging 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 threes per game. Robinson finished just outside the top-150 in nine-cat leagues last season, but he was closer to the top-250 mark this year. All of his numbers took a hit, including his minutes per game. Robinson will likely pick up his $19.9 million player option for next season, but after that, his sizable contract will be off the books for Miami. Whether he stays or not, Robinson’s game doesn’t translate well in fantasy basketball, unless you’re desperate for three-pointers.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
After a strong rookie season, Jaquez Jr. saw his role decrease in year two. He averaged 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20.7 minutes per game. When he was given the opportunity, Jaquez Jr. did have some strong stat lines, including a 16/12/10/5 line in January and a 41/10/7 line in the regular season finale. However, he wasn’t part of the team’s rotation during the postseason.The 2023 first-round pick should continue to be a nice depth piece for them, and at 24 years old, there is still room for him to improve. Still, it was disappointing to see his role get smaller after he made the All-Rookie First Team the season before. There should be much optimism surrounding him entering next season.
Haywood Highsmith
Highsmith continues to play a significant role for Miami as a glue guy, though it hasn’t translated to much success in the box score. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 triples per game this season. Highsmith is under contract for one more season at $5.6 million before he’ll enter unrestricted free agency. He should earn a decent payday, but it’s unlikely that he’ll ever become much of a factor in fantasy basketball.
Kyle Anderson
Anderson was sent to Miami as part of the Butler trade after signing with the Warriors last summer. He averaged 6.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25 appearances for the Heat. Anderson is still under contract for two more seasons, but he may not factor into their future plans. Whether he remains in Miami or plays elsewhere, Anderson isn’t going to be much of a factor in fantasy basketball.
Restricted Free Agents: Davion Mitchell, Josh Christopher, Dru Smith, Isaiah Stevens
Unrestricted Free Agents: Alec Burks
Player Option: Duncan Robinson
Team Option: Keshad Johnson
