We underestimated Pat Riley. This season first looked like a bridge year while the Miami Heat got their finances in order.
Instead, Riley and his front office orchestrated a complicated sign-and-trade deal to acquire Jimmy Butler, drafted Tyler Herro, expanded the role of Bam Adebayo as he blossomed into an All-Star and eventually landed veterans Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder at the trade deadline.
Those moves turned a Heat team many considered "vanilla" into the Eastern Conference champs.
The offseason presents another challenge for the Heat: preserving cap flexibility for the summer of 2021 while trying to keep two starters in Goran Dragic and Crowder. Miami also has to weigh a potential extension for Adebayo.