3 Miami Heat players who definitely won't be back next season

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have been flying too close to the sun for some time now. And it has finally burnt them.

The Heat have not taken the regular season seriously the past two seasons, sleepwalking until it is time to turn the jets on and relying on a heroic effort from Butler to will them through the NBA Play-In Tournament in hopes that it will lead to a deep playoff run. But after testing the basketball gods, Miami is paying the price.

Injuries stacked up and they didn't have nearly enough talent to challenge the Boston Celtics. Even at full health, they would have been serious underdogs. The Heat must look in the mirror following the disappointing conclusion to the 2023-24 campaign because their roster is getting expensive for a team that continues to fall short.

Miami paying the luxury tax for a team that appears to be on its last legs is hard to justify and makes it difficult to retain players, and these three players feel like they are on their way out of South Beach this offseason.

3. Nikola Jovic

Nikola Jovic showed improvement in his sophomore NBA season but not at the pace the Heat need him to if they want to maximize the potential of their current core, making him a trade chip for a Miami team that will look to revamp the rotation around Butler and All-Star center Bam Adebayo.

Miami lacks intriguing young prospects to include in any potential moves to upgrade the roster outside of Jovic and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., and they were reluctant to include the latter in talks with the Portland Trail Blazers for Damian Lillard before he eventually got shipped to the Milwaukee Bucks, making the former their most desirable tangible asset.

Jovic averaged 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per contest with .452/.399/.702 shooting splits across 46 appearances this past season, and he started in 38 games.

Entering his age-21 campaign and showing flashes of versatility as a 6-foot-10 big man who can stretch the floor and pass the ball, Jovic should garner interest on the market, providing added incentive to make a move.

2. Caleb Martin

After being undrafted and landing with the Heat through a mutual connection with fellow North Carolina native and musical artist J. Cole, Caleb Martin has blossomed into a vital piece for the Miami rotation, as evidenced by his contributions to the team's finals run in 2022-23.

Martin averaged 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc on 4.5 nightly attempts en route to the championship a couple of seasons ago, providing incredible defense along the wings and showcasing his two-way prowess. But he may have played himself out of Miami's price range by following up his impressive postseason efforts with a solid 2023-24 campaign.

It's hard to envision Martin not opting out of his player option worth roughly $7.1 million for 2024-25 this offseason in search of a more lucrative and long-term contract, whether with the Heat or another team.

Turning 29 in September, Martin should have no shortage of suitors on the open market, making it a pipe dream that the Heat retain him unless he is willing to sign a team-friendly deal.

1. Tyler Herro

The Heat acquiring veteran combo guard Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets ahead of this year's trade deadline felt like the writing on the wall regarding Tyler Herro and his future in Miami, especially considering they dangled the latter in trade offers last offseason.

Amid the Lillard-Heat offseason trade saga, it became increasingly clear that there wasn't much of a market for Herro, as evidenced by the fact that the Blazers were reportedly looking for a third team to take the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year. 

But now that Miami invested a 2027 first-round pick for Rozier, another high-volume shooting guard who is undersized and struggles on the defensive end of the floor, the Heat will have to cut their losses and find someone to take on Herro and the three-year, $93 million price tag he carries.

With few avenues to upgrade the roster, Herro is their most intriguing and realistic option who could bring back a reasonable return that keeps the Heat competitive and declutters their backcourt rotation, simultaneously freeing up additional opportunities for sharpshooting veteran Duncan Robinson, who took notable strides this past season.

Herro averaged a career-high 20.8 points per game in his age-24 season, adding 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc on 7.9 attempts per contest. While he has flaws, he is a proven bucket-getter who should have trade value for a Heat team desperately needing to shake things up this offseason.