The 2019–20 Miami Heat season was the 32nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the first time since 2016-17 that Dwyane Wade was not on the Miami Heat roster and the NBA's first time without Wade since 2002-03, as he retired from the NBA after playing 16 years in the league. It was the first season for Jimmy Butler on the Heat.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were both selected into 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
The season was suspended by the league officials following the games of March 11[1] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.[2]
On June 4, the Heat were one of 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble.
In the playoffs, the Heat made an unexpectedly deep playoff run by sweeping the Pacers in four straight games in the first round, then surpassing the Bucks who were led by 2020 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in five games. It was their first Conference Finals appearance in six years. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they faced off against the third-seeded Boston Celtics in the two teams' first playoff series since 2012 and defeated Boston in six games, winning the Eastern Conference for the 6th time and reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. They were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers (who were led by former Heat star LeBron James) in six games.
Before entering the 2019 NBA draft, the Miami Heat originally only held their lottery selection for the 2019 NBA Draft.[3][4] On June 19, the night before the draft began, the Heat acquired the Atlanta Hawks' 44th pick of the draft in exchange for a conditional 2024 second round pick and cash considerations.[5] With their sole first round pick of the draft, the Miami Heat selected shooting guard Tyler Herro from the University of Kentucky. On draft night, the Heat agreed to a trade with the Phoenix Suns that saw them obtain the draft rights to forward KZ Okpala from Stanford University. Finally, with the selection the Heat acquired from the Hawks the prior night, Miami selected Sudanese-American center Bol Bol from the University of Oregon. However, the Heat agreed to a trade that sent the draft rights to Bol Bol to the Denver Nuggets for a future conditional second round pick and $1.88 million cash.
Roster Updated: 2019–11–30
[6]
Draft rights to #44 pick / Bol Bol
Draft rights to #32 pick KZ Okpala (from Phoenix)
Cash Considerations (from Indiana)
2023 protected first-round pick (from Miami)
Hassan Whiteside (from Miami)
Josh Richardson (from Miami)