Part 4/8:
Discussions around whether the Heat should embrace a tanking strategy are rife. However, this could exacerbate their issues rather than solve them. The Heat now find themselves in a precarious situation: if they lose their remaining games to secure a high draft pick, they face potential long-term implications. The Thunder own a critical first-round pick with lottery protections, which means a failure to reach the playoffs could unlock future consequences that jeopardize the franchise's trajectory. The idea of tanking carries significant risk, as it could mean giving up multiple unprotected first-round picks in future drafts if they’re not careful.