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MIAMI — There is no clear-cut path for the Miami Heat to traverse in the 2017 NBA offseason, and that should invigorate the franchise.

It's been years since the Heat have been free to move in so many different directions. They're no longer budget-building around the Big Three. There's no more salary-cap uncertainty surrounding Chris Bosh's lengthy, frightening battle with blood clots.

This isn't like last summer, when Dwyane Wade's future was on the fence and Bosh remained part of the on-court plans. Now, Miami knows it's constructing a Wade-free nucleus and has the capacity to utilize all of its cap space without the worry of Bosh's salary going back on the books, due to an agreement between both parties and the players' association.

The next step will feel like the first into the official post-Big Three chapter. Armed with a lottery pick, roughly $38 million in cap room and a handful of roster vacancies, Miami can opt to rebuild or reload over a potentially defining summer.

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"We have that flexibility," Heat president Pat Riley said at his season-ending press conference. "When you have a draft pick and a lot of players on your team you like, you are in good position to move forward."

Riley's typical play this time of year is initiating a whale hunt. But the 72-year-old executive sounds content to reel in familiar fish from his own backyard.

"We are going to focus on our guys," he said, "really focus on this group of guys. ... The collective bargaining agreement is going to dictate a lot of things about free agency. ... Today it's a lot different than [2010]. Any great player will have to give great pause to walk away from $65 million to $70 million."

It almost sounds convincing, doesn't it?

But the more Riley talks, the more his fixation on winning another world title becomes apparent. And if that's the immediate aim, an external pickup will almost certainly be required.

The Heat had neither an All-Star nor a winning record in 2016-17. There are some caveats to that—which we'll get to in a moment—but both are facts. Both are also explanations why, despite his public stance, it seems Riley is once again tracking the biggest name in this free-agent crop.

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Gordon Hayward, a first-time All-Star who would have paced the Heat in scoring last season at 21.9 points per game, seems to be the top target. Given Miami's needs for perimeter scoring and forward depth, it's a natural attraction.

The Heat are "loading up" to pursue the 27-year-old, league sources told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe. If one report wasn't enough, Lowe's colleague, Marc Stein, has also heard Miami is hot for Hayward.

The competition to land him will be fierce. The Utah Jazz can give him the richest contract (five years, $180 million) along with a supporting cast that helped him enjoy the best season of his career (51 wins, second-round playoff appearance). There's also the Boston Celtics, who are coached by Hayward's college skipper, Brad Stevens, and packed to the brim with win-now talent and loads of draft assets.

It feels like an uphill battle. While the Heat can sell sunny beaches and no state income tax, they had the worst record of the three last season, have the most money on the books already for next season and have multiple future first-round picks going out while the others have additional selections coming in, per RealGM.

But don't count Miami out entirely. Sources told Jordan Schultz that Boston is the "slight favorite" to sign Hayward. Why isn't that bad for the Heat? Because, according to Stein, the Jazz see them as "no less a threat" than the Celtics. So, if Boston is in the running, it seems Miami is racing right alongside.

But if Hayward doesn't come—the most likely scenario regardless of the Heat's current position—then what happens?

Probably more whale-hunting at first, though perhaps a less enthusiastic excursion.

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If there is a Chris Paul sweepstakes, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski thinks the Heat will be involved (via HoopsRumors.com). He'd walk into training camp as Miami's best player, but he'd be harder to fit on the roster with Goran Dragic (and the $54.3 million left on his deal) still around. Besides, giving major money to the 32-year-old Paul would demand this roster matures at ludicrous speed.

Stein mentioned Blake Griffin as another option, and it's hard to paint him as anything short of a massive upgrade after watching Miami give 66 starts at power forward to Luke Babbitt and Derrick Williams. That said, Griffin has a frightening injury history and lacks the shooting range of the ideal frontcourt partner for Hassan Whiteside.

Even with Miami's hole at the 4, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes the Heat won't break the bank for Griffin, Paul Millsap, Danilo Gallinari or Serge Ibaka. (If you think that sounds an awful lot like the Heat won't sign any of the four, you are not alone.)

So, this offseason's biggest question might not be who's coming, but rather who's staying.

Why would any team want to bring back a .500 roster? Because this club showed itself capable of so much more.

Remember, the Heat reversed an 11-30 start with a 30-11 finish. From Jan. 17, they were second in wins (30), winning percentage (.732) and net efficiency rating (plus-6.4). They were one of two teams with top-eight efficiency marks at both ends over that stretch—along with the world champion Golden State Warriors.

"This group had enough of an edge and a stubbornness to just do something special," Whiteside said after the season finale.

Miami won't bring back all of that group, but retaining James Johnson and Dion Waiters would keep the key components in place.

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Ideally, the Heat could pay both players a little less than market value to have enough left over to chase a complementary piece such as a PJ Tucker or a clearance-priced Rudy Gay. Would Johnson and Waiters cooperate? That's hard to say. But Johnson has called Miami "home," and Waiters has noted he's finally "comfortable," so dismissing the possibility feels foolish.

Add in the 14th pick—Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has stretch big Lauri Markkanen (Arizona) mocked there—to another offseason of chemistry development, and maybe the Heat can further that winning formula. They already have the bones of an elite defense, and the offense could be conference finals-worthy if youngsters Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson make the leap.

If Hayward is interested, this all goes out the window. Add the in-prime All-Star to what you already have and flesh out the roster later. The Heat have enough avenues to internal improvement that they might be able to cover current deficiencies through development alone.

But if Hayward's out and other stars won't sacrifice, then they'll continue exploring what's already on hand. It's possible—if not probable—that none of Whiteside, Waiters, Winslow, Richardson, Tyler Johnson and Rodney McGruder has exhausted his upside. If they can climb before guys such as Dragic and James Johnson begin to fall, Miami could make annual voyages to the second round or beyond—aka a good break or two away from the Finals.

The Heat have options. More than that, they have blank plans and Riley as their architect. For a team with no clear direction, they're in an exciting, favorable position.

All quotes obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.

Zach Buckley covers the Miami Heat for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.