MIAMI – Most pundits figured the Heat would be a playoff team again after adding Jimmy Butler.

But they also envisioned a squad that would secure a sixth to eighth seed and perhaps be a feisty first-round foe for one of the East’s elite.

The Heat (21-8) is looking like much more.

Undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn and sharpshooters Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro have emerged and mixed well with Butler and Bam Adebayo, who looks like the league’s next star.

Expectations have risen for a team that’s among a tightly packed group of contenders in the top six of the Eastern Conference standings that might be capable of pushing the front-running Bucks for a shot at the NBA Finals this year.

But are the Heat at a point where they would make a major move in the hopes of winning a fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy this season?

It’s the dilemma facing team president Pat Riley and Miami’s front office, who are open to adding players toward that goal while being mindful of two things:

• Don’t disrupt the chemistry among the mix of young players and veterans responsible for the team’s strong start.

• And don’t hinder future cap space that could hurt the chances of landing another “whale” such as Giannis Antetokounmpo (if he’s available in free agency) after the 2020-21 season.

This is the careful path the Heat will try to navigate over the next month and a half leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline as they try to give coach Erik Spoelstra the best tools to give this turnaround season a successful finish.

Where the Heat stand

The Heat entered Monday’s game in third place in the East, only percentage points behind the Celtics, and in a three-way tie with them and the defending NBA champion Raptors with the Sixers one game behind and the Pacers a game and a half back.

Through roughly the first third of the season, Miami has road victories over Milwaukee (27-4), which owns the league’s best record and leads the pack in the East by five games.

The Heat are also tied with the Celtics for the NBA’s best home record (12-1), with the lone defeat a 113-110 down-to-the-wire outcome against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the West-leading Lakers (24-6).

The Heat lead the NBA in true shooting percentage (59.0) and rank in the top 10 in offensive rating (ninth), rebound percentage (second) and assist percentage (fifth).

But they still also lead the league in turnover percentage (16.6) — often a symptom of a young team — and would like to improve their defense (11th in defensive rating), especially in the interior, which figures to be essential down the stretch against elite big men like Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.

Treading (or trading) carefully

Does Miami have enough to contend this season?

The Heat are 15-2 against teams currently under .500 (that includes an early season loss to Minnesota when it had a winning record) and 6-6 against teams with winning records.

Miami, which is 19-0 when outrebounding or matching its opponents on the boards, has struggled at times against teams with size and length, such as the Lakers and Sixers.

The Heat are an even 7-7 when they allow more second-chance points than their opponents but are 14-1 when they match or outscore teams in that category.

They could use help on that front, as well as an additional ball-handler who could contribute on both ends of the floor and ease Butler’s workload down the stretch and in the postseason.

Butler, 30, is playing 35.3 minutes per game, but his minutes increased to 39.3 minutes per game during a recent nine-game stretch when Goran Dragic was out with a groin injury. Dragic dropped 18 points and had eight assists in his first game back, fitting seamlessly, as the Heat’s lineup consistency has been vital to their early success.

Justise Winslow is also in the midst of a prolonged injury absence and missed his ninth consecutive game on Monday.

But how do they make a move without blowing up what’s working?

Miami has the fourth-highest combined salaries in the NBA, according to HoopsHype.com, with a payroll of $136.8 million this season. That includes what the team owes Ryan Anderson after it stretched his deal to pay him $5.214 million each year until the 2021-22 season.

Miami has $105.3 million committed for next year, but that total drops to $43 million in 2021-22 when there is expected to be a strong free-agent market that includes Anthony Davis, Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry, Gordon Hayward, Mike Conley and Antetokounmpo, as well as others with player options that include LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul.

The Heat are one of the teams in the luxury tax this season thus making it unlikely they would attach themselves to any long-term expensive contracts that could jeopardize the max cap space they will need to land such a player.

Add in the fact that the Heat love Adebayo, who could command a max contract from Miami after his rookie deal runs. Adebayo is due a qualifying offer of $7.115 million going into the 2021-22 season, at which point the Heat could sign him to a max contract.

Imagine pairing Butler (under contract through the 21-22 season with a player option in 22-23 worth $37.6 million), Adebayo and another max player like Antetokounmpo in the fall of 2021.

The Heat would have to give up too much to swing a major deal for a player like Chris Paul, who’s set to make over $85 million the next two seasons (including $44 million in 2021-22) and whose numbers have already declined over the past two seasons.

The same goes forKevin Love, who has an even longer deal through 2022-23 (owed $91.5 over the next three seasons).

And that would hurt their cap space heading into the summer of 2021.

Likely scenarios

The Heat could trade for a player on an expiring deal as long as they can dump some contract money in return but wouldn’t want to unnecessarily part with their own expiring contract players like Goran Dragic ($19.2 million) and Meyers Leonard ($11.86 million) unless there’s clear upgrade potential that fits their young core this season.

The team will more likely prioritize any chance to move on from suspended guard Dion Waiters’ contract (owed the remainder of $12.1 million this season and $12.65 million next season).

That could be almost impossible, at least in the opinion of one NBA executive who told NBA Insider Bobby Marks at last week’s G League Showcase that Waiters’ contract was “as close to untradeable” as he’s ever seen in the NBA

Forward James Johnson’s contract is another albatross Miami would like to remove from its books. Johnson, who has appeared in only six games this season and is averaging 3.3 points, is owed $15.3 million this season and has a player option in excess of $16 million next season.

The Heat are more likely to covet assets like Nunn and Robinson, whom each have $1.6 million team options next year. Herro is signed through next season with a team option of $4 million in 2021-22. Derrick Jones Jr. has been one of the season’s pleasant surprises on Miami’s second unit, and he is on a cheap expiring contract ($1.64 million) that the Heat could re-sign or package in a deal.

Winslow, who is owed $26 million over this and next season and has a team option for $13 million for 2021-22, is also among those possible trade chips Miami would consider only if it fits its goals.

Kelly Olynyk, like Johnson, has a player option next season ($13.6 million) he could choose to accept.

As far as draft capital, Miami has its first-rounder in June’s draft but not its 2021 first-rounder. The Heat’s 2022 first-rounder is theirs, and their 2023 first-round pick is Top 14-protected or it would go to the Thunder.

The Heat might be inclined to consider Steven Adams because despite Adams making $54 million over this and next season, he would be a free agent by 2021-22. (Russ Isabella / USA Today)

Tempting targets

Pelicans SG/PG Jrue Holiday

Holiday, who is averaging 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game for the Pelicans, could help the Heat in multiple areas on the court.

Holiday, 29, can play both guard spots and add an extra above-average defensive option in the backcourt. He leads the league in deflections with 128 (Butler ranks fitth with 95 entering Monday’s game).

But it’s likely the Heat would have to give up one of their promising young pieces such as Robinson, Herro or Nunn to bring aboard a key player or pair one or more with Dragic, Winslow or Leonard to make it more worthwhile.

It would add more experience down the stretch run to a team that still has to prove it can sustain its level of effectiveness in the late months of the season and playoffs.

Holiday is owed $26.1 million next season and has a $27.02 million player option for 2021-22.

Thunder F Steven Adams

Adams has been rumored and the Heat might be inclined to consider him because despite Adams making $54 million over this and next season, he would be a free agent by 2021-22.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported recently that Oklahoma City would be willing to take on higher salaries teams want to move.

That could put Dragic or Leonard into play if the Heat felt so inclined but Miami likely would have to sweeten the pot to convince OKC to take on Johnson.

Adams, who is averaging 11.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, is said to be a team-first guy, which could fit well with Miami’s culture and he would add another frontcourt defensive presence as well as another big man like Adebayo who can effectively find cutters to the hoop and open shooters.

The Thunder aren’t eager to deal Adams but wouldn’t pass it up if it helped them financially going forward. Perhaps a lesser deal that would net Miami a solid defensive bench option like Mike Muscala (93.2 defensive rating) is possible.

Frontcourt rentals?

Cavs forward Tristan Thompson, 28, has an expiring contract worth $18.5 million and recently said he and coach John Beilein “were good” even though there was a heated exchange between them during a recent overtime win over the Spurs. Thompson is averaging 13.2 points and 10.0 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game, and would be an offensive upgrade from Leonard, but would likely have a reduced role on a team like that Heat than he currently does in Cleveland.

(Top photo of Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday: Bill Streicher / USA Today)