MIAMI — At the start of the month, the question for the Miami Heat was whether this was all there was.

Then Duncan Robinson was traded for Simone Fontecchio, with Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson dealt for Norman Powell.

So, yes, again the question would be whether … this is all there is.

But as July turns to August, also known as the NBA’s monthlong siesta, perhaps the better question is how the Heat can maximize the mix in place.

To that end, consider not who is best, but rather how an uptick from an individual component could make the overall product something, well, less mediocre.

That said, a list of players in the order of how a step forward could enhance what it looks like Erik Spoelstra will have to work with when camp starts on Sept. 30.

— 1. Andrew Wiggins: Imagine for all of the Heat’s searching this offseason there was the opportunity to add a player capable of averaging 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, shooting at a 36% clip on 3-pointers.

That is exactly what the Heat got from Andrew Wiggins in his 17 regular-season games with the team last season, not far off from numbers Jimmy Butler provided the Heat before last season’s hissy-fit departure.

If Wiggins is just that for a full season, it will leave the Heat more than set at small forward.

The last time Butler was an All-Star? 2022. The last time Wiggins was an All-Star? 2022.

— 2. Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Recall amid the Heat’s awakening to the reality that Justise Winslow couldn’t shoot how they got him into the dunker’s spot, while also playing him on the ball at times.

Already this summer, Spoelstra has spoken about getting Jaime Jaquez Jr. back in attack mode.

Any ability to get Jaquez back to 2023-24 mode and any opportunity to put Jaquez’s 2024-25 into the rearview mirror would be a decided upgrade to the overall rotation. We are, after all, talking about a player who was 2024 first-team All-Rookie.

— 3. Terry Rozier: At this point, it is difficult to forecast a place for Terry Rozier in the Heat’s guard-heavy rotation.

But why Rozier ranks so high on this list is that he simply can’t be as bad as he was last season.

If Rozier is not terrible, it automatically would give the Heat more to work with. And that certainly is not much of a bar to have to exceed.

For a moment, consider if the goal listed at the end of your work review was as simple as “don’t be as awful.”

— 4. Nikola Jovic: Not only are there two sides of Nikola Jovic but they both, somewhat remarkably, were on display in the Heat’s final road loss of last season, the Game 2 playoff loss in Cleveland.

Somehow, in the same stretch of that second half, Jovic both sparked the Heat back within reach with his scoring and rebounding, and then played them out of reach with his misses and mistakes.

In that regard, there may be no bigger swing vote in the upcoming rotation. Jovic at his very best is special. Jovic at his worst can be, well, awful.

So which one?

— 5. Kel’el Ware: This is a case where the door to improvement is basic: Be your best self all the time.

And yet if it was so simple with Kel’el Ware then Erik Spoelstra wouldn’t have had to use a summer league pulpit to call out his 7-footer.

The Heat can only go so far with a sometimes Ware.

— 6. Dru Smith: Considering he isn’t even under contract, this might seem like a bit of a reach in such rankings.

But think about it, when Dru Smith was at his best last season, he was a shotmaker, playmaker, defender. He was, circa December 2024, indispensable.

If he makes it back to that from his Achilles tear, there may be few more influential two-way players on any roster.

— 7. Pelle Larsson: The concept of a perpetual motion machine is a hypothetical. But what if such energy could be harnessed? What if Pelle Larsson could be harnessed?

Summer league offered a taste of Pelle turning productive, all that bumping and bruising, careening and colliding turning into tangible offense.

A Larsson under control to the degree of being a rotation piece could further unlock the possibilities of further turning to youth.

— 8. Norman Powell: The Heat have seen both sides of Norman Powell: the defensive-first component during those nascent NBA days with the Toronto Raptors, and then the offense-only campaign last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

What if it could be both again?

A two-way Norman Powell could emerge as the best of all possibilities in the Heat’s current backcourt.

— 9. Simone Fontecchio: No need for others to say what Fontecchio can add to the mix when Fontecchio defined it himself during his introductory media session.

Asked if he could be considered a shooter, he said not after the shooting year he had with the Pistons last season.

And yet if he makes shots, he could shoot up this list, because Erik Spoelstra long has shown that almost all else can be tolerated if shots are made.

— 10. Bam Adebayo: It took half a season last season for Bam Adebayo to get over the 3-point mandate, to move past the Heat’s goal of fewer mid-range shots.

What the Heat need is to get back to a consistent, high-level offensive contribution from Adebayo, with mid-range makes far better than distant failure.

The Heat get better when Adebayo attacks with purpose, with the two-way contribution required of a max player.

— 11. Tyler Herro: Know how the Heat become a far, far, far better playoff team? If Tyler Herro can defend. Herro as a two-way contributor would dramatically change the outlook.

So why so low on this list? Because to this stage there has been little indication of defensive improvement.

— 12. Keshad Johnson: The Heat now have stood by the undrafted forward for a second season of guaranteed money, amid the hope of 3-and-D success.

If the relentless energy can be harnessed, injected, it would ease the monotony of the 82-game regular-season slog. Only we’ve barely seen it in spurts, not nearly enough to create expectation.

— 13. Haywood Highsmith: To his credit, with Haywood Highsmith the expectations rarely are anything other than more of the same: Be a good shooter; be a good defender.

At this point, to expect anything dramatically different would be an overreach.

— 14. Davion Mitchell: If the Heat can get the career aberrational shooting they got from Davion Mitchell last season no jump is required.

Be the same difference maker he was the final two months of last season and the Heat’s free-agency investment will be paid in full.