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Heat gather for training camp with roster largely intact

Continuity hasn't been a problem for a Miami franchise that came within a game of making its second Finals appearance in 3 years.

Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat are all back for the Heat.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra’s chair remained vacant at Heat media day on Monday, for the best possible reason.

His family roster is growing.

Spoelstra and his wife Nikki were planning to welcome their third child into the world — the couple’s first daughter after two sons.

That’s one of the few lineup changes for the Heat in the last few months, with the team having its eight top scorers in terms of total points and all but one of its regular rotation players from a year ago back this season.

The exception: PJ Tucker, who signed a three-year deal with Philadelphia.

“PJ’s a traitor. I tell him every single day, but I love that guy,” Heat forward Jimmy Butler said. “We’re back at Square One, you know. New season, new year. I’m excited. I know the guys are excited. We look around this locker room as we keep in touch over the summer, and we’ll find a way to get done what we want to get done.”

Finding Tucker’s replacement at starting power forward is the primary task for the Heat before opening night. Phoenix’s Jae Crowder — whom Tucker replaced as Miami’s starter at that spot — will not be with the Suns for training camp and wants a trade, so it makes sense to think that the Heat would see if making a move there is possible. Miami also re-signed forward Caleb Martin, who enters camp as perhaps the frontrunner for that job.

Otherwise, camp and preseason will allow the Heat the chance to largely pick up where they left off last season. They claimed the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and made it to Game 7 of the conference finals, falling to Boston at home.

“We always find a way,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. “That’s the Miami Heat way. … No excuses. PJ’s not with us anymore and we’ve got to learn how to adapt to that.”

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