MIAMI — Losing provides no rewards, but reality can. That makes this a December the Miami Heat should remember.

Because sometimes objects aren’t closer than they appear, such as the early-season notion of Erik Spoelstra’s team being in the thick of the Eastern Conference race.

That clearly stands as the province of the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks.

Then there are the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, who refuse to go away, injury absences be damned.

And assuredly to rise from the early-season ashes are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, with rosters too talented to remain mired.

So where does that leave the Heat? In real estate that might as well stand for them as rent-to-own, seemingly fated for a fourth consecutive trip to the play-in round, right there with their play-in partners, the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls.

Which means a needed eye toward the future, even with the franchise mantra of living in the moment.

Because what this team can’t do is become solely locked into this, a roster talented enough to surge, but also limited enough to slump.

So when in doubt … trade it out.

Starting with Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell.

Faced with the possibility of losing both in free agency for nothing in return, the time to be proactive is now.

Yes, there also is the option of locking Powell into an extension. But the payoff at the moment simply hasn’t been fully convincing enough.

So lock in a 32-year-old for multiple years going forward? Or acquire draft capital for potentially something bigger?

Similarly, Wiggins has done nothing wrong in his brief Heat tenure to be forced out the door. But he also holds a player option for next season, and therefore could walk out that door on his own.

Be proactive. Wiggins can offer plenty as a glue guy on a contender (Hello, Lakers?). The Heat are not a contender (See: Pistons, Knicks above).

So you start with Powell and Wiggins in a search for draft capital by the Feb. 5 NBA trading deadline.

So why not Tyler Herro, as well?

Here’s why: For all the talk of extensions, including the Herro window that closed in October and the one that re-opens in July, Herro remains under contract through 2026-27 (earning $33 million that season).

So you play that out. Maybe next season is full attendance. Perhaps next season reclaims the value to All-Star status. Unlike with Powell and Wiggins, Herro’s is not a contract coming to an end at season’s end.

Similarly — for those who insist on ultimate drama — Bam Adebayo is under contract through 2028-29. There is time to evaluate in that regard, no need for a rush to judgement by the trade deadline.

Had 14-7 grown into something even more substantial for the Heat, it would have made all the aforementioned less likely and perhaps unnecessary.

But it didn’t.

That hurt in the standings.

That hurt when it came to immediate optimism.

But it also got the Heat back to a place they probably needed to be in the first place: Taking a longer view.

If last July’s trade for Powell can prove to be a draft-pick bridge to the future, it would prove as profitable as it stood when the cost last summer merely was, with all due respect, Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson.

If going from Jimmy Butler to Andrew Wiggins to a draft-pick bridge to the future (along with Davion Mitchell), then last February’s Butler deal also would have served its purpose.

The Knicks are good. They showed the Heat as much last weekend, when no less than Spoelstra raved, “What you have to respect about the Knicks, you have to put them away every single possession. You can’t leave anything to f-ing chance with that team ever. That’s what they do. What they have is a will to win.”

Spoelstra added, “That’s what we are developing. We are going to get there.”

And there is a bridge to that, just as there could be toward eventually matching up with the abundant youth of the Pistons.

But it likely will take short-term pain.

Perhaps for Powell.

Perhaps for Wiggins.

Such could be, perhaps should be, the cost for long-term gain.

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