Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups Placed On Leave By NBA
Heat guard Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been placed on immediate leave from their respective teams, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the league said in a statement. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
As we detailed in a pair of stories earlier today, Rozier and Billups were arrested on Thursday morning as part of a pair of separate but related federal investigations into illegal gambling. Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones was also among those arrested.
Law enforcement officials, including U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr., stated during a press conference on Thursday that Rozier and Jones were among six individuals arrested in connection with a scheme to use insider information to make illegal bets on NBA games. Billups and Jones were among 31 individuals arrested in connection with a plot to rig illegal, mafia-run poker games.
A total of 34 arrests were made on Thursday, with three people – including Jones – linked to both investigations. Those arrests are the result of a multi-year, wide-ranging series of probes into illegal gambling. According to Nocella, the NBA has cooperated with the investigations, per Oskar Garcia of The Athletic.
Rozier and Billups are both reportedly being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering and will appear in federal court on Thursday in Florida and Oregon, respectively.
Here are several more details on the cases, from the Department of Justice’s indictment:
- Rozier is accused of telling co-defendant Deniro Laster that he would remove himself during the first quarter of a game on March 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Hornets, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. According to the DOJ, Laster was paid $100K for sharing that information with another defendant, Marves Fairley. The tip was then allegedly shared with others, with a total of $259K in prop bets wagered by the group on Rozier going “under” several statistical benchmarks. The indictment states that winnings were delivered to Rozier’s home, according to Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic.
- According to the indictment, an unnamed co-conspirator told Eric Earnest, another of the defendants, that the Trail Blazers were going into tank mode ahead of a game on March 24, 2023 and that a certain player would sit out, according to Vorkunov. While that player wasn’t specifically identified, Blazers guard Damian Lillard missed that March 24 game due to a calf issue and was shut down a few days later for the rest of the season. To be clear, if Lillard was the player in question, it just means that information about his status was shared, not that he was in any way involved in sharing it.
- Along similar lines, Jones allegedly informed an unnamed co-conspirator prior to the Lakers‘ game vs. Milwaukee on February 9, 2023 that a specific Laker would miss the game and that the co-conspirator should bet on the Bucks. As Mike Prada of The Athletic writes, LeBron James was ruled out for that game (and, eventually, the next two) due to ankle soreness. Jones wasn’t a Lakers employee at the time, but had access to team spaces, including planes and locker rooms, because he worked with James, his former Cavs teammate, says Dan Woike of The Athletic. James wasn’t aware that Jones was sharing information about his playing status, a source tells The Athletic.
- There were also bets illegally placed ahead of a Magic game on April 6, 2023, according to the DOJ (Twitter link via Vorkunov), after one of the defendants who had a relationship with a Magic player learned that Orlando wouldn’t be playing its starters that day.
- As for the allegations against Billups, Nocella described him as one of the celebrity “face cards” that organizers used to attract “fish” (potential victims) to play in rigged poker games. The indictment states that the so-called “face cards” in those games “received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation.” Various technology – including a rigged shuffling machine, X-ray tables, and special eyeglasses – was allegedly used to rig the games.
- According to David Purdum of ESPN, prosecutors claimed that Billups helped organize and played in games in Las Vegas in April 2019 that used a rigged shuffling machine. He was also allegedly wired $50K after participating in a rigged game in October 2020.
Heat’s Terry Rozier Arrested In Relation To Gambling Probe
9:28 am: Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty has shared the following statement with NBC News:
“A long time ago, we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel.
“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender, they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case.
“They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones has also been arrested as a result of the investigation, per NBC News.
Rozier, Jones, and the four other individuals connected to the illegal sports betting case have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
Jones has also been connected to the separate (but related) investigation into illegal poker games with mafia ties, Mannix adds (via Twitter). Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in connection with that case, as we detail in a separate story.
8:09 am: Rozier is among six people being charged on Thursday for a scheme to use inside information to place unlawful wagers on basketball games, according to Aaron Katersky of ABC News.
6:52 am: Heat guard Terry Rozier has been arrested by the FBI as a result of a federal investigation into illegal sports betting, according to investigative reporter and podcaster Pablo Torre (Twitter link).
Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, will be joined by officials from the FBI, Homeland Security, and New York City police for a press conference on Thursday at approximately 10:00 am Eastern time to discuss the latest developments in the probe into illegal sports betting and poker games, including numerous arrests.
Word broke back in January that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating Rozier as part of a probe into illegal sports betting. Investigators were specifically looking at a game that took place on March 23, 2023, when the veteran guard was still a member of the Hornets.
Ahead of that game, one bettor reportedly placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on the “unders” on Rozier-related prop bets at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, raising alarms about potential suspicious activity. At the same time, there was a rush on multiple sportsbooks in New Orleans of under bets on Rozier props. Sportsbooks and the NBA were alerted, and some books stopped taking bets related to Rozier’s performance that day.
After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in 9:34 of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and didn’t return, citing a foot issue. All 30 of those “under” prop bets won as a result of the abbreviated outing, and Rozier didn’t play the final eight games of the 2022/23 season due to the injury.
ESPN’s Shams Charania said during a TV appearance in June that Rozier had been “cleared, as of right now.” However, subsequent reporting indicated that wasn’t accurate, and that investigators were still looking at the 31-year-old, even if he wasn’t the specific target of the probe.
Rozier was permitted to continue playing for the Heat last season while the investigation was ongoing, but he had one of the worst years of his career, averaging 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 25.9 minutes per game across 64 outings while shooting just 39.1% from the floor and 29.5% from beyond the three-point line. He didn’t see any action in Miami’s season opener on Wednesday.
If Rozier were to be banned by the NBA as a result of this investigation, his contract would be voided and his expiring $26.6MM salary would come off the Heat’s books, notes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The federal investigation into illegal gambling is part of the same government probe which saw former Raptors big man Jontay Porter plead guilty to a federal felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following an investigation, Porter was banned from the NBA for violating league rules “by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”
Free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley was under investigation as part of the same federal probe, but there has been no indication yet that he has either been arrested or cleared. If he were to be cleared by investigators – and by the NBA – Beasley would immediately become the most popular target on the free agent market.
Southeast Notes: Porzingis, Herro, Magic, Bridges
Speaking to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis revealed that the mysterious illness that affected him late in the 2024/25 season and in the playoffs was eventually diagnosed as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The condition, known as POTS, causes a person’s heart to beat faster than normal when he sits or stands up and can result in extreme exhaustion or dizziness when it goes untreated or undiagnosed.
“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that,” Porziņgis said. “At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
According to Katz, after getting a diagnosis confirmed, Porzingis has been able to manage the condition without medication — a high-salt diet and a more regimented resting schedule (off the court) are among the key factors.
Within his larger story about Porzingis and the Hawks, Katz notes that the offseason traded to Atlanta came as a bit of a surprise to the big man, since his agent had been keeping him up to speed on Boston’s trade discussions with three other teams: the Clippers, Spurs, and Suns. While Porzingis may have been surprised to learn of his landing spot, he wasn’t upset about it.
“We are an aspiring team, a young team that aspires to win a championship one day, and that’s the cool part,” Porziņgis said. “Even by the betting odds, we’re not too far off.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Although Tyler Herro expressed last month that he hoped to reach an agreement with the Heat on a contract extension before the season began, he also made it clear he wouldn’t let it affect his play if they couldn’t come to terms, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang details, Herro’s window to negotiate an extension will reopen on July 1, 2026 and will remain open either until he signs a new contract or through the entire 2026/27 league year, all the way up until June 30, 2027.
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to five rival talent evaluators around the NBA about the upside of the new-look Magic and how the additions of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones will impact the club. “They finally addressed their shooting, and they addressed it coherently and skillfully and efficiently with the two guys,” one scout said. “… (Jones) is not perfect, but he never makes a mistake, and he makes threes, and he can run a team, and he is a true point guard, which they didn’t have. … KCP didn’t work out, and Bane is younger and better, maybe not quite the defender, not quite as big. But he’s a better play-maker. He’s a good play-maker. He’s got secondary ball-handling skills.”
- The longest-tenured member of the Hornets‘ roster, Miles Bridges has never won more than 43 games in a season or made the playoffs during his time in the NBA, but that hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for playing in Charlotte, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays (subscription required). “Man, I love the city of Charlotte,” Bridges said. “I’m happy to be here. I’m just hoping to reward the city with some wins. That’s all I’ve been talking about since I’ve been here. I think this is the year to do it.” The veteran forward added that he’s fully locked in on finding ways to win games this season and isn’t thinking about his individual stats at all: “I want to actually contribute to winning this year. That’s doing what I need to do. Defense, rebound and scoring the ball. I feel like I could do it all. But (it’s about) just helping this team out the right way.”
Heat, Jimmy Butler Reach Settlement Over 2024/25 Fines
The Heat and Jimmy Butler have reached a settlement agreement on the fines that accompanied multiple team-imposed suspensions last season, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required).
According to Winderman, Butler recouped approximately half of about $6MM in salary that he forfeited during those suspensions while he was a member of the Heat.
A source familiar with the deal told the Sun Sentinel that both parties were satisfied with the agreement, which was reached after the players’ union filed a grievance on Butler’s behalf. As Winderman explains, the Heat were found during the appeals process to be within their right to have suspended the star forward, while Butler was considered to be “reasonable in questioning the degree of the sanctions.”
Butler, who was seeking a trade out of Miami prior to February’s deadline, was repeatedly suspended by the Heat due to conduct detrimental to the team, disregarding team rules, and, eventually, “withholding services.”
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement called for Butler to be docked $336,543 per game (1/145th of his $48,798,677 salary) for his initial suspensions for conduct detrimental to the team, which covered nine games, then $532,737 per game (1/91.6th of his salary) on his last indefinite suspension for failure to render services. That last suspension covered five games before the trade sending him to Golden State was finalized.
Settlement agreements aren’t uncommon in situations like this one. For instance, when Ben Simmons forfeited nearly $20MM of his salary in 2021/22 for a failure to render services, he and the Sixers eventually worked out a settlement that saw him recoup a portion of that lost salary.
Butler’s first full season with the Warriors got off to a good start on Tuesday, as he racked up 31 points while making all 16 of his free throws en route to a victory over the Lakers.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals once the regular season begins, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.
[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts]
Of those 540 potential roster spots, 522 are currently occupied to open the 2025/26 season, leaving 18 open roster spots around the NBA across 17 teams. Here’s the full breakdown of those 18 openings around the league:
One open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot
- Cleveland Cavaliers
The only team operating above the second tax apron, the Cavaliers are likely in no hurry to fill the 15th spot on their standard roster, which would cost them exponentially more in tax penalties beyond the player’s salary. Cleveland also has the ability to make changes involving its 14th roster spot at some point if it wants to — Thomas Bryant minimum-salary contract is fully non-guaranteed, so he’d only be owed a prorated portion of his salary if he’s waived at some point on or before January 7.
While two-way players don’t count against the salary cap, they still earn modest salaries (half the rookie minimum), so it’s possible the Cavs will look to save a little money on the league’s priciest roster by holding their third two-way slot open for the time being. A team that has an open standard roster spot is also limited to 90 overall active games for its two-way players instead of 50 apiece, so the Cavs probably aren’t looking to use up many of those games early in the season if they can help it.
One open standard roster spot
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Toronto Raptors
Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Suns, and Raptors are all over the tax line, while the Heat don’t have much breathing room below it.
Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but won’t do so yet. Several of them – Golden State, Houston, both L.A. teams, New York, and Orlando – actually can’t do so yet, since they’re operating so close to their respective hard caps.
The Hawks have room under the tax line for a 15th man, but of all the teams in this group, the Pistons could be the best bet to fill their open roster spot sooner rather than later. They’re well more than $20MM below the tax line, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, given that Jaden Ivey is the only player on the roster dealing with more than a day-to-day injury right now, there’s no urgency to bring in a 15th man immediately.
One open two-way slot
- Brooklyn Nets
In the past, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so outside of thriftiness, there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players once the G League season begins in the coming weeks.
That’s especially true for the Nets, whose team salary is the lowest in the league entering the season. With so many rookies on the team’s standard roster, a third two-way player might not see any action at the NBA level anytime soon, but it would still make sense for Brooklyn to bring in another young prospect to develop in the G League.
Injury Notes: Trail Blazers, Knicks, Heat, Pelicans
While he’s not sure who will be ready for Wednesday’s season opener against Minnesota, head coach Chauncey Billups said Toumani Camara (knee), Deni Avdija (back), Robert Williams (knee) and Matisse Thybulle (knee) were full participants in Monday’s practice, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.
Williams, who has been plagued by knee issues throughout his career, was limited to just 20 games last season. He didn’t play at all during the preseason, nor did Thybulle, who appeared in just 15 games last season due to knee and ankle issues.
Camara, the recipient of a new four-year, $81MM extension, appeared in two preseason games, while Avdija played in all four but exited the finale with upper back stiffness.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Knicks may be without a pair of key rotation players for their regular season opener vs. Cleveland, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Josh Hart (back spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (load management) didn’t practice Monday, and head coach Mike Brown isn’t sure if either player will be available Wednesday. “Everything we’re doing with him is about managing his workload, which we’ll do the whole year,” Brown replied when asked if there is an injury for Robinson.
- Rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) and second-year Kel’el Ware (neck spasms) were unable to practice Monday for the Heat, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Ware is being evaluated by a doctor, Chiang adds. Miami’s regular season begins Wednesday in Orlando.
- Lottery pick Derik Queen went through a full practice Saturday for the first time since undergoing left wrist surgery in July. While the Pelicans big man thinks he could play in Wednesday’s opener at Memphis, head coach Willie Green was careful to temper expectations after a lengthy layoff, writes Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. “We’ve got to listen to how his body is responding,” Green said. “This is his first time playing with contact in a few months. We don’t want to rush. If he’s ready, that’s another conversation that we’ll have.” Second-year center Karlo Matkovic was unable to practice Saturday due to an elbow injury the team continues to evaluate, Green added.
Southeast Notes: McNeeley, Carrington, Newell, Young, Achiuwa
Liam McNeeley‘s preseason stats for the Hornets may not jump off the page, but he’s earned a fan in head coach Charles Lee, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone, who suggests the No. 29 overall pick has a chance to be the steal of the 2025 draft.
McNeeley averaged just 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while hitting 14.3% of his threes in five preseason appearances after excelling in his rookie season Summer League. He finished the preseason on something of a high note, scoring in double digits during his lone start on Friday.
Lee was impressed with McNeeley’s approach throughout training camp and the preseason.
“Offensively, he’s really got the total package to him,” Lee said. “I’ve been able to watch him catch-and-shoot, I’ve been able to see him drive the ball and facilitate to guys. He offensive rebounds, and so he’s just another one of our core young guys that I think has this mindset of I just want to impact winning at all costs.”
Having said that, the rookie wing is far from a finished product, and Lee has clear ideas about where he needs to improve.
“The goal for him is just to continue to build consistent habits,” Lee said. “He’s still got to learn to finish things defensively and how to bring an edge and a physicality on that side of the court.”
We have more news from around the Southeast Division:
- Wizards second-year guard Bub Carrington was a full participant in Sunday’s practice after knee soreness limited him to just four minutes in Washington’s preseason game against the Pistons on Thursday, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter). Carrington faces one of the more important seasons among Washington’s players, given the offseason additions of veteran CJ McCollum and top-10 draft pick Tre Johnson, both of whom project to command significant minutes throughout the season.
- Hawks‘ first-round pick Asa Newell picked up a rare start on Monday’s preseason game against the Heat, with Atlanta resting its top rotation players. It was an opportunity Newell capitalized on, writes Lauren Williams for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In just over 36 minutes, he scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had two steals and blocks apiece. His energy and nose for the ball impressed head coach Quin Snyder. “I love the fact that he’s quickly kind of reading and taking a shot when he’s open,” Snyder said. “I think he’ll even begin to understand kind of more situational basketball, when he’s open and (whether) he can make one more.”
- Jahmir Young made it through the Heat‘s set of roster decisions on Saturday and came out of it with his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract. It’s an opportunity he isn’t taking for granted, writes Anthony Chiang for the Miami Herald. “It’s harder to stay than to be here,” Young said. “So for me, just every day, just being my best self, being 100 percent and helping the team. “Just being in an organization that works on player development, really works on guys. It’s amazing. It just gives me life. Just shows that I have to keep working.” Head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke highly of Young after Sunday’s practice: “That speed and quickness with the ball, his ability to get in the paint, ability to knock down threes is unique. He had a really good year last year. And then in practice, when we had him in that third unit, drilling against him and kind of letting him do his thing, he was a tough guy to corral.”
- Spoelstra also addressed the Heat’s decision to waive Precious Achiuwa. “It is tough, especially because we spent time with him four years ago, it felt like we wanted to keep that going,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “But that’s just where we are right now with the roster. We’ll have to see what happens in the future.” Achiuwa averaged 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game across four preseason outings. Hanging onto him would have pushed Miami’s team salary over the luxury tax line.
Heat Notes: Smith, Herro, Rozier, Jaquez
Dru Smith continues his remarkable recovery from the Achilles tear he suffered last December and will begin the regular season without a minutes restriction, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed that Smith received full medical clearance, but he plans to be cautious in how he uses the shooting guard, who has suffered two major injuries in the past two seasons.
“He’s not on a minutes restriction,” Spoelstra said, “but we want to be responsible right now. All of these are big victories. He’s way ahead of schedule. We want to keep on just stacking up these wins.”
Winderman suggests that Smith may be in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s opener at Orlando, considering the injuries that have already affected Miami’s backcourt. Tyler Herro is recovering from ankle surgery, while Davion Mitchell and Kasparas Jakucionis both missed time during the preseason due to physical issues.
Smith said he has already overcome the mental aspect of returning to the court following a major injury.
“While I’m out there, I’m not thinking about it at all,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot more stuff pre-wise — like pregame, before the game, just to stay on top of everything, just take all the precautions that I can, to make sure that my body is ready whenever I do get out there. And after that, I’m just playing basketball. At the end of the day, I can’t control it. It is what it is, so I might as well just try to be myself.”
There’s more from Miami:
- It’s almost certain that the Heat won’t agree to an extension with Herro before Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Chiang hears that Heat officials want to see how Herro follows up his career-best season before committing to a pricey extension, and one source says the team didn’t make a formal offer during recent negotiating sessions. If no deal is reached, Herro will become eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $206.9MM next summer and could raise that ceiling to a five-year, $380MM super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA team.
- Terry Rozier made his preseason debut Friday night after returning from a strained hamstring. The 31-year-old guard, who’s in the final year of his contract and faces an uncertain future in Miami, told Winderman in a separate story that he wants “a fair chance” to prove himself after a forgettable 2024/25 season. “Last season it was rough, definitely for me,” Rozier said. “So I had a whole lot of the whole summer just to reflect on what I want to do and what I want to bring to this team. I’m ready. Like I said, just hopefully I get the equal opportunity, equal as everybody. But if not, I’m still going to be here in voice and be that vet.”
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. hopes to rediscover the success of his rookie season by attacking the basket more often rather than spotting up for threes like he did last year, Winderman adds in another piece. “I just stopped putting pressure on myself to make or miss threes,” Jaquez said. “Make it, miss it, stop letting it affect me. I think last year I was trying to put so much emphasis and pressure on myself to try to just be that. And this year, I’m just focusing on my strengths, and one of those strengths is just getting downhill, creating for my team and sometimes for myself.”
Heat Waive Achiuwa, Three Others; Convert Young To Two-Way Deal
October 18: Miami has officially announced the four cuts detailed below, along with Young’s conversion to a two-way deal.
October 17: The Heat have waived big man Precious Achiuwa ahead of the regular season, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Miami has also released Ethan Thompson, Dain Dainja, and Bez Mbeng, Chiang adds.
All four players were signed to non-guaranteed contracts for training camp, so the Heat won’t carry any money on their books by cutting them loose.
A 6’8″ forward/center, Achiuwa has spent the past five years in the NBA after being selected 20th overall by Miami in the 2020 draft. The 26-year-old has appeared in 320 regular season games with the Heat, Raptors and Knicks over that span, with career averages of 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per contest.
It’s unclear where Achiuwa will land next after he was unable to find a new team for most of the offseason — he didn’t sign with the Heat until late September.
Thompson, Dainja and Mbeng were on Exhibit 10 deals with Miami are now eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 as long as they spend at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
By process of elimination, it appears that guard Jahmir Young will fill the Heat’s third and final two-way spot, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. The Heat can simply convert Young’s Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way pact and intend to do so, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
A 6’1″ point guard who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2024, Young opened his first professional season with the Grand Rapids Gold, before signing a two-way deal with Chicago in February and finishing the year with the Bulls.
Although he logged just 30 total minutes in six games at the NBA level, but starred in the NBAGL, averaging 21.7 points, 7.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game in 43 total outings for the Nuggets’ and Bulls’ affiliates. The 24-year-old was named to the G League’s All-Rookie team and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Extension Rumors: Herro, Heat, Porzingis, Daniels, M. Robinson
Although All-Star guard Tyler Herro has expressed interest in signing a contract extension with the Heat before the regular season begins, there haven’t been substantive discussions to this point, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who hears from sources that a preseason deal is doubtful.
Because Herro has two guaranteed seasons left on his current contract, he wouldn’t be eligible to sign an extension during the season. If he and Heat don’t work out an agreement on or before Monday, his next window to sign a new deal would be during the 2026 offseason.
Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins are also extension-eligible, but a long-term deal for either player appears unlikely in the short term, Windhorst writes.
As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps observes within the same story, the Heat are one of a handful of teams looking to maximize their cap flexibility for the summer of 2027, which is when several stars – including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Donovan Mitchell – are currently projected to reach free agency. That doesn’t necessarily mean a player like Herro or Powell won’t sign an extension sooner or later, but Miami may be reluctant to sacrifice 2027 cap room until they have “good reason” to, Bontemps explains.
Here are a few more notes and rumors on potential extension candidates:
- There’s mutual interest between the Hawks and Kristaps Porzingis in a new contract, but the two sides are comfortable waiting to see how the season plays out, says Windhorst. That lines up with recent public comments from Porzingis on the subject. Both Porzingis and Trae Young are expected to have to wait on potential extensions, though Young would ideally like to replace his $49MM player option for 2026/27 with a lucrative new deal sooner or later, per Windhorst.
- The Hawks are negotiating with rookie scale extension candidate Dyson Daniels ahead of Monday’s deadline, Bontemps confirms. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested earlier this week that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, is using Jalen Suggs‘ five-year, $150MM as the key point of comparison for his client. Daniels’ teammate Jalen Johnson signed an identical extension last fall.
- The Knicks and Mitchell Robinson have spoken about a possible extension, but haven’t gained any real traction, sources tell Windhorst. According to Windhorst, there’s also no urgency for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns to work out a new contract — he’s extension-eligible, but has two guaranteed years and a player option left on his current deal.
- Marks and Bontemps took a closer look at several of the remaining rookie scale extension candidates, speculating about what fair contracts might look like and predicting which ones will get done.