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Kevin Love Talks About Adjusting To Reduced Role With Heat

March 5th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

As Kevin Love returns to Cleveland tonight for the first time since agreeing a buyout in 2023, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald points out that he’s filling a role with the Heat that he wasn’t willing to accept with the Cavaliers two years ago. Love has become an elder statesman in Miami, dispensing knowledge more often than taking the court. He told Jackson that he “wasn’t ready yet” to be a part-time player at age 34, but that has changed now that he’s 36.

“I’m certainly understanding of where I’m at,” Love said. “It’s one of the things I told coach (Erik Spoelstra). I get it. I want to keep pouring into this team and doing whatever I can. Stay ready, and if I do or do not get time, I’m going to keep being a mentor or sounding board for (teammates).”

Love has appeared in 20 games this season, averaging 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 11 minutes per night. Jackson notes that he has only gotten onto the court in five of the past 27 games when he’s been on the active roster and has played just 36 combined minutes since January 1.

However, Love occasionally shows flashes of the talent that earned him five All-Star appearances and has enabled him to remain in the league for 17 years. With the Heat short-handed Monday against Washington, Love came off the bench to grab nine rebounds in 12 minutes.

Love inherited the veteran leadership role that Udonis Haslem used to fill before he retired. He uses a mix of humor and serious discussions to keep his teammates focused, adding that the conversations often spin off into other directions.

With one season left on his contract at $4.2MM, it’s a role that Love figures to occupy for at least another year.

“I let Tyler (Herro) come to me about stuff non-basketball related,” he said. “I’m trying to create a really great ecosystem here where we can celebrate each other, celebrate small wins, and build guys up. I know how this thing goes. It’s monotonous. Guys can get into a situation (where they’re wondering), ‘Are we headed for the play-in again? Or what are we doing?”

Love told Jackson that returning to Cleveland will be meaningful after missing both games last season — one due to injury and another for personal reasons. Tonight is Miami’s only trip to Rocket Arena this season, although the teams could meet in the playoffs if Miami winds up with the No. 8 seed.

“I have so much love for that organization and city and Ohio,” Love said. “When you go on a Finals run with special players, that will always be a part of you. I’ll probably go home and look at my ring and reflect a little bit.”

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Community Shootaround: Phoenix Suns’ Outlook

March 5th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns gave fans in Phoenix something to cheer about on Tuesday night as they rallied from a 23-point second-half deficit against the Clippers to get back in the win column.

But it has been has still been a miserable stretch for the team — since the start of February, the Suns have lost 11 of 15 games and have fallen from eighth place in the Western Conference to 11th, three games out of a play-in spot.

Even Tuesday’s comeback victory wasn’t without some drama, as star forward Kevin Durant had to answer questions after the game about a heated exchange with head coach Mike Budenholzer that occurred during the first quarter.

A slew of injuries in Dallas have opened the door for the Suns to potentially catch the Mavericks for the No. 10 seed and make the play-in tournament. But accomplishing that feat won’t be easy, given that they have the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA, per Tankathon. And even if they can get to No. 10, nothing the Suns have shown this season suggests they’re capable of winning two play-in games on the road, then upsetting the top-seeded Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.

As Zach Harper of The Athletic writes, the Suns have the NBA’s most expensive roster ($214MM+) and project to have the fourth-highest luxury tax bill in league history ($152MM+). Their defense is one of the league’s worst, ranking ahead of only Utah, New Orleans, and Washington. They have a -2.5 net rating when their “big three” of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal share the court together.

It all points to a roster in desperate need of a shake-up, and it certainly seemed as if the Suns were aware of that fact ahead of last month’s trade deadline, though the team’s second-apron position made it difficult to navigate the trade market. The front office spent weeks trying to find a way to acquire Jimmy Butler using Beal as an outgoing piece, but found no takers for the guard’s unwieldy maximum-salary contract.

In the days leading up to the deadline, Phoenix pivoted to exploring the trade market for Durant, which “blindsided” the team’s top scorer. Back in the fall, Suns owner Mat Ishbia expressed confidence about signing Durant to an extension during the 2025 offseason, but a summer divorce now seems to be a far more likely outcome, given how irked the 36-year-old was to be put on the trade block without his knowledge.

Appearing on ESPN Countdown on Sunday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania suggested it will be an eventful offseason in Phoenix.

“Unless there’s a significant run here into the playoffs for the Phoenix Suns, league sources believe that there will be real changes in Phoenix coming to the Suns,” Charania said. “From a roster standpoint, that likely starts with Kevin Durant.

“… From my understanding, what it would look like is the Suns and Durant would work together on any potential trade to a contender. I would expect four to six contending teams with some serious involvement in Durant. He’s still playing at a really high level. He is extension-eligible in the offseason too, and as we know with the Jimmy Butler situation, the extension plays a big factor.”

As Charania points out, we may not get clarity on what the group of suitors for Durant would look like until later in the spring, since early postseason exits or deep playoff runs could make certain clubs more or less inclined to pursue a maximum-salary star entering his age-37 season.

Of course, if major changes are afoot in Phoenix, we shouldn’t necessary assume that Durant will be the only key player the team makes available. Beal figures to be back on the trade block, though his contract and his no-trade clause will continue to make it difficult for the Suns to find a taker.

The belief is that Booker will remain off the table, with Phoenix looking to build around him going forward, but Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) wonders if the Suns might reconsider that stance in the summer, arguing that the franchise would be better off with a full reset.

We want to know what you think. What should the Suns be looking to get back in a trade for Durant? Will it be possible to move Beal? Should Booker be made available? Having traded away control of all of their own draft picks for the next seven years, does a rebuild make any sense for the Suns or should they be looking to quickly retool and remain in the playoff hunt?

Head to the comment section below to share your two cents!

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Central Notes: Dosunmu, Walker, Jerome, Pistons

March 5th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who was scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday, said on Tuesday that he’s still not sure when the initial injury – a fracture along the back side of his left shoulder – occurred, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.

“It is kind of bizarre just knowing that there was a fracture there,” Dosunmu said. “It was something that I played on — and I think I could have continued to play on. But I don’t know, for whatever reason the last time (he aggravated the injury), it probably knocked it out in a different way, because it was a different pain than I previously felt.”

Dosunmu will be entering the final year of his current contract in 2025/26 as he comes back from his procedure on his shoulder. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times observes, that would be a stressful situation for many NBA players, but the Bulls guard welcomes the challenge of returning from this injury, having a big contract year, and helping the team take a step forward.

“I thrive in situations like that,” Dosunmu said. “I thrive in adversity, proving people wrong, wherever the doubters may be. . . . I’m excited for the rehab process. Like I said, taking it one day at a time. Just looking at it as a blessing in disguise.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who hasn’t been part of the rotation for the past month, continues to handle his demotion admirably, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. As Dopirak details, the former eighth overall pick hadn’t been assigned to the G League all season before this week, but welcomed the opportunity to suit up for the Indiana Mad Ants and see legitimate game action on Monday. “I’m not gonna lie, I was excited,” said Walker, who ended up posting a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) for the Pacers’ G League affiliate. “Any time I can work on my game, hoop, have fun, still be with the guys, it’s a good experience for me. I had a great time. It was kind of a no-brainer.”
  • In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor considers whether the Cavaliers can – and will – re-sign Ty Jerome when he reaches free agency this summer following a breakout season. As Fedor writes, the Cavs are headed into apron territory next season, but will have the ability to make Jerome a competitive offer using his Early Bird rights if they’re comfortable further increasing their team salary.
  • The Pistons‘ decision to bring in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. as veteran leaders last summer has paid major dividends. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press takes a closer look at the positive impact the “Uncle T’s” have had in Detroit’s locker room this season.
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Clippers’ Powell Out At Least 10 Days With Hamstring Strain

March 5th, 2025 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing five games due to a left knee injury (patellar tendinopathy), Clippers wing Norman Powell lasted just nine minutes in his return on Sunday before exiting the game due to a right leg injury.

As Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints tweets, Powell has been diagnosed with a hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, according to the Clippers.

The team technically made that announcement on Tuesday night, so Powell’s evaluation date is set for March 14. Even if he’s able to return to action that night, he’ll have missed at least six games due to the injury, including yesterday’s loss to Phoenix.

Powell has had a career year in Los Angeles in 2024/25, with averages of 23.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game and a .494/.424/.821 shooting line across 46 outings (33.0 MPG).

However, injuries have impacted his availability in recent weeks and it’s hurting the Clippers, who have gone just 1-6 since the All-Star break and now sit ninth in the Western Conference at 32-29 after having held a top-six seed for most of the season.

Powell’s latest injury will also make him ineligible for Most Improved Player consideration. He had been one of the leading candidates for the award, but will no longer be able to meet the 65-game minimum necessary to qualify.

Newcomers Bogdan Bogdanovic and Ben Simmons have played regular rotation roles with Powell sidelined, while Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, and Amir Coffey have all seen minute bumps.

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D’Angelo Russell Interested In Re-Signing With Nets?

March 5th, 2025 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Nets acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers in the Dorian Finney-Smith trade in December, the veteran point guard was included primarily because of his $18.7MM expiring contract, not because Brooklyn was specifically looking to reunite with the former Net.

However, Russell has been a stabilizing force in Brooklyn’s backcourt for the last two-plus months. While his individual numbers – 13.7 points and 5.7 assists in 24.1 minutes per game on .380/.313/.887 shooting – aren’t great, the Nets are 8-10 in games he has played and 1-10 in the ones he has missed.

The team also has a -1.2 net rating in D-Lo’s 434 minutes on the court, compared to a -13.2 mark in the 963 minutes he hasn’t played since the trade.

Russell, who expressed enthusiasm in the wake of the December trade about returning to an organization he was familiar with, is believed to have told people around him that he’d like to stick with the Nets beyond this season, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

While there’s no guarantee that will happen, it seems more viable now than it did when he was first acquired, according to Lewis, who notes that it remains unclear how Nets general manager Sean Marks plans to use his cap room this summer with so few top-tier free agents on track to reach the open market.

If Brooklyn doesn’t need all $60MM+ of its cap room for trades or outside free agents, or if the front office decides to roll that room over to the 2026 offseason, it could make sense for the team to offer a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a team option to Russell, Lewis writes.

That may appeal to Russell too, Lewis adds, given that there are so few teams projected to have cap room — the veteran point guard seems unlikely to receive a substantial offer from another suitor.

How the Nets use Russell over the season’s final weeks could provide a hint at their offseason plans. One subplot to watch, Lewis suggests, will be how the 29-year-old meshes in the backcourt with Cam Thomas. The two guards, neither of whom are known for their defense, have missed time with injuries since Russell’s arrival and played together for just the second time on Tuesday.

Like Russell, Thomas is on an expiring contract. The fourth-year shooting guard will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

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Bucks Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Porter, Trent

March 5th, 2025 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has never been a three-point marksman and is attempting fewer outside shots than ever this season, having gone just 8-of-42 from beyond the arc. However, that decline in three-point tries has coincided with an uptick in shots from the mid-range, where Antetokounmpo is getting more and more comfortable.

Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) takes a closer look at the two-time MVP’s offensive evolution, digging into how favorably his mid-range numbers stack up against his peers. Of the 35 players who have averaged at least 2.5 mid-range attempts per game this season, Giannis ranks seventh with a 46.8% mark, putting him ahead of DeMar DeRozan, Kawhi Leonard, and Jalen Brunson, among several other stars.

“We are seeing a lot of growth in his game,” teammate Taurean Prince said. “It’s crazy to say but he’s getting better. Every day he’s adding on. Obviously the mid-range to his game and now guys gotta kind of step up and respect it. Whether they contest it or feel like he’s going to make it or not that’s up to them, but him adding to that to his game makes him more deadly.”

Despite attempting more mid-range shots, Antetokounmpo continues to score as efficiently as ever. He’s averaging 30.8 points per game with a .604 FG% this year after becoming the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 PPG with a field goal percentage of at least 60% in 2023/24.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • Point guard Damian Lillard took a Clint Capela elbow to the left eye during the first quarter of Tuesday’s win over Atlanta and initially called for a substitution, but he was ultimately able to stay on the court and finish the game. He explained after the victory that his vision blurred after the play, but improved with time. “It got better, it just was hard to keep my eye just open,” Lillard said, according to Owczarski. “My right one I could see clear, this one was just kind of like, blurry. From the impact this side of my face was a little irritated. That was it.”
  • Reserve guard Kevin Porter Jr., acquired from the Clippers at last month’s deadline, has fit in well in Milwaukee so far. On Tuesday against the Hawks, he scored 15 points in just 12 minutes for the game and was 5-on-5 from the floor in the fourth quarter. “It feels good, just being able to contribute to wins,” he said after the game, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’ve never been on a winning team or organization. I don’t know winning ways, so that’s what I’ve been learning here. These guys, the environment, the atmosphere, the team – it’s just been team, team, team and I’ve been soaking up the knowledge and wisdom from these guys and it’s been beautiful, honestly.”
  • Gary Trent Jr., viewed as a steal last summer when he signed a minimum-salary contract with the Bucks, got off to a slow start in Milwaukee and dropped out of the starting lineup just seven games into the season. However, he has bounced back impressively since then and has played some of his best basketball since the trade deadline, Nehm writes for The Athletic. Trent, who will be an unrestricted free agent again in 2025, has made 44.8% of his three-point attempts since November 13 and is averaging 14.3 points per game since the February 6 deadline.
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Kyrie Irving On ACL Recovery: ‘I Will Be OK’

March 5th, 2025 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Not long after the Mavericks officially confirmed on Tuesday that Kyrie Irving has been diagnosed with a season-ending ACL tear, the star guard took to Instagram Live to discuss his injury and to thank fans for their messages of support, as The Dallas Morning News relays.

“It hasn’t been 48 hours since I tore my ACL, but the recovery process already started mentally, spiritually, emotionally,” Irving said. “So just wanted to let you guys know I’m OK and I will be OK moving forward. It does suck a lot. I ain’t gonna lie to you guys. This one stings for sure, but I have a great support system around me. I have incredible family members and friends, and I know I’m supported not just here in America, but internationally. And I’m not on this journey alone.”

Irving’s injury occurred during a challenging period for Mavericks fans, who saw the team trade away beloved franchise player Luka Doncic last month and then watched as the centerpiece from that deal, big man Anthony Davis, suffered an adductor injury in his first game as a Mav. Irving acknowledged during his social media stream that he’s still processing a tumultuous few weeks as he embarks on his recovery.

“I gave it (my) all this season, was giving it all, you know, starting in the summertime after we lost in the (2024 NBA) Finals,” he said. “It’s been a lot of change that’s happened very quickly over the last month and some change, so I’ve been dealing with emotions just with that too.

“… When you fall down nine times, you get up 10. I don’t know any other strategy,” he continued. “It’s just when you fall down, you get back up, and there’s no time to feel bad for yourself or feel sorry, feel the emotions, but this is part of it.”

As we noted on Tuesday after Irving’s ACL tear was first reported, the injury complicates his contract situation going forward. He holds a $43MM player option for the 2025/26 season, but was expected to seek a long-term deal this offseason, either by declining that option and becoming a free agent or by opting in and extending off of the option.

It’s not unprecedented for a team to make a lucrative long-term commitment to a player coming off an injury of this nature. The Warriors signed Klay Thompson to a five-year, maximum-salary contract in 2019 just weeks after he sustained a torn ACL in the NBA Finals, for example.

Of course, Thompson was 29 years old at that time and Irving will turn 33 later this month, so the two situations aren’t exactly the same. But Irving has become more important than ever to the Mavericks in the wake of the Doncic trade, a fact that president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison stressed in his own statement on Tuesday.

“There aren’t words to fully describe who Kyrie Irving is to this team or what he means to us as an organization,” Harrison said, per ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). “Kyrie is the heart and soul of this team, and he has embraced the city of Dallas as his home and our fans as an extension of his own family.

“… His work ethic and absolute dedication to his craft, it’s cut from the cloth of greats. I know it, I lived it, and I see the same ferocity and passion in him that I saw in Kobe (Bryant). All my thoughts and that of our staff are with Kyrie and his family, and we are confident that he will come back from this stronger than ever just like he always has.”

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Suns’ Durant Criticizes Reaction To Sideline Exchange With Budenholzer

March 5th, 2025 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters after the Suns pulled out a 23-point comeback to beat the Clippers 119-117 on Tuesday, Kevin Durant strongly pushed back against the “narrative” that formed among NBA fans and observers as a result of a heated exchange between him and head coach Mike Budenholzer on the sidelines during the first quarter.

TNT’s cameras captured Durant exchanging words with Budenholzer as he came off the court during a timeout. The Suns’ coach went to stop the star forward, who yanked his arm away from Budenholzer as he continued to the bench (Twitter video link). Durant said after the game that outsiders read too much into the exchange.

“That’s what usually happens when you don’t know dynamics of the relationship,” Durant said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “You catch something on TV, you get a quote and now you pushing that narrative as if me and Bud don’t do that s–t all the time.

“We [are] competitive as two individuals who want to see things done the right way, and sometimes my way ain’t the way that Bud want to do it and vice versa. He allows me as a player on the team, a veteran on the team, to voice my opinion. If we both didn’t care, we would never have stuff like that, you know what I’m saying?

“So I’m glad that the win is going to sweep all of that stupid stuff under the rug. Because people couldn’t wait. Even some people in Phoenix, in here, couldn’t wait to run with that and say, ‘This is the reason why the team ain’t playing well, because of that specific thing.’ But come on man, that shows that me and Bud really care about trying to right this ship and trying to win basketball games.”

It has been a disappointing season so far in Phoenix, where the Suns have a 29-33 record and are three games back of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. There has also been an increased spotlight on Durant’s relationship with the team in recent weeks after he was “blindsided” by having his name come up in trade rumors prior to the February 6 deadline. The Suns’ poor season and Durant’s reaction to those rumors has led to speculation that an offseason trade is a virtual certainty.

Even if that’s true, Durant took exception to the idea that there’s any animosity between him and Budenholzer, telling reporters that he wished TNT’s broadcast would show the two of them “smiling on the bench and tapping each other in the chest and slapping hands” after their animated conversations yield a solution.

“We’re like old friends or whatever where we’re always probably grabbing and talking to each other,” Budenholzer said when asked about the first quarter exchange. “I thought actually his energy and his voice tonight was great. I think there was some kind of offensive play. He wanted something, I wanted something [else] and it’s the beauty of basketball. But really from that moment, his voice and him talking — feedback, ideas, suggestions — was really I think a big part of the night.”

Budenholzer earned praise from his top scorer for pushing the right buttons during the Suns’ big second-half comeback, including inserting two-way guard Collin Gillespie into the lineup. Gillespie had 10 points and was a +21 in his 15 minutes of action.

“Coach made a great adjustment throwing (Gillespie) in there,” Durant said. “Coach was just perfect, to be honest. Every adjustment he made was incredible. He was catalyst for all of it.”

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NBA’s Two-Way Signing Deadline Has Now Passed

March 5th, 2025 at 7:03am CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for NBA teams to sign players to two-way contracts was Tuesday, March 4. Since that deadline has now passed, no two-way deals can be signed between now and the end of the 2024/25 league year. Clubs will be permitted to begin signing two-way contracts for the ’25/26 season on July 1.

Under the NBA’s previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, two-way signings weren’t permitted after January 15. Teams took advantage of the extended window to complete two-way deals this season, finalizing 30 of them between the February 6 trade deadline and Tuesday’s deadline. During that same period, teams promoted 16 players from two-way contracts to standard deals and made two waiver claims on two-way players.

There were nine teams – the Nuggets, Pistons, Pacers, Grizzlies, Heat, Suns, Kings, Spurs, and Jazz – that didn’t make any moves involving their two-way players between last month’s trade deadline and the two-way signing deadline. The other 21 clubs were active.

As our tracker shows, all 90 two-way slots around the NBA are now filled. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the 90 players currently on two-way contracts will all finish the season on those deals.

There are still a handful of two-way players who could receive standard contracts before the regular season ends. The Lakers, for instance, will likely consider promoting Jordan Goodwin and/or Trey Jemison to their standard roster in order to make them playoff-eligible.

A team can promote one or more of its two-way players to its standard roster at any time between now and the end of the season — that team simply wouldn’t be permitted to sign a new player to fill the empty two-way slot created by the promotion.

Here are all the transactions related to two-way players that have been finalized since the trade deadline, sorted by team and listed in the order they were completed (from earliest to most recent):

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Portland Trail Blazers

Toronto Raptors

Washington Wizards

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Atlantic Notes: Towns, Drummond, Raptors, Norris

March 4th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns missed the Knicks’ loss to Golden State on Tuesday due to personal reasons, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. It’s uncertain whether Towns will join the team in Los Angeles when the Knicks face the Lakers on Thursday and Clippers on Friday.

“When he’s ready to come back, obviously we want him back,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But he needs some time right now.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Andre Drummond posted big numbers in the Sixers’ loss to Portland on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. The veteran center finished with season highs of 25 points and 18 rebounds. Philadelphia will continue to rely on Drummond with Joel Embiid out for the season. “I mean, that’s what I set out to do on a nightly basis — [show] that I still am effective,” he said. “Regardless of whatever minutes you give me and whatever chance that I get, I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do.” Drummond holds a $5MM player option on his contract for next season.
  • With the Raptors pointing toward the offseason, Eric Koreen of The Athletic suggests ways they can subtly tank the remainder of the way. That includes limiting the minutes of their top players, going with younger players off the bench and not signing another center.
  • Miles Norris‘ two-way contract with the Celtics is a two-year deal, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. The forward, who had been playing for the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League, signed his contract on Tuesday.
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