Heat Notes: Sweep, Draft, Free Agents, Grades, Offseason Outlook
The Heat got a serious dose of reality in the playoffs, getting swept by Cleveland in the opening round and losing Game 4 by 55 points, which coach Erik Spoelstra described as a humbling experience.
“These last two games were embarrassing, but Cleveland is also a very good team,” he said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “We won whatever we won, they won 64 games. We’re as irrational as we usually are, thinking that we have a chance to win this series and they showed us why we weren’t ready for that.”
Changes are coming for a team that had to fight out of the play-in tournament just to get the last playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
“As an organization, yeah, we’re going to look at this and say this is unacceptable,” Spoelstra said. “We got to get to another level.”
We have more on the Heat:
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details the draft assets the Heat have and the free agent decisions they must make this summer. Miami possesses the No. 20 pick, courtesy of the Jimmy Butler trade, but Oklahoma City will get their pick at No. 15. Other than the No. 20 pick, the Heat can only use their 2030 first-rounder in a trade before or during the draft. The team will likely issue Davion Mitchell a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent but that doesn’t necessarily mean the front office would match any offer sheet. The Heat also have to figure out what to do with Duncan Robinson‘s partially guaranteed contract.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel handed out his regular season and postseason grades for each player, with Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Mitchell at the top of the class and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Terry Rozier drawing a D-minus and F, respectively, for the regular season, and matching F’s for the playoffs.
- Patience must be exercised as the Heat look for ways to improve, ESPN Insider Bobby Marks opines in his offseason outlook. They have some expiring contracts to dangle and could have much more flexibility to chase free agents in the 2026 offseason if they’re prudent. HoopsHype’s Mark Deeks also takes an extensive look at the Heat’s offseason, including the contract situation for each player on the roster.
Sixers Notes: Gordon, Dowtin, Edwards, Grimes
Veteran guard Eric Gordon can get guaranteed money if he exercises his player option before free agency. However, Gordon might have a limited role if he returns to the Sixers.
Gordon holds a $3.4MM player option but he’s coming off a disappointing and injury-marred season. The veteran wing posted career-low averages of 6.8 points and 19.7 minutes per game, though he shot it well from three-point land (40.9%), Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. He only appeared in 39 games before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic right wrist surgery on Feb. 26.
“It was tough, because I wanted to play as many games as I can,” Gordon said.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Jeff Dowtin remained on a two-way contract as the season ended even though he appeared in 41 games, including three starts. Dowtin averaged 7.0 points in 15.1 minutes per night. “I’m just a hard worker, a go-getter no matter what,” he told Pompey, who considers whether there’s a place for the guard in Philadelphia going forward. “There’s always going to be obstacles that come in front of you. There’s always going to be things that you don’t like. Things are never going to always go your way. But it’s just how I’m built for different things, different obstacles.”
- Undrafted rookie forward Justin Edwards was one of the few pleasant surprises in an otherwise disappointing season for the Sixers. Edwards had his two-way contract converted to a standard deal after he emerged as a regular contributor — he averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 44 games, including 26 starts. Philadelphia holds a $2MM option 0n his contract for next season, but he’s positioned himself to be a part of the long-term future, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I was able to get an opportunity early,” he said. “I just made the best out of the opportunity, and it all worked out for me.” The 76ers could sign Edwards to a longer-term deal by turning down his option and making him a restricted free agent.
- Quentin Grimes thrived after being acquired from Dallas in midseason. What kind of contract could Grimes receive in restricted free agency? Spotrac contributor Keith Smith believes a four-year, $80MM deal might work for both sides, unless the Nets — who will have ample cap space — decide to blow the Sixers out of the water with a much bigger offer.
Spurs’ Stephon Castle Wins Rookie Of Year Award
Stephon Castle won a national championship with the University of Connecticut in his lone college season. The 20-year-old guard has now earned a major individual accolade – the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, , the league announced in a press release.
Castle is the second consecutive San Antonio player to earn Rookie of the Year recognition. Victor Wembanyama captured the award last spring.
Castle appeared in all but one of the Spurs‘ games this season after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick last June. He averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 26.7 minutes per game. Castle, who started 47 games, shot 42.8% from the field.
Castle became a consistent offensive force as the season progressed and reached the 20-point mark 26 times. His post-All-Star averages were 17.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.0 APG in 30 games.
That was enough for him take down the top prize by a landslide over the two other finalists.
Top pick Zaccharie Risacher appeared in 75 games, including 73 starts, for the Hawks. The 6’8″ forward finished the season with averages of 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 45.8% from the field overall and 35.5% from long range. Risacher scored 30 or more points in four games.
Jaylen Wells proved to be a diamond in the rough for the Grizzlies. The 39th overall pick started 74 of the 79 games in which he played. Wells wasn’t a big part of Memphis’ offense but still averaged 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per night while taking on challenging defensive assignments.
Castle received 92 of a possible 100 votes from a global media panel and accumulated 482 points, according to the league (Twitter link). Risacher had five first-place votes and 245 points, while Wells received three first-place votes and 123 points.
Alex Sarr, Zach Edey, Kel’el Ware, Matas Buzelis, and Jared McCain also received votes. The required 65-game minimum doesn’t apply to Rookie of the Year voting, which is why a player like McCain, who suffered a season-ending injury after just 23 outings, was eligible.
Castle’s scoring average is the second lowest among ROY winners in the last 22 seasons. Only Malcolm Brogdon (2017) had a lower average (10.2 PPG) during that span.
NBA Mulling International Format For All-Star Game
The NBA is mulling an “international competition” for the annual All-Star Game, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and president of league operations Byron Spruell said discussions were being held with new broadcast partner NBC regarding an original format for the All-Star Game. Next season’s game will be held at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome on Feb. 15, 2026. The Intuit Dome will also be the home base for the basketball events in the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The league has been inspired by the NHL, which held a wildly successful four-team international tournament in place of its All-Star Game. The NBA is considering a U.S. vs. the rest of the world matchup.
“Looking to do something new and different yet again, but excited about the possibility,” Spruell said.
The NBA has been groping for ways to regain interest in the All-Star Game, which in recent years has essentially turned into a defensively-absent dunk contest. If the NBA goes in this direction, it will be the third format in three years.
This February, the NBA experimented with a four-team tournament with three squads of All-Stars and a fourth of “rising stars.” However, the tournament was a flop, lacking suspense and drawing poor TV ratings.
Approximately 25 percent of current NBA players were born outside of the U.S., including many of its top stars.
Grizzlies Notes: Kleiman, Iisalo, Morant, Jackson Jr., Offseason Preview
Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman didn’t mince words during his end-of-season press conference when he discussed his team’s season.
“Disappointing season,” Kleiman said, per Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “A lot to sort through here. Forty-eight wins, good for an eight seed, but who cares? It’s not good enough.”
The Grizzlies were swept by the top-seeded Thunder in the first round of the playoffs after earning the No. 8 seed via the play-in tournament. An injury to Ja Morant didn’t help the cause, but Kleiman vowed to improve the roster in order to make the team a high-level contender.
“I don’t think we can look back at this series and this season and say, ‘Oh, we’re close,'” Kleiman said. “No, we’re not close. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- Head coach Tuomas Iisalo has publicly expressed a desire to have his interim tag removed. However, Kleiman is still pondering his options regarding Taylor Jenkins’ full-time replacement. “I have not made any decisions on the coaching front at this point,” Kleiman said.
- Signing Jaren Jackson Jr. to an extension remains a priority in Memphis. Kleiman believes Morant, Jackson and Desmond Bane can be key pieces to a championship team. “At the peak times of what this group has done, it’s right there and there is so much to hold on to,” he said. “And there’s been so much growth. They’re beginning to enter their prime. I think for each of them, there are significant steps that have been taken in a really positive direction.”
- Kleiman should at least consider moving Morant, who has three years on his contract, and Jackson, Will Guillory of The Athletic opines. Morant has only appeared in 59 regular-season games over the last two seasons and his actions continued to be a problem this season, Guillory writes, noting that the guard’s “finger gun” celebrations became a talking point around the league. There were also rumblings about Morant’s role in Jenkins’ firing. As for Jackson, if he makes an All-NBA team this year, he’ll be eligible for a five-year, $345MM super-max extension. That may be too much for a small-market team to swallow.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides insights and opinions regarding the Grizzlies in his video offseason preview (Youtube link).
Jimmy Butler Returns To Starting Lineup In Game 4
Jimmy Butler is in the Warriors’ starting lineup in Game 4 of their series against the Rockets on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets.
The Athletic reported on Sunday that Butler was expected to play tonight after missing Game 3 due to a deep gluteal muscle contusion. Golden State managed to take a 2-1 lead in the series without Butler on Saturday. The Warriors forward was injured in the first half of Game 2 when he took a hard fall.
Coach Steve Kerr said during his pregame press conference that he was hopeful Butler would play and take on a usual workload, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater tweets.
“He’s not on a minutes restriction. It’ll just depend how he’s feeling,” Kerr said.
Butler was outstanding in the team’s 121-116 play-in victory over Memphis, racking up 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. He also starred in Game 1 of the first-round series with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Offense, Green, Sengun, Landale
The Rockets hold a $44.9MM club option on Fred VanVleet‘s contract for next season. The veteran guard hasn’t done himself any favors in the playoff series against Golden State. In the first three games, VanVleet made only 26.8% of his shots (11-of-41), including 20.7% of his three-pointers (6-of-29), while averaging 11.3 points and four assists in 41 minutes per game, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out. Game 4 is tonight.
“There’s times and places where I have to play better, I have to make shots at a higher clip,” VanVleet said. “I have to find rhythm and find ways to be more aggressive. But obviously, if I’m getting two on the ball at 28, 30 feet, I feel like I’ve done my job for that possession. If I can draw a mismatch and I can draw a best defender, there’s opportunity for other guys, I feel like I’ve done my job on that possession. So, it’s different ways to attack. I have to be better, 1,000%, and if I make two more shots we probably win Game 1. If I make a couple more (Saturday), we probably get out of here with a win, so that’s totally on me, for sure.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- The Game 3 loss to Golden State, in which the Warriors survived the absence of Jimmy Butler, showed that the Rockets probably need an offensive star to be true contenders, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Houston, which was held to 85 points in Game 1, was limited to 93 points in Game 3. If the Rockets decide to go shopping for a roster upgrade, Jalen Green — who signed a three-year, $106MM extension in October — is widely expected to be part of the deal, according to Amick.
- Houston needs to do a better job of holding down the Warriors’ role players, Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes. Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II combined for 33 points on 7-of-14 three-point attempts in Game 3. The Rockets also need Alperen Şengun to deliver in clutch moments. The center shot 7-for-18 from the field and made only one of six free throw attempts in Game 3.
- Backup big Jock Landale, who has yet to play in the series, is listed as probable for Game 4, Lerner tweets. Landale has been recovering from a knee contusion.
Heat Notes: Jaquez, Elimination, Herro, Adebayo, Anderson
Jaime Jaquez Jr.‘s second NBA season hasn’t gone as smoothly as his rookie campaign. Jaquez has been out of the Heat‘s rotation in their playoff series against Cleveland after getting steady playing time last season.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating as a competitor,” Jaquez told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “As a player, you want to be in the game playing. But seasons come with ups and downs. I think more than anything, you take it as a learning experience. It will help you grow as a player and as a person to go through adversity like this. If you make it out to the other side, then you’re going to see what you become.”
Jaquez averaged 8.6 points per game this season on a lower shooting percentage than last season, when he averaged 11.9 PPG and made 48.9 percent of his attempts.
“There’s going to be struggles throughout your career,” he said. “You don’t want to shy away from those. Obviously, there have been a lot of ups and downs with some bad luck with some illnesses and then obviously getting hurt. But I think it’s given me a great opportunity to just learn, learn a lot about myself and about the game and take this time to just continue to work on my craft, work on my routine and continue to get better as a professional.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- They’re facing elimination tonight and staring at a 3-0 deficit in the series. NBA teams are 0-158 in playoff series after falling behind 3-0, Chiang notes. “This is our reality right now. But like I told the guys, it’s not time to let go of the rope,” guard Tyler Herro said. “We’re going to play until the final buzzer, whether that’s next game, Game 5, 6, 7 or another series after this. We just got to keep playing. That’s what we’re paid to do and that’s who we are as an organization. We want to compete and we’re not going out 4-0.”
- Herro pumped in 33 points in Game 2 but was held to 13 points in Game 3, as the Cavaliers limited him to a series-low 46 touches, according to Chiang. “I’m coming off and they’re not allowing me to get any handoffs or coming off pindowns or anything like that,” he said. “Just pretty much face-guarding me and guiding me into the corner.” Herro and his teammates will have to find counters for that strategy if they want to extend the series.
- Bam Adebayo has become more comfortable attempting three-pointers this season and that’s reflected in the volume of his long-range shots through the first three playoff games. He has taken 17 and made six. “He has good balance about it, of being rugged and aggressive at the rim and in the pant, because we need that as well … he’s a very good shooter,” coach Erik Spoelstra told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Kyle Anderson was added to the injury report for Monday’s game due to an illness, Chiang tweets. However, he is available, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Anderson has only seen the floor for six minutes during the series.
Damian Lillard Suffers Left Achilles Tear
April 28: Lillard has been diagnosed with a left Achilles tear, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who says (via Twitter) that an MRI confirmed the severity of the injury.
As noted below, in addition to ending Lillard’s playoff run this season, the torn Achilles also figures to compromise his availability for the ’25/26 campaign. It’s not uncommon for a player who tears an Achilles to require a full calendar year to recover and return to the court.
April 27: Bucks star guard Damian Lillard is feared to have suffered a left Achilles tear, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.
Lillard’s injury occurred during Game 4 of his team’s first-round series on Sunday night. He went down on the non-contact play after tapping an offensive rebound from the top of the key to a teammate. He needed to be helped off the floor and couldn’t put weight on his left leg.
It’s a heartbreaking development for the Bucks and the nine-time All-Star. Lillard, 34, returned to action in Game 2 of the series after recovering from a blood clot in his right calf, which sidelined him for more than a month. He was cleared of deep vein thrombosis, which required blood thinning medication, 10 days ago.
Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .448/.376/.921 shooting in 36.1 minutes per contest during the regular season. He would have been a strong candidate to make an All-NBA team for the eighth time, but did not qualify due to the 65-game rule — he appeared in 58 games this season.
Lillard struggled with his shooting in Games 2 and 3, making just 24 percent of his attempts while averaging 10.5 points in 34.5 minutes.
If Lillard has indeed suffered a tear, it would likely jeopardize his 2025/26 season and put the Bucks in a difficult financial bind. He’s due to make an estimated $54,126,380 next season and holds an option projected at $58,456,490 for the 2026/27 season.
In the short run, the Bucks will have to rely heavily on Kevin Porter Jr. to run their offense for the remainder of the series.
Pistons Notes: Hardaway Jr., Missed Call, Inexperience, Cunningham, Game 5
Game 4 of the Knicks–Pistons series on Sunday afternoon ended in controversy, with a missed call potentially costing upstart Detroit the victory. Crew chief David Guthrie admitted afterward that a foul should have been called against the Knicks’ Josh Hart on Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s missed three-point try just before the final buzzer. The Knicks came away with a 94-93 win and a 3-1 lead in the series.
“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” Guthrie told the pool reporter, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “After post-game review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.”
Hardaway said the missed call was “blatant” and coach J.B. Bickerstaff was equally frustrated.
“You go back and look at the film, the guy leaves his feet and there’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot,” he said. “I don’t know any other way around it. There’s contact on his jump shot. The guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy. And repeat, there was contact on his jump shot.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- The game shouldn’t have come down to the last play, Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press notes, as the Pistons gave away a double-digit lead in the final eight minutes. The true difference in the series has been poise, and the ability to make the small plays, according to Windsor. Detroit’s 3-1 deficit can largely be chalked up to a lack of playoff and overall experience in these moments.
- Cade Cunningham racked up a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists along with four blocks. However, Cunningham also made seven turnovers and missed a mid-range shot seconds before Hardaway’s attempt. “He got to his shot, and had the shot that he liked and that we all like,” Bickerstaff said. “I trust Cade to take that shot 100 times in a row.”
- The Pistons are now on the brink of elimination heading back to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday. “We have to get ready for the next game, ready to play, bring it back here,” sixth man Malik Beasley said. “That’s all we can do. That’s the message.”