Heat Notes: Powell, Herro, Bam, Mitchell, Jovic, Schedule
After missing the Heat‘s last seven games due to a right groin strain, All-Star wing Norman Powell suited up on Saturday’s four-point loss to Orlando, finishing with 21 points (on 7-of-15 shooting) and three assists in 31 minutes.
Powell’s return came with a twist, however, as he came off the bench for the first time in nearly two years, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat won all seven of the games Powell missed and coaches told him they didn’t want to “mess the flow up.”
Tyler Herro, who had played well in place of Powell for the first five games of that winning streak, also returned to action on Saturday after missing two games with left quad soreness. He started at shooting guard alongside Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware.
“Look, these are not easy decisions right now,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of moving Powell to the bench. “He’s going to play a lot of minutes. Tyler is going to play a lot of minutes. Right now, we just need to focus on winning games and pouring into the team right now. We want to be healthy. We want our guys out there. We want our firepower. We want our options. With that comes some way of sacrifice.”
Backup guard Dru Smith received his fourth DNP-CD of the season with Powell and Herro active, Chiang notes.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Star big man Adebayo was not happy with the officiating crew following Saturday’s game, Chiang adds in the same story. With Miami down four and 36.6 seconds remaining, Larsson was called for five-second inbounding violation, which the team disagreed with. Then with 18.5 seconds left and Miami trailing by two, the Heat felt Orlando should have been called for the same violation, but the referees granted the Magic a timeout. “That altered the game,” Adebayo said of the five-second violation called on Larsson. “When you alter the game, you should have to, like, stand on that. Because when we mess up, when we make mistakes, when we miss stuff, all hell breaks loose on us. We got people blaming us for everything. And then on the other side, I felt like they had a five-second call that wasn’t called. That altered the game. So you see what I’m getting at? They affect the game in a way where sometimes it does have an effect, and they get to go home and sleep peacefully. And we’re up here talking about a call that you feel like should have been called or not called.” For what it’s worth, the last two minute report said both calls were correct.
- Mitchell’s place in the starting lineup seems secure based on Spoelstra’s recent comments, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The longtime coach referred to the 27-year-old point guard as “one of our most important guys” and an “elite on-ball defender.” He also complimented Mitchell’s offensive contributions, Winderman writes. “He’s, in many ways, the engine of when we run and we’re at our best and our pace,” Spoelstra said. “Oftentimes, it’s him that’s igniting it and pitching the ball ahead.”
- Fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic, who has been sidelined for 11 consecutive games due to a lower back injury, has been upgraded to probable ahead of Tuesday’s matchup at Charlotte, per Chiang (Twitter link). Andrew Wiggins, who is dealing with sesamoiditis in his left big toe, will miss his sixth straight contest.
- Miami’s recent upswing will be put to the test with a difficult schedule over the next six games, Chiang writes for The Herald. The Heat play at Charlotte, vs. the Lakers, at Houston, vs. San Antonio, and have a pair of road games in Cleveland during that stretch. “Everybody knows what time it is right now. You have to make moves,” Spoelstra said of the race to avoid the play-in tournament. “You have to do something. And we knew that coming out of All-Star break.”
Bulls Announce Injury Updates On Simons, Ivey
Anfernee Simons, who was scheduled to visit a hand specialist, was recently reevaluated. While the 26-year-old is “making progress” in his recovery from a left wrist fracture, his return isn’t imminent — he’ll be checked out again in 10 days, the Bulls announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Head coach Billy Donovan said Simons was able to take some shots during the Bulls’ shootaround last Tuesday. However, the 26-year-old was still experiencing pain at the time, particularly when catching and dribbling the ball.
Simons has missed Chicago’s last 10 games after he aggravated the fracture on February 21. The 6’3″ combo guard originally sustained the injury in training camp with Boston, but managed to play most of the season before re-injuring it three-plus weeks ago.
Based on today’s update, Simons will be out at least four more games. He’ll likely be reevaluated either before or after next Wednesday’s contest at Philadelphia.
The Bulls also issued an update on another injured guard, Jaden Ivey, who has been battling left knee soreness. According to the team, Ivey “continues to make progress” in his rehabilitation program and will be reevaluated in one week.
Ivey last played on February 11, Chicago’s final game before the All-Star break. He has missed the team’s last 12 contests and will be out at least three more, with another update likely to come next Monday, when the Bulls host Houston.
Ivey reportedly worked out with Chicago’s G League affiliate over the weekend. The Bulls have been focused on building strength back in his left knee, which he fractured on Jan. 1, 2025.
Simons will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Ivey will be a restricted free agent if the Bulls give him a qualifying offer.
Cavs’ Max Strus Available To Make Season Debut
March 15: Strus is available to make his season debut on Sunday vs. Dallas, tweets Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com.
March 11: Veteran wing Max Strus was assigned to the Cavaliers‘ G League affiliate to practice on Wednesday and is expected to remain with the Charge for another practice on Thursday and “possibly” a light workout on Friday morning, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Strus underwent surgery in August to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. He has yet to play in 2025/26.
Assuming Strus’ foot responds well after the practices — he hasn’t had any setbacks in his most recent ramp-up process, a source tells Cleveland.com — it’s possible he could make his season debut on Sunday when the Cavs return home to face Dallas, according to Fedor.
The Cavs announced last week that imaging on Strus’ foot had shown “progressive healing” and he had resumed individual on-court workouts. Practicing with the Charge was one of the scheduled activities he needed to participate in before playing again.
Strus has been a key contributor for Cleveland the last two seasons, averaging 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 29.3 minutes per contest on .426/.364/.802 shooting in 120 games, including 107 starts. The 29-year-old will likely be on a minutes restriction for the rest of the ’25/26 regular season, Fedor writes.
What Will The Wizards’ Roster Look Like Next Season?
There was never any doubt that they wouldn't be, but the Wizards were formally eliminated from postseason contention when they lost on Thursday evening.
Washington has been -- by far -- the worst team in the NBA since the start of the 2023/24 season, posting an abysmal 49-181 (.213) record during that stretch. The next-worst team since the fall of 2023 is Utah, which has gone 68-163 (.294).
That said, there have been clear signs that the rebuilding Wizards don't want to be as bad in 2026/27 as they've been for the past three seasons.
With an eye toward the future, Washington used some of its financial flexibility this season to take buy-low swings on a pair of multi-time All-Stars. Trae Young has played pretty well in limited minutes, while Anthony Davis is still recovering from ligament damage in his left hand.
How aggressive will the Wizards be this summer to built out their roster around Young, Davis and their young core? And which players are definitively viewed as part of that core?
Celtics Sign Charles Bassey To 10-Day Contract
March 15: Bassey has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Celtics, according to the team (Twitter link).
March 14: The Celtics intend to sign free agent center Charles Bassey to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
This will be the fourth 10-day contract Bassey has signed in 2025/26. The five-year veteran spent 10 days with Memphis on a hardship deal early in the season and completed a pair of 10-day agreements with Philadelphia in late January and early February.
Aside from his three appearances with Memphis and Philadelphia this season, Bassey has spent most of 2025/26 in the G League. In 20 total regular season games (17 with the Santa Cruz Warriors and three with the Delaware Blue Coats), he has averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks on .606/.426/.654 shooting in 29.9 MPG.
Bassey was selected by Philadelphia with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft. He was waived after one year with the Sixers and signed with San Antonio, where he played for the past three seasons.
Injuries were an issue for Bassey during his time with the Spurs — his 2022/23 season was cut short due to a non-displaced patella fracture, then he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December 2023. The 25-year-old appeared in 36 games in 2024/25, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per night.
The 6’10” big man was a standout with the Celtics during Summer League play this July, averaging 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest in Las Vegas while shooting 70.4% from the field across three outings.
The Celtics had only been carrying 12 players on their standard roster the past two weeks in order to execute an intricate plan to move below the luxury tax line. They’ll need to sign another player in addition to Bassey, notes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
Bassey will earn $153,330 over the course of his 10 days with Boston, which will carry a cap hit of $131,970.
Warriors Sign Omer Yurtseven To 10-Day Deal
March 15: The Warriors’ 10-day deal with Yurtseven is now official, according to the team (Twitter link). It will run through March 24, covering Golden State’s next six games.
March 14: The Warriors plan to sign free agent center Omer Yurtseven to a 10-day contract, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Agents Keith Glass and Luke Glass confirmed the news to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Yurtseven, who averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game in 113 NBA regular season appearances with the Heat and Jazz from 2021-24, signed a G League deal 10 days ago and had been playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ affiliate.
In three games with the Vipers this month, Yurtseven averaged 23.0 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 29.7 minutes per contest. The 27-year-old converted 56.9% of his field goals and 87.5% of his free throws in a small sample size.
The Turkish big man has spent most of the past two years overseas playing for Panathinaikos, but recently parted ways with the Greek EuroLeague team.
Yurtseven will provide a strong rebounding presence for Golden State, which has been hit hard by a spate of recent injuries.
In addition to Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL) and Stephen Curry (runner’s knee), who have been out since January, Moses Moody has missed the past six games due to a right wrist sprain and four other players (Draymond Green, Al Horford, Seth Curry and Quinten Post) were hurt either before or during Friday’s loss to Minnesota.
Veteran big man Horford is expected to miss multiple games due to a right calf injury. The 39-year-old has formally been diagnosed with a soleus (calf) strain, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link), while Seth Curry has a left adductor strain. All of the aforementioned players (aside from Post, who’s questionable) are out for Sunday’s game in New York. De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management) and Kristaps Porzingis (general illness management) are out as well on the first of a back-to-back.
As a three-year veteran, Yurtseven will make $141,463 over the course of his 10 days with Golden State, while the Warriors will carry a $131,970 cap hit. The team had one roster opening and won’t need to waive anyone to add Yurtseven.
Draft Notes: Flemings, Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer, More
All 30 NBA teams had representatives present at this week’s Big 12 tournament, which featured 10 prospects projected to go in the first round of ESPN’s latest mock draft, write Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While much of the focus of this year’s class has been at the very top, executives laud the depth of talent that could be available.
“We’re so interested in this draft because it’s so deep. There’s a lot of impact players,” an Eastern Conference scout said.
“And [the 2027] draft isn’t looking so good. You never know, there are players in every draft, but this year is like a double draft,” added a West scout.
Saturday’s final between Houston (Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac Jr.) and Arizona (Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Motiejus Krivas) will showcase five projected first-round picks. Multiple sources who spoke to Windhorst and Bontemps compared Flemings, who goes No. 5 overall in ESPN’s mock, to former MVP Derrick Rose.
“Derrick had the ability to turn the corner and get a clean layup,” another East scout said. “You don’t see that often and Kingston has that.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft class:
- According to Windhorst and Bontemps, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa have separated themselves from the pack as the clear frontrunners to be selected No. 1 overall. “Talent-wise, he’s clearly [No. 1],” one East scout said of Peterson. “He’s got the full package. When he’s played, he’s shown that he has the ‘it’ factor.” Another front office member favored Dybantsa. “I think Dybantsa is the easy No. 1,” an East executive said. “He’s special. There’s just so much for him to still grow into.”
- Duke forward/center Cameron Boozer and UNC big man Caleb Wilson are believed to be in their own tier at three and four, in some order. That isn’t set in stone though, as some people around the league still think Boozer should be in the conversation for the top pick. “I think there’s a top three, and a case for any of them,” a second East executive told ESPN. “Boozer has always been the best player at every level, and that can help overcome some of his athletic questions. … I would just say to trust the ultra high-level-feel guys to figure it out.”
- Scouts and executives also weighed in on Wilson, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., and Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., per Windhorst and Bontemps. The three guards are all expected to go in the top nine. “The guy who is most ready to play in the NBA is Acuff,” the first East executive said. “If you didn’t know anything other than watching him play, you’d think he was a four-year player. That’s how smooth he is.”
- Kansas star Peterson has missed 11 games this season due to various injuries and wasn’t 100% at times when he did play. Multiple sources tell Shreyas Laddha of The Kansas City Star that Peterson has dealt with serious cramping issues since before his freshman season began. According to Laddha, Peterson confirmed after Kansas was eliminated by Houston in the Big 12 semifinal that he had to be hospitalized to receive two bags of intravenous fluids in September, after the team’s boot camp. “I had like a full-body (cramp), super serious,” he said. “You could say it was traumatic. I would say it was a traumatic experience.” Peterson asked to be subbed out of multiple games in 2025/26 due to cramps and he reiterated the initial experience was “traumatic” and a “huge factor” in his decision-making process.
- Peterson recently said he’s feeling better now physically, but he admitted to The Star he would have done certain things differently this season in retrospect. “There was some foolish stuff being said, but I could have probably did better in probably (getting) in front of it instead of people making stuff up,” Peterson said. “It’s over now, but don’t nobody say nothing about me finishing games and stuff now, which is funny to me. But I don’t really care. I am just glad I am feeling better.”
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Ingram, Shead, Murray, More
The Raptors picked up a much-need win over Phoenix on Friday after dropping six of their previous eight games, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Scottie Barnes, who entered Friday with a questionable tag due to an illness, was under the weather but made the biggest play of the game, blocking Jalen Green‘s dunk attempt from behind after Green initially drove past him.
“Got out there. Was a little tired and a little winded,” Barnes said after logging 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes. “Fight through and make it to live another day.”
Toronto was clinging to a four-point lead with 43 seconds remaining at the time, and the block led to a fast-break dunk for RJ Barrett, resulting in a four-point swing. It was the Raptors’ first victory over a team with a winning record since January 25, Grange notes.
“It’s pretty amazing. We hit adversity,” said Barnes. “We had two options, to either quit (or) go out there and fight. This just shows the character of this team. We went out there and fought and got a dub. This was a great game. They had us in that first half. We fought back; we made winning plays.”
Brandon Ingram, who had been in a slump in recently, had a game-high 36 points (on 13-of-20 shooting) while chipping in seven rebounds, three assists and a steal, Grange adds.
“I think it was an urgency to compete and most of all stay together,” Ingram said. “We’ve been through some times where the other team was scoring offensively and we weren’t able to stop the bleeding or find a rhythm on the offensive end. At those times, we would put our heads down a little bit and sort of take it upon ourselves to try to fix it. I think tonight we just stayed connected.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- As Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes, Friday’s victory was important for a number of reasons. Not only did it improve Toronto’s position in the postseason picture after the team had fallen into play-in territory, but it showed the group wouldn’t just lay down after falling behind. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said before the game he was not happy with how the team responded to an incident involving Dejounte Murray and Jamal Shead near the end of Wednesday’s loss at New Orleans. Murray made a three-pointer to put the Pelicans up 18 points with 1:24 remaining, then stood over Shead, who had stumbled, and taunted him (YouTube link). Only Immanuel Quickley halfheartedly came to Shead’s defense. “I thought that we did not handle the situation the way we want and how we were supposed to,” Rajakovic said. “Our players had conversations with each other. They know that’s not the true picture and image of our team. They all agreed that’s never going to happen again.” Both Koreen and Grange observe that the team quickly rushed to aid Barrett after a flagrant foul by Grayson Allen on Friday.
- For his part, Shead seemed more bemused by Murray than upset, Grange writes. “I think in the moment I was just like, ‘Oh snap, he’s over me.’ That was about it,” Shead said before chipping in six points and eight assists in 25 minutes off the bench against the Suns. “We were really focused on the outcome of the game. We just weren’t happy with that. It got blown out of proportion a bit. We weren’t really focused on that. … I don’t think I responded in any type of way … (but) if it comes up again, I think we’ll respond a little differently.“
- In another story for Sportsnet, Grange details how the bond between Ingram and Shead has been symbolic of the team’s chemistry this season. “I think I’m connected to the underdog’s personality,” Ingram said. “People that bring the energy in the room, that have high character. (Jose) Alvarado’s like that, Jamal’s like that. And he (Shead) loves the game of basketball, like, I feel like he really loves the game of basketball. He has the knowledge, and he wants to get better. He wants to learn. He has an open ear. He listens, but he also responds well, too. So, I think it’s just easy to connect.”
Al Horford Exits Friday’s Game With Right Calf Tightness
The Warriors entered Friday’s contest vs. Minnesota shorthanded, with leading scorers Stephen Curry (patellofemoral pain syndrome in right knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL) sidelined and Draymond Green a late scratch due to a lower back issue.
Golden State lost another veteran contributor to injury during the game, as Al Horford experienced right calf tightness and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter).
Horford sustained the calf injury in the first quarter. He played five minutes, recording three points and one rebound.
The 39-year-old center/forward entered Friday’s game averaging 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks on .425/.361/.846 shooting in 42 appearances (22.1 minutes per contest). Horford has mostly come off the bench in his 19th season — Friday was his 12th start.
Second-year big man Quinten Post is a candidate for more playing time with Horford out. The Dutch big man missed Wednesday’s loss to Chicago and was questionable entering Friday’s game due to bilateral foot injury management before being upgraded to available. De’Anthony Melton also returned to action Friday following a one-game absence because of a left adductor injury.
Horford holds a player option for next season worth a little under $6MM.
Keegan Murray (Ankle Sprain) Out At Least Two More Weeks
While Keegan Murray is making progress in his recovery from a left ankle sprain, he’ll be out at least two more weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the Kings announced in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com).
After appearing in 80, 77, and 76 regular season games over his first three years in the NBA, Murray has been beset by health problems in 2025/26. The fourth-year forward’s season debut was delayed until November 20 after he underwent surgery on his left thumb; he later missed a pair of games in December due to a mild calf strain; then he missed several weeks with a moderate left ankle sprain.
Murray re-injured his ankle on Feb. 25, his fourth game back from the initial sprain, which he suffered on Jan. 4. Murray has been limited to 23 appearances this season, averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steal on .420/.277/.776 shooting in 34.5 minutes per game. Those 1.6 blocks per game would represent a career high for the former Iowa standout, though his FG% and 3PT% are at career low rates.
The Kings also provided an update on Devin Carter, who was injured during his career night on Tuesday. The second-year guard underwent an MRI on his right calf, which revealed a deep soft-tissue contusion. Carter is considered day-to-day, per the team.
Sacramento is currently 16-51, the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst mark in the league.