Heat Notes: Fox, Adebayo, Ware, Herro
Bam Adebayo continues to serve as an ambassador for the Heat in attempts to recruit top players to Miami. Adebayo playing alongside Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard is a key reason why both players were interested in playing for the Heat before being traded elsewhere, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes. That’s why when Adebayo’s friend and former Kentucky teammate De’Aaron Fox was put on the trade block on Tuesday, it was safe to count the Heat among Fox’s potential destinations.
While the Spurs are said to be Fox’s preferred destination, the Heat have generally been in on most of the top stars to hit the trade market in the last few years. Adebayo discussed his relationship with Fox, noting that he was part of the point guard’s wedding party in 2022.
“That’s my man,” Adebayo said. “That’s my college roommate. Our relationship, for me, I think is very solid. I was in his wedding, I was a groomsman. That just shows the level of respect. That just shows the level of respect and obviously the bond that we have.”
Adebayo said he hasn’t spoken directly with Fox about trade possibilities and didn’t specifically address the possibility of the Heat making an offer for the Kings star.
“There are a lot of dudes who have been in organizations where in 10 years, they had seven or eight different coaches,” Adebayo said. “They’ve had teams where it’s all young dudes because they’re in the lottery all the time or dudes that have never been past the second round. They see the success here and they want to be a part of it.”
We have more from the Heat:
- The Heat are seeing success from two-big lineups featuring Adebayo and rookie Kel’el Ware, but they ran into some difficulty when playing the similarly supersized Cavaliers on Wednesday, Chiang writes in a separate story. The Cavs’ frontcourt led by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley helped Cleveland outscore Miami 68-38 in the paint. The Heat were also outscored in second-chance points. “The second-chance points are a big problem that we need to hone in on,” Adebayo said. “But it’s not just because we got two bigs out there, you think you’re going to fix a problem. You’re trying to add pressure to a rookie that just really started getting his minutes and started to get his feet wet. So I don’t really look at it in that sense. But we do collectively as a group have to get better at rebounding.“
- The Heat are sixth in the East following Wednesday’s loss to the Cavs, just a half-game ahead of the Magic and Pistons. While Ware is still a work in progress, the Heat are trying to win now behind their young talent. “We’re a bigger frontline and this needs to be corrected,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “There are no excuses now. We have to be a lot more physical and purposeful on the glass. It’s that important for us to finish possessions.”
- Trade chatter surrounding Jimmy Butler could have easily derailed the Heat’s season, but they’re in playoff position due in part to Tyler Herro‘s career year, which earned him his first All-Star nod on Thursday. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Herro’s inclusion in trade rumors in his first few seasons in the league helped him sharpen his mindset. “Honestly, I think a lot of that stuff helped me. It might sound crazy. I think it allowed me to come in with a clear mindset,” Herro said. “There was so much talk [in the summer of 2023] that there was no way I could avoid it. I couldn’t pretend like it wasn’t there. But once I just accepted that there was nothing I could do about it, it made it a lot easier to just focus on hooping. Overall, I think it helped me become a better player.“
Rockets Interested In Long-Term Deal With Fred VanVleet
After three straight seasons at or near the bottom of the league standings from 2020-23, the Rockets added Fred VanVleet in the 2023 offseason, and he’s helped jump-start significant improvement over the past two seasons. Houston improved 19 wins from 2022/23 to last season and they’re on a near-56-win pace this year, holding the No. 2 seed in the West.
VanVleet hasn’t been the sole reason for the Rockets’ improvement — they added fellow vet Dillon Brooks and are seeing growth from young players like Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Tari Eason — but it’s no coincidence that his arrival coincided so directly with Houston’s climb to the top of the standings.
That’s why, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Rockets and VanVleet have mutual interest in completing an agreement on a deal that keeps the veteran point guard in Houston. VanVleet has been a steadying force since arriving in Houston, averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. He has ranked first among Rockets players in minutes in each of his first two seasons with the team.
VanVleet has a team option for next season worth about $44.9MM, but it sounds like there’s a chance that will be declined in order to allow both sides to rework a multi-year deal.
The Rockets’ affinity for VanVleet is presumably a factor in their reported reluctance to pursue De’Aaron Fox. According to Fischer, there’s some concern with how Fox would fit on a roster that is already seeing strong point guard play from VanVleet even if Fox’s age meets Houston’s competitive timeline.
Kings Discussed Deal For John Collins
Jazz big man John Collins continues to be frequently mentioned as a possible target for the Kings. Reporting last week cast doubt on Sacramento’s ability to make a deal for Nets forward Cameron Johnson, but Collins is someone who might fit the roster at a lower cost.
As has been previously reported, the Kings made Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and draft compensation available as they sought out roster upgrades. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that before the De’Aaron Fox news broke earlier this week, the Kings discussed various frameworks of trades that would have netted Collins.
It’s unknown how Fox’s availability affects the Kings’ interest in Collins, and NBA insider Marc Stein says it’s also unclear how far talks between the two teams progressed before the Kings opened up offers for Fox.
However, James Ham of ESPN1320 reported on “The Kings Beat” podcast (YouTube link) that the Kings basically had a deal done for Collins, going so far as to tell their players, before pulling out.
“I saw some rumors, but I definitely didn’t hear that,” Collins said of Sacramento, per The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. “Whatever Sacramento is doing, that’s, you know, their prerogative, if it involves me or not. Obviously, I would have found out. But I’m kind of happy I just didn’t have that news — sorry, nothing against Sacramento — just kind of happy I didn’t have that news hit my phone. I’ve just got to continue to be the best professional I can be and continue playing basketball.“
For what it’s worth, a package of Huerter ($16.8MM) and Lyles ($8MM) would work as a match for Collins’ $26.5MM salary. Collins is averaging 18.1 points (his most since 2019/20), 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game with an impressive .531/.446/.869 shooting line this season.
“It’s a Catch-22. It’s something that I try not to think about because I would get lost in it. And that’s why I just say I’m just happy that I found a nice group of guys here who can talk me through all of the trade rumors. You know what I mean?” Collins said. “Because this is not an easy thing mentally, to think about whether, it might be a better situation or worse situation, and whatever situation is out there, it’s not my current one. So it’s hard for me to think about that and focus.“
Knicks May Dangle Mitchell Robinson In Trade Talks
The Knicks haven’t yet made a move ahead of next week’s trade deadline, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic suspects that will change. New York is third in the East, just a game back of the No. 2 Celtics. According to Edwards, the Knicks appear to be open to moving Mitchell Robinson via trade.
Trading their long-tenured center would be one way to improve the roster without touching the current rotation. Robinson hasn’t played yet this season while recovering from ankle surgery. He appeared in 31 games with the Knicks last season and has been on the team since being drafted in the second round in 2018.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Robinson, has resumed running and jumping but isn’t yet taking contact, tweets Edwards.
The Knicks want to keep their starting lineup in place but have been exploring the backup center market. Edwards adds that the Knicks won’t attach draft capital to move Robinson since they’re a bit depleted in that respect after acquiring Mikal Bridges.
However, Ian Begley of SNY is skeptical the Knicks to get much in return for Robinson without attaching a sweetener, given his injury history. The Knicks don’t typically trade players at their lowest value, Begley observes, which works against the odds of Robinson being on the move in the next week.
“He’s the perfect player for what they need [behind Towns],” an Eastern Conference exec said to Begley. “Why trade him now?”
Another point against trading Robinson is his familiarity and favorability within the franchise.
Of all the players on New York’s roster, the one viewed as most likely to be moved ahead of the deadline is backup big Jericho Sims, Edwards writes. Adding a wing who makes about the same as Sims could be a move the Knicks explore, with Edwards pointing to Javonte Green of New Orleans as a potential option.
Latest On De’Aaron Fox
More than half the teams in the NBA have inquired on De’Aaron Fox since the Kings made him available for trade on Tuesday, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Talks with San Antonio, Fox’s reported preferred destination, are going to be particularly interesting, Amick writes, with the Spurs potentially in position to push negotiations into the offseason in an effort to further evaluate their options without losing out on Fox to another team.
One potential sticking point in negotiations between the two teams could be the inclusion of 2024 lottery pick Stephon Castle. Amick writes that there is skepticism in league circles that the Spurs would include their rookie who has shown real potential.
Additionally, from the Spurs’ perspective, it may make more sense to wait until the offseason to make a move for Fox because Chris Paul is continuing to help elevate their franchise at 39 years old.
While Fox is likely to sign an extension with the Spurs if he’s traded there, other inquiring teams are likely viewing him as a rental (he’s under contract through the 2025/26 season), and the quality of their offers figures to reflect that.
The general mood of the locker room in Sacramento could impact the Kings’ timing in moving Fox, as Amick says multiple players expressed frustration that this situation is poorly timed since it coincides with Sacramento playing well under interim coach Doug Christie.
One player the Kings are not interested in acquiring as part of any Fox deal is the Heat‘s Jimmy Butler. The Kings “do not see Butler as the answer,” according to Amick. As has been well-reported, the Heat are trying to trade Butler ahead of the 2025 deadline and the Kings’ star point guard would be a logical target for Miami, given his Kentucky connection with Bam Adebayo.
Fox hasn’t requested a trade from the Kings, but his unwillingness to commit long-term led the Kings to approach his representation and put him on the block. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Fox and his camp would have preferred to reach this point this summer when teams are more flush with draft capital and room to make offers.
The Nets are described by Fischer as a team who can be ruled out for an in-season acquisition of Fox but could make a run for the one-time All-Star in the summer.
Regardless of whether Fox becomes eligible for a super-max this season by making an All-NBA team, he has no intention of signing an extension with the Kings, Fischer writes. While Fischer suggests that the haul for Fox wouldn’t be the same as what the Cavaliers had to give up for Donovan Mitchell, as an example, it might not make sense for the Spurs to surrender multiple valuable assets for a player who is interested in signing with them in 2026 either way.
Pairing up with Wembanyama is still Fox’s ultimate goal, fueled by representation by Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul. According to Fischer, that destination was also in mind when Darius Garland‘s future in Cleveland was called into question last offseason. The Spurs have also envisioned potentially targeting Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball or Chicago’s Josh Giddey to pair with their franchise center, Fischer adds.
Here are some other recent tidbits about Fox:
- The Lakers aren’t a potential Fox destination because Klutch knows Los Angeles wouldn’t give up Austin Reaves in any deal with Sacramento, Fischer writes.
- As has been reported, the Rockets are looking to play out the rest of the season with their young core that has them in No. 2 in the Western Conference. However, that’s not the only reason they’re not currently exploring a trade for Fox. According to Fischer, the Rockets are skeptical of Fox’s fit with the team, even though the timeline makes sense.
- A potential Fox trade could cause veteran DeMar DeRozan to reevaluate his future in Sacramento, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. “Yeah, it’s tough because looking at the landscape, before I came here, those are the guys I talked to was Fox, [Domantas Sabonis] and Malik [Monk],” DeRozan said. “Those are the core guys that made it easy for me to make my decision to play here, and a key player, a key juggernaut in Fox, not knowing the future of that, it does make it tough.“
Celtics, Knicks, Nuggets Among Teams Registering Interest In Yabusele
The Celtics, Knicks, Nuggets and others have called the Sixers to express interest in trading for forward Guerschon Yabusele, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto writes.
As we relayed earlier this week, the Sixers reportedly “love” the French forward, but his impending unrestricted free agent status gives the team plenty to think about at this deadline.
Yabusele is averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game so far this season while shooting 50.2% from the field and 39.3% from three. He’s been a crucial part of a Sixers team that has been ravaged by injuries. Yabusele entered Thursday with 22 starts under his belt.
After Yabusele’s $2.09MM salary expires this offseason, he’ll have no shortage of suitors in free agency. The Sixers only hold his Non-Bird rights, so they’re limited in what they can offer him unless they use their mid-level exception — they’ll likely only have the taxpayer form of the MLE.
As Scotto writes, given that the Sixers are 19-27 and currently on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament (though they’re tied with the Bulls), contending teams are calling about Philadelphia’s veterans. Not only would Yabusele bolster any playoff rotation, but his team-friendly contract this year could offer savings for contenders looking to cut costs.
Yabusele isn’t the only player generating interest on the trade market. As we wrote on Monday, Eric Gordon is also receiving interest. Scotto reports that rivals have checked in on Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre and, notably, Caleb Martin as well. Martin signed a four-year, $35MM deal with Philadelphia this summer — if the Sixers decide to sell their veterans, he would be one of the more coveted players on the block.
Drummond has a player option worth $5MM next year while Oubre has one worth about $8.38MM.
Despite what sounds like healthy interest in players who would make sense to sell for a team interested in draft position, I’m somewhat skeptical the Sixers would proceed with a full-blown fire sale. For starters, as mentioned, Philadelphia is tied with the Bulls for 10th in the East. They’re also just four games out of the sixth seed, entering Thursday. While nothing has gone according to plan for Philadelphia this year, the team remains in position to claim a postseason appearance with better health luck moving forward. The Sixers are on a four-game winning streak, for what it’s worth.
The Sixers’ draft pick in this class is also protected, but only if it lands in the top six. While it’s not unheard of for teams with low odds to win big and move into the top four, the Sixers have likely already won too many games to truly bottom out and end up as one of the league’s worst six teams record-wise. And even if the Sixers did end up with one of the six worst records, there’s still a chance that pick falls out of their hands and into the Thunder’s if they’re leap-frogged by a team with lower odds on lottery night.
If the Sixers envision themselves as contenders next year, it would make sense to keep players like Martin, Oubre and Yabusele who can contribute to winning with a healthier roster.
NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Reserves
The 2025 NBA All-Star reserves were revealed on Thursday night during TNT’s Inside the NBA broadcast and officially confirmed by the league (Twitter links).
Fourteen players will join the 10 starters announced last week in the All-Star Game in San Francisco on Feb. 16.
All-Star reserves were selected by the league’s head coaches. Here are the players who made the cut:
Eastern Conference reserves:
- Guard: Cade Cunningham, Pistons
- Guard: Damian Lillard, Bucks
- Guard: Darius Garland, Cavaliers
- Guard: Tyler Herro, Heat
- Frontcourt: Jaylen Brown, Celtics
- Frontcourt: Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
- Frontcourt: Pascal Siakam, Pacers
The East features three first-time All-Stars in Cunningham, Herro and Mobley. The guard spots in the East were highly contentious, with Atlanta’s Trae Young, Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey among those also in the running. Ball finished first in fan voting, but that had no bearing on the coaches’ decisions.
The Cavaliers are well-represented in San Francisco, with Donovan Mitchell named a starter last week and Garland and Mobley now joining him. This is Garland’s second All-Star nod after being named in the 2021/22 season. Jarrett Allen also had a shot at a spot, but ultimately wasn’t voted in.
This is Jaylen Brown‘s fourth All-Star appearance, Lillard’s ninth, and Siakam’s third.
Western Conference reserves:
- Guard: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
- Guard: James Harden, Clippers
- Frontcourt: Anthony Davis, Lakers
- Frontcourt: Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
- Frontcourt: Alperen Sengun, Rockets
- Frontcourt: Jalen Williams, Thunder
- Frontcourt: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Wembanyama, Sengun and Williams are each first-time All-Stars. The reigning Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama has taken several steps forward to help the Spurs to a 20-24 record, putting them in contention for a play-in spot. Meanwhile, Sengun and Williams are key contributors for the top two seeds in the conference.
Edwards, in his third overall and consecutive appearance, is having a career year from beyond the arc, connecting on 41.8% of his 9.8 three-point attempts. We wrote earlier today about how the Grizzlies view Jackson as a bona fide star amid their 31-16 record this season.
Veterans Harden and Davis round out the West reserves. Harden, the most decorated reserve, is making his 11th appearance in the game while averaging 21.7 points and 8.4 assists per game in his age-35 season. Davis continues to be one of the premier defensive players in the league en route to earning his 10th All-Star nod. The Lakers big man is currently injured and out at least one week, but it’s unclear if that would affect his availability for the All-Star Game, which is still more than two weeks out.
Fresh off making the NBA Finals last season, the Mavericks won’t have a representative in the All-Star Game, with Luka Doncic injured and Kyrie Irving not earning a spot. The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, the Clippers’ Norman Powell, the Suns’ Devin Booker and the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox were among those who were not named to the team.
Grizzlies Notes: Trade Options, Jackson Jr., Morant, Smart
The Grizzlies are in one of the more interesting trade deadline situations, Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. At 31-16 entering Thursday, they maintain the West’s third seed, but they’re also a combined 3-6 against the top four teams in either conference.
Cole ponders several trade options for the Grizzlies, including standing pat and waiting on the returns of Marcus Smart and Vince Williams Jr. from injury. Jimmy Butler, of course, would help solve some of Memphis’ issues on the wings if he softened his stance on playing for the Grizzlies — or if the team was willing to trade for him anyway.
Outside of a blockbuster move, Cole suggests the Grizzlies could look into addressing their turnover problem by acquiring a point guard. Sending draft capital to Phoenix for Monte Morris could make sense, as could pursuing Chris Paul if the Spurs land De’Aaron Fox before the deadline, Cole writes.
In a similar story, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian writes that it feels like Memphis’ odds of doing nothing at the deadline are greater than in recent memory. At the same time, the Grizzlies need to decide if this season is worth pushing the chips in for or if they should continue to have an eye toward the future behind their core.
We have more on the Grizzlies:
- Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is hoping to make it back to the All-Star Game as a reserve, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes. Jackson is averaging 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks while shooting 49.9% from the field and 35.5% from three. “Think it’s no question,” teammate Ja Morant said about Jackson’s All-Star candidacy. “Any other time they base it off of seeding and all this. ‘This guy shouldn’t get it because of this guy.’ And now that s–t goes out the window when it comes to us. Yeah, I’m pushing for him to be an All-Star. I think he absolutely deserves it. He’s been playing at an All-NBA level.“
- Morant was added to the injury report for Thursday’s game against the Rockets, Cole writes. He’s dealing with shoulder soreness. Cole speculates that Desmond Bane would likely slide over to point guard if Morant misses Thursday’s contest, while Luke Kennard would enter the starting five.
- Smart is not fully practicing with the team and is still “week-to-week” according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, per Cole (Twitter link). Smart, who is averaging 9.8 points per game this season, hasn’t played since Dec. 21 due to a finger injury.
Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Celtics, Tatum, Barnes
The back surgery Nets forward Ben Simmons underwent last spring caused him to question whether he’d be able to continue playing in the NBA, as Julia Stumbaugh of Bleacher Report relays.
“There were times, last summer, when I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. I might have to stop playing,” Simmons said on The Young Man and The Three podcast in discussing the challenges of recovering from multiple procedures on his back (YouTube link). “I had to bring that up in conversation, and think about it, just because physically it’s tough, but mentally it’s just so hard to return from an injury like that, and go through the process of rehabbing a second summer in a row.”
Simmons is playing well this season from a facilitation standpoint, averaging his most assists per game (7.1) since 2019/20. While his shot attempts and overall scoring are still down from his Philadelphia years, it’s been somewhat of a comeback year for Simmons, who has started 24 of his 30 appearances and appeared in 30 of Brooklyn’s 45 games so far. His pace of 55 games played would be his best since his last All-Star season.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Consistency and scoring depth continue to be issues for the Celtics during their recent poor offensive stretch, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes (subscriber link). Boston has scored under 100 points five times this month; on Thursday, Jaden Springer was the only player to score in double figures off the bench. The Celtics are still only one of three teams to reach at least 30 wins entering Saturday and boast the third-best record in the league. As Chris Mannix of SI opines, it isn’t time to panic yet, but efficiency among their key players needs to be higher to regain championship form.
- The Lakers passing on Jayson Tatum in the 2017 draft is one factor that has helped fuel the ongoing rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics in the 2020s, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes. “It doesn’t feel like it’s at a peak or anything, but it’s always a fun game and it’s always great,” Boston assistant GM Austin Ainge said of matchups between the two storied franchises. “… And it’s 18 championships to 12 championships. You don’t think the citizens of L.A. care about Minneapolis, do you?“
- Fresh off his first All-Star appearance last season and the trade of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes is the face of the Raptors in his fourth season in the league. In an interview with Alex Wong of Toronto Life, Barnes opened up on what that means to him, his upbringing, and what it takes a leader takes. “One thing I tell people often is that, in the NBA, you mature pretty quick,” Barnes said. “A lot of people who know me and hang around me, they can see how much I’ve grown in just the first three years. With everything that’s thrown at you, you really have no choice.“
Southeast Notes: Okongwu, Young, Johnson, Poole, Smith Jr.
In the three games leading up to his promotion to the starting lineup, Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu averaged 18.3 points and 15.7 rebounds. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, his call-up to the opening five was a reward for his strong play and an opportunity to see what he could do as a starter.
Okongwu is seen as part of Atlanta’s young core headlined by Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, who are all under the age of 23. The big man in the first year of a four-year, $61.98MM contract.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hawks are establishing an identity this season as they fight for a spot in the playoffs. According to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, that’s been partially fueled by head coach Quin Snyder working with star guard Trae Young to adjust his place in the offense to be more synergetic with Johnson’s emergence as a play-maker. “We’ve been intentional about that. It’s not just kind of a dream,” Snyder said. “[Young] can’t do this by himself and he knows that. No player can frankly. So figuring out the ways he can be efficient has been the idea, and he’s been the one looking at that and thinking about it and making those plays.“
- Johnson injured his shoulder on Thursday against the Raptors, leaving in the second and quarter and not returning. He’s listed as out for Saturday’s game against Toronto, according to the Hawks (Twitter link). Being without Johnson for an extended period of time would make life worse for Atlanta for obvious reasons, but they’re also facing a tough upcoming schedule, Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.
- Jordan Poole is averaging career highs in points per game (21.4), three-point percentage (39.9%) and assists per game (4.8) for the Wizards. In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, the former Warrior talked about his best individual season. “I definitely think that I’m an All-Star,” Poole said. “I play at an All-Star level. A lot of it can be political and situational. But performance-wise, I think that I’m an All-Star.“
- Second-year guard Nick Smith Jr. might be earning himself an extended stay in the Hornets‘ starting lineup, Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer writes. Smith is earning more minutes due to Brandon Miller‘s season-ending injury. “[Smith] is more than a scorer,” coach Charles Lee said. “He’s a player. He’s a great play-maker, and we’re just seeing it.” The 27th pick in the 2023 draft is averaging 11.8 points in his last eight games (four starts) after registering 3.1 PPG in his first 15 outings.