Heat Rumors

Heat Notes: Jovic, Jakucionis, Rozier, Ware, Dragic, More

October 2nd, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The contract is not yet official, but Heat forward Nikola Jovic couldn’t contain his excitement regarding his new four-year, $62.4MM rookie scale extension after Thursday’s practice, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“I feel good,” Jovic said. “I feel good. I’m blessed and everything. Still talking to my agent, you know, progress is being made. Haven’t signed anything officially, but hopefully we’ll get there soon. I’m happy that this ownership and organization sees the talent and sees the work I put in. And I’ll make sure to give my everything to make this contract worth a lot more.”

“It just shows they respect me and they want me here,” Jovic added, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “So I got a little extra boost knowing that I can show what I can do. As simple as that. I’m still going to do my thing and try to be the best player as possible.”

Jovic, a 22-year-old from Serbia, was selected 27th overall in the 2022 draft. He says he appreciated key members of the team coming to visit him this summer as he prepared for EuroBasket 2025, Chiang notes.

“I felt like last year before I got injured, I really felt like I can help this team win,” Jovic said. “From there, even after the injury, I felt like they knew what I bring. They know what I can bring to the table and how I can help this team win. And [Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and assistant general manager Adam Simon] coming to Serbia [this past summer] and seeing me and meeting my family and everything, I felt really like a part of the family.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

2025 first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis was sidelined during Thursday’s practice due to a left wrist sprain, Chiang adds. An MRI on the wrist was negative. The Heat believe the Lithuanian guard won’t be sidelined for very long, according to Chiang.
Veteran guard Terry Rozier was another player who was held out Thursday. He suffered a left hamstring strain on Tuesday but expects to be back next week, tweets Winderman. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has also heard the injury isn’t expected to be serious (Twitter link).
Miami has high expectations for Kel’el Ware and the team has been pushing him hard in his second training camp, according to Chiang. Spoelstra, who was critical of Ware at the start of Summer League, has said the the 21-year-old won’t be handed a starting job but he enjoys working with the second-year center. “Despite what people think my tenor is with him or whatever, I really enjoy coaching Kel’el,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a young player, and he’s learning our standards and learning the head coach’s standards of approaching every single day to strive for excellence and not accept anything less than that. And then you stack a bunch of days up like that, then eventually as a young player you start to learn how, oh, that impacts winning. Is he there yet? No. Does he show signs of that? Yes. Because he does really care. He cares about it. He’s learning it, and that’s OK for a young player.”
Former Heat guard Goran Dragic is expected to rejoin the organization in a formal capacity at some point in the future, Chiang writes in a third story. Dragic’s specific role has yet to be determined — he was working with Jakucionis during Tuesday’s practice before flying home to Europe on Wednesday. “I just like having him around,” Spoelstra said. “He’s not just exclusively working with Kas. He has great experience. Everybody respects him. He has a great way of communicating to guys. I think he just naturally fits a mentorship role. But he can also add value to scouting and other areas. I think we’ll be able to make, hopefully, something work for both sides.”
The Heat will have virtually no cap space next summer if Andrew Wiggins exercises his $30.2MM player option for 2026/27, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jovic’s impending extension didn’t impact that projection much since his cap hold would have been similar to the first year of his new deal, which starts in 2026.

Heat Notes: Powell, Achiuwa, Rozier, Smith, Scouts

September 30th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Norman Powell had the best season of his career with the Clippers, but wasn’t selected for the All-Star Game. Traded to the Heat during the offseason, Powell enters this season with extra motivation, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

“I definitely have a chip from feeling like I could have made it,” Powell said. “I should have made it last [season]. It added fuel to the fire this summer on how I am going to capitalize on this [season], that I have to make sure that I’m a surefire pick for an All-Star selection. Finding out that it is in L.A. would definitely be a little punch there to make it. To play All-Star Weekend in Intuit would be amazing. But yeah, I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to go at it again and have a chance to finally get selected.”

We have more on the Heat:

Terry Rozier had the worst season of his career last year and fell out of the rotation. The veteran guard, who has one year left on his contract, comes into this season with something to prove. “I don’t know (why things went sour),” he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I was being a human. I’m glad I can still play basketball and do what I love and ready for a turnaround this season.”
Dru Smith has endured major injuries during his career, most recently an Achilles tear. Yet he was re-signed in the offseason, in part because of the resiliency he’s shown, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “What he has is a superpower. I wish you could take some of that and just apply it to other players,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Smith’s participation in practice less than a year after tearing his Achilles. “When I say superpower or superpowers, it’s a level of grit, it’s a level of fortitude, perseverance. However, you want to describe it, he has no quit in him.”
Big man Precious Achiuwa signed as a free agent on a one-year contract and indicated that familiarity played a role, Miami Heat Spain tweets. He played with Miami during his rookie season. “It was a pretty easy decision because of how well this organization represents the type of player that I am. I also took into account the high competitive level of Spo, I want to forge myself around that,” he said.
A couple of unnamed scouts gave their evaluations of Achiuwa and the Heat’s young players to Jackson, including whether Achiuwa was a better option than some of the other free agent big men the front office looked at.

Heat’s Tyler Herro Optimistic About Potential Extension

September 30th, 2025 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Tyler Herro isn’t participating in training camp this week as he recovers from ankle surgery, but October 1 is an important date for him — he’ll become eligible to sign a veteran contract extension that could be worth a maximum of $149.7MM over three years.

Herro will have a window of about three weeks this fall to sign a new deal. If he and the team don’t have an agreement in place by Oct. 20, he won’t be eligible to sign an extension until the 2026 offseason, as he enters the final year of his current contract.

However, Herro expressed optimism on Monday about his odds of working something out with the Heat before opening night, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays.

“I expect to get something done. But we’ll see what happens,” Herro said. “I think they’re supposed to meet on Wednesday.

“… It is important for me,” he continued. “I’ve been here six years. I feel like I’ve earned it. I’m not saying what I’ve earned, but I’ve earned something. I think I deserve it, and I want to be here ultimately. I’ve vocally said that.”

Herro, who will earn $31MM this season and $33MM in 2026/27, is coming off the best season of his NBA career. He earned his first All-Star nod and set new career highs in points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game, along with games played (77) and field goal percentage (47.2%).

That big year doesn’t mean the Heat are prepared to reward him by offering that full $149.7MM, but Herro suggested on Monday that he won’t necessarily be pushing for that maximum extension either. The 25-year-old told reporters that it’s not “$50 million (per year) or nothing,” and added that he has “a number in my mind,” but if he and the team don’t agree to terms, he won’t be frustrated by that outcome.

“I’m not going to hinder this season on getting an extension or not. I’m not going to lose my joy,” Herro said, jokingly referencing a comment former teammate Jimmy Butler made last season. “… I’m excited to play. At the end of the day, I have two years on my contract. And if we don’t get something done, I’m not going to be a problem throughout the organization. I’m happy to be here. … I would love to get something done, like I said, but we’ll see what happens.”

Heat Notes: Herro, Jovic, Smith, Powell, Ware, Rozier

September 29th, 2025 at 10:48am CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat guard Tyler Herro suggested on Monday that his return from ankle surgery could take longer than initial projections, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Herro underwent surgery this month to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle with the expectation he’d miss about eight weeks.

Herro, who said he couldn’t even jump due to the ankle pain prior to surgery, said the rehab process could go a little longer.

“I’ll be back in the next eight to 12 weeks,” Herro said. “Should be a full recovery. Right now, I’m ahead of schedule as far as the swelling. I should get the stitches out in the next week.”

However, Herro told coach Erik Spoelstra that he’ll try to return on a more accelerated timetable.

“I told Spo that I’ll be back in six weeks,” Herro said. “I’m ahead of schedule.”

Here’s more from the Heat during their annual media day:

Nikola Jovic is one of the Heat players who is extension-eligible this preseason with an Oct. 20 deadline. He downplayed extension talks on Monday, Winderman tweets. Winderman speculated last week that a contract in the range of $50-60MM over four years could appeal to both sides. Jovic added that he hopes to get a chance to earn a starting job during training camp, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.
Dru Smith, who was signed to a three-year deal in August, said he’s been cleared to play in preseason games, according to Jackson. Smith suffered an Achilles tear in December.
The addition of veteran forward and proven scorer Norman Powell via trade in July came as a pleasant surprise to Spoelstra, according to Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “We’re excited to have Norm with us, his ability to put the ball in the basket. He can do it on the ball, can do it off the ball,” the coach said. “He’s been able to be efficient in a lot of different roles. He’s been part of a lot of winning teams. He’s a competitive dude, has got an edge to him. His work ethic is tremendous. We will thrilled [to get him]. There were a lot of things we planned to do this summer; that one was a little bit of a surprise.”
Second-year big man Kel’el Ware won’t be handed the starting center job. “He and Bam (Adebayo) had some good moments together. In the playoffs, it wasn’t good,” Spoelstra said. “He’s positioning himself for an important role. He’ll have to prove it; he will have to earn it.”
Terry Rozier, whose status with the team this season remains up in the air, has been preparing for the season in Miami, according to Spoelstra. “Terry has been in the gym since the middle of July,” he said. “He is in great shape, lost 10, 12 pounds. He was playing pickup anywhere he could in Miami [this summer].”
Rozier said the FBI investigation regarding suspicious bets when he played for Charlotte weighed on him initially, but is no longer a concern, according to Jackson (Twitter link). He declined to say what his attorney has told him about where that investigation stands. The NBA found no wrongdoing in its own investigation.

Heat GM Andy Elisburg Opens Up About Health Scare

September 28th, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

When the Heat selected Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th overall pick in the 2025 draft, it was anything but business as usual for general manager Andy Elisburg, writes Ira Winderman for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Elisburg made the call with the team’s official selection, as he has for years. However, this time, he was doing it from what Winderman describes as a high-tech wheelchair, due to an infection that had sapped him of his ability to do much of anything over the previous months.

“When I was done giving the pick, I was able to reach over and hang up the phone,” Elisburg says. “And the people in the back, all the therapists, and all the doctors were so excited, ‘He’s using his core! He’s using his core!’ Because, for me, I hadn’t had the ability.”

Winderman writes that the infection began late in the 2024/25 season. Elisburg had started feeling more exhausted than usual, but it wasn’t until he woke up one day following the season’s end with a left leg that wouldn’t work that he began to really worry.

“I was a whole lot sicker than I realized I was,” he said. “That’s where they discovered I had an infection throughout my body — in my knee, in my back. My kidney numbers, my liver numbers, everything was up and elevated. There were people who were not quite sure I was going to come out of that.”

With his kidneys at near dialysis levels, a partial amputation of Elisburg’s foot was required, as well as a handful of other surgeries over the following days, some of which strained his ability to keep his focus on his recovery, instead of the team.

“One of my procedures was happening the day of the lottery and got delayed and kept being delayed. And so it wound up happening during the lottery,” he said. “So I get out of the operating room, I get to the recovery room that I’m awake, alert enough to bring my friends in to see me, and my first question is, ‘So who won the lottery?’”

The surgeries were followed by grueling rehab sessions, which he is still undergoing, and which have recently yielded the ability to take steps through the use of parallel bars. Through it all, though, Elisburg has never lost his keen eye and hunger to solve whatever pressing needs the team might have.

“It was hard for me to sit in a hospital bed and sleep or watch TV. And after a while, I said, ‘I’ve got to get something going.’ I started making some phone calls, started talking about the draft and trades and things of that nature,” said Elisburg. “When I would talk to (Heat president) Pat (Riley) and (CEO) Nick (Arison), I’d say, ‘Hey, I’ve got some information.’ Initially, it was, ‘You worry about you.’ I was like, ‘I need to do this. I need something to get my mind going.’ And it went to now we started to have regularly scheduled meetings.”

Elisburg is now back in his office, trying to get back into the full swing of the job. He says he’s doing around 80% of his usual September workload. While the team leadership has constantly stressed the need to take care of himself first and foremost, the longtime Heat GM is just grateful that he’s on the road to recovery and can still do what he does best professionally.

“I’m looking forward to the season and lucky that I do something that I have such a passion for and still am able to do it,” he said.

Fischer’s Latest: Grimes, Kuminga, Bamba, Love, Rockets

September 27th, 2025 at 8:50am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Sixers just made their first formal offer to restricted free agent Quentin Grimes earlier this week, they have discussed various contract frameworks with his agent David Bauman several times throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Fischer explains, the 76ers were hesitant to extend a formal offer until recently because they realized there was a significant gap in what they were willing to pay Grimes compared to what he and his representatives were seeking on a new deal.

While Grimes’ camp had some hope of a potential sign-and-trade materializing, that outcome appears unlikely, Fischer writes. The most likely scenario, Fischer continues, is Grimes signing a one-year deal that comes in above his $8.7MM qualifying offer.

Fischer confirms that Bauman asked the Sixers to extend Grimes’ qualifying offer deadline from October 1 to October 8, in part because the team is traveling to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games. But Philadelphia hasn’t shown any interest pushing back the deadline to this point.

Following up on his previous report that the Sixers floated the idea of trading Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond — or both — to make a more lucrative contract offer to Grimes, Fischer says Philadelphia’s front office has been “adamant” that it is unwilling to add draft picks to shed either of those salaries.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have not had any talks about potentially moving back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Fischer. Golden State appears unwilling to budge on its latest contract offers, per Fischer, including a three-year, $75MM proposal which contains a team option for 2027/28. Kuminga’s camp has “pushed hard” for a player option instead of a team option, Fischer writes, but hasn’t had any luck so far. Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors remain unenthusiastic about taking back Malik Monk, in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expire.
According to Fischer, the Heat showed some interest in Mo Bamba before the former lottery pick signed a training camp deal with the Jazz. Bamba landing with Utah has led to speculation that Kevin Love might be nearing a buyout agreement, but “all signs” currently indicate that Love will begin the season with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
Fischer hears the Rockets aren’t expected to look for immediate backcourt help in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, preferring instead to see how Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson respond to increased on-ball responsibilities. Houston may explore adding guard depth down the line, Fischer writes, but that likely won’t occur until at least December 15, when many free agent signings become eligible to be moved. According to Fischer, there’s still an expectation that Kevin Durant will eventually sign an extension with the Rockets, but a potential rookie scale deal for Tari Eason appears less certain.

Southeast Notes: Bane, D. Smith, Hawks, Wizards, Hornets

September 26th, 2025 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

New Magic swingman Desmond Bane feels good about how he’ll fit alongside star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, telling Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com that he thinks his skill set “complements those guys very well” and will help “open up the floor for them to attack and do their thing.” Bane also pointed to Orlando’s roster versatility when asked why he’s confident about the team’s ability to be a contender in 2025/26.

“I think we can play so many different lineups,” he told Medina. “We have so many different handlers. We have so many different screeners. We have guys that can get baskets one-on-one when the game slows down and you get into crunch time. So we really have a lot of tools on this roster.

“It’s always easy to talk this highly at this time of the year. But once you get into December, some guys are playing well, some guys aren’t, some guys are in the rotation, some guys aren’t. That’s when teams really have a choice to come together or split. So we have a long way to go. It’s a long journey. But we got good people in the building and people that work hard and care. So I think that gives us a chance. That’s all you can ask for.”

Bane will be playing for a new team for the first time since entering the NBA in 2020 — he spent his first five professional seasons with the Grizzlies, who traded him to Orlando in June. Speaking to Medina, the 27-year-old made it clear he harbors no ill will toward his former team for ending their relationship over the summer.

“I’m rooting for Memphis 80 games out of the year,” Bane said. “I hope they do well. I got a lot of guys out of there that are up for contracts and things like that. So I want it to work out for them and that they get everything that they deserve. So I’m looking forward toward seeing how they do, and hoping for the best of them. There’s no bad blood at all.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

Heat guard Dru Smith, who tore his Achilles last December, has resumed five-on-five work, a league source tells Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Smith re-signed with Miami this summer on a three-year, minimum-salary deal, though only the first season is guaranteed.
The Hawks put out a press release this week announcing several hires and promotions in their basketball operations department. Most notably, Brittni Donaldson has moved from an assistant coaching role to the front office as Atlanta’s director of basketball development, methodology, and integration, while Mychel Thompson (Klay Thompson‘s brother) has been hired as a pro scout.
While Wizards general manager Will Dawkins assured fans on Wednesday that the front office has a “very clear vision” for its rebuild, he offered few specifics about the plan to turn the team from one of the league’s worst into a legitimate contender, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. With that in mind, Robbins reads between the lines of Dawkins’ comments in an effort to highlight the primary components of the Wizards’ approach to rebuilding, including casting a wide net for young talent, maintaining financial flexibility, and doing a good job scouting their own players.
In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer (subscription required), Rod Boone explains why he views Collin Sexton and Mason Plumlee as strong candidates to start for the Hornets and evaluates whether an in-season Miles Bridges trade is likely, among other topics.

Heat Sign Precious Achiuwa To One-Year Deal

September 25th, 2025 at 4:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

September 25: Miami has signed Achiuwa, the team announced in press release. In a corresponding move, Gabe Madsen has been waived, per the Heat.

September 24: The Heat have agreed to a one-year contract with big man Precious Achiuwa, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter). It’s a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Achiuwa was one of the top remaining frontcourt players on the free agent market. He appeared in 57 games with the Knicks last season, including 10 starts, and averaged 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per night. Achiuwa also saw limited minutes in eight postseason games.

Miami’s interest in signing him was reported earlier this month.

It’s the second stint for Achiuwa in the Heat organization. They drafted him with the No. 20 overall pick in 2020 and he played 61 games as a rookie.

Miami then traded him to Toronto in a deal that sent Kyle Lowry to the Heat. He played two-and-a-half seasons with the Raptors before getting traded to the Knicks during the 2023/24 season.

Achiuwa will provide depth at the power forward and center spots, assuming he makes the 15-man roster. Miami had a full camp roster and will have to shed a player to make the signing official.

If Achiuwa does stick with the Heat for the regular season, the team’s salary would move slightly above the luxury tax line. However, since luxury tax penalties are based on salaries at the end of the season, Miami would have until the trade deadline to duck back below that threshold.

Heat Expect Terry Rozier To Participate In Training Camp

September 25th, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

While there’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding Terry Rozier, the Heat expect the veteran guard to join them at training camp, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.

Despite internal discussions regarding his contract, the Heat still plan to begin training camp on Tuesday with Rozier on the roster.

Rozier is unlikely to give up any money in a buyout due to the fact that he remains linked to an ongoing federal gambling investigation, which limits his options outside of Miami. Trading him would require sacrificing future draft capital and possibly salary cap flexibility beyond this season, which Miami is reluctant to do.

If the Heat decide to remove Rozier from their roster, the most likely scenario is that he’ll simply be waived. The team could create $1.7MM in cap savings – moving its salary below the luxury tax line – because only $24.9MM of Rozier’s $26.6MM salary for this upcoming season is currently guaranteed. The waive-and-stretch provision is no longer an option because the deadline to do so expired last month.

However, Rozier might even work his way into a rotation role, at least early on, due to Tyler Herro‘s ankle injury.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Beverley, Young, Achiuwa, Herro

September 25th, 2025 at 8:37am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards’ expectations for the upcoming season remain modest. It’s all about player development and growth, not wins.

“Roster-wise, we’re still in the early stages of the rebuild,” general manager Will Dawkins told the media on Wednesday, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). “This offseason we decided to lean into the youth movement more… we like the unpredictability and the competition it’s going to bring.”

Washington is coming off an 18-64 season and it’s going to be a slow climb to get back to respectability. The Wizards will have to convey their first-round pick to the Knicks if it falls out of the top eight, giving them even more incentive to keep their win total low.

“We will not skip steps,” Dawkins said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “We will not take shortcuts.”

The Wizards have 13 players under the age of 25 and they’ll battle for playing time.

“We do not have the same level of experience or established players as we’ve had in the previous [seasons], which is fine,” Dawkins said. “We do, however, have depth. And I know we like the unpredictability and the competition that we think it’s going to breed. So for us, we view the upcoming season as a season of opportunity.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Former NBA guard Patrick Beverley ripped Hawks star guard Trae Young on a podcast, stating “I’ve talked to people who played in Atlanta. They don’t wanna play there. Why? They don’t think he’s a good leader. They don’t think he’s a good teammate. You can make all the money you want. You can have all the leading assists you want. You can do all that. If you don’t win, that s— won’t matter. If you don’t win, when you retire they’re gonna forget your name.” Young offered this response, per The Athletic’s John Hollinger: “You don’t know what it’s like to be in my position, you don’t know what it’s like to put my shoes on. The numbers generate the way they do. But I promise you — there’s not a selfish bone in my body.”
Precious Achiuwa agreed to a one-year contract with the Heat. It’s a non-guaranteed deal and comes with a $2.3MM cap hit not becoming fully guaranteed until Jan. 10. The addition of Achiuwa adds some much-needed size to the Heat’s roster, joining Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware as the only centers on Miami’s standard roster, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes. At least in the short term, the move does not have an impact regarding Terry Rozier, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. Rozier is guaranteed $24.9MM this season on his $26.6MM salary — waiving him would bring Miami under the luxury tax.
Tyler Herro will not be ready for the start of the season after undergoing ankle surgery. How will the Heat replace him in the short term? Davion Mitchell will likely move into the starting lineup alongside offseason acquisition Norman Powell, who figures to have a prominent role offensively with Herro sidelined, according to Chiang. Pelle Larsson could see more minutes and even Rozier could force his way into the mix with a strong training camp.

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