Moussa Diabate Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Heat, Herro, Whitmore, Diabate

December 7th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat‘s 127-111 loss to the Kings on Saturday extended their losing streak to three games, with a growing injury report catching up to them in Sacramento, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, and Pelle Larsson all missed the game for Miami.

“We didn’t have a lot of juice on either end of the floor,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra.

As Chiang observes, the injuries forced the Heat to play their 10th different starting lineup through 24 games. Also of note was that Spoelstra went away from Kel’el Ware in the second half, choosing instead to start the third quarter with Jaime Jaquez Jr.

“Just looking for some juice, looking for something to kick-start just some energy,” Spoelstra explained. “It didn’t really work out that way. But I don’t know necessarily what would have. It wasn’t an indictment on Kel’el.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

The good news for the Heat this weekend was that an MRI on Herro’s injured toe showed a simple contusion, which is not expected to be a long-lasting issue. “I just was going to wait until we found out what the deal was,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang, when asked if he had been worried about the test. “I try not to stress out about the things that you don’t know about or can’t control.”
Cam Whitmore didn’t play in the Wizards‘ game on Saturday, which coach Brian Keefe indicated was due to disciplinary issues. Varun Shankar of Post Sports broke down Whitmore’s play late in the previous game against the Celtics (Twitter video link), citing Whitmore’s lack of defensive effort and intensity on multiple plays. Shankar notes (via Twitter) that while the Wizards are tanking this season, they have put an emphasis on playing with the proper process.
The Hornets announced, via Twitter, that Moussa Diabate was downgraded to out with right knee soreness for the team’s game against the Nuggets on Sunday. He joined a long list of Charlotte players on the injury report, including LaMelo Ball, Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Collin Sexton, and Grant Williams. Given the physical and mental toll of playing seven games in 12 days while shorthanded, maybe no team in the league is as ready for the upcoming five-day break as the Hornets, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Just use the five days and just focus on the right things,” said Brandon Miller. “Just come back with the mindset of just dominating and then we’ll be fine with that.”

Southeast Notes: Diabate, Johnson, Powell, Herro, Sarr, Bagley

November 22nd, 2025 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

While the Hornets are off to a disappointing start this season, having won just four of their first 15 games, their depth in the middle hasn’t been as big a problem as it looked like it might be entering training camp. After trading Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic over the summer, Charlotte has gotten impressive production from rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, who has started 14 games and is leading the NBA with an 81.1% field goal percentage.

Former second-round pick Moussa Diabate, meanwhile, has been one of the league’s most effective backups, with 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game. Despite his modest role, Diabate ranks third in the NBA with 62 offensive rebounds, behind only Donovan Clingan and Steven Adams. But the big man’s impact goes beyond those offensive boards, according to head coach Charles Lee.

“Offensively, he’s grown (from) being more than just an offensive rebounder,” Lee said, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think that his screening has gotten a lot better, understanding coverage solutions versus switching, versus center field. I also think that his adjustment off penetration — like working the dunker area — has gotten really good. He’s got good hands down there, so guys feel comfortable with some dump-offs.”

As Boone writes, Lee wore a shirt during a media session earlier this month that featured Diabate and the caption “Moose on the Loose.” The 23-year-old center responded with a smile when asked about that piece of apparel.

“It’s great,” Diabate said. “I’ve come far now. So, it’s just funny how quickly things can turn around, in the span of, what, a year and a half? I go from a two-way, not even thinking that I was going to play, thinking I’m being a G League the whole year. Literally just damn near got cut by the Clippers to now having a shirt (worn) by one of the NBA head coaches. So, it’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing, and I’m just happy to be able to keep it going.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about how getting a “reality check” in the G League during his first NBA season helped change his mindset and his trajectory as a pro. Johnson, who played just 120 total minutes in 22 games as a rookie in 2021/22, is now a rising star in year five, with averages of 22.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game so far this season, plus a shooting line of .580/.400/.812.
Heat swingman Norman Powell, who missed three games earlier in the season due to a right groin strain, exited Friday’s contest early with a left groin strain. However, he was able to return to action and finish the game, then downplayed the issue after a Miami victory. “I saw the doctors and they’re not worried about it,” Powell said (Twitter link via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald). “They don’t think it can get any worse. So it’s all about pain tolerance. I have a high pain tolerance, so I’m not too worried about it.”
With the Heat on a roll (six wins in eight games) and Tyler Herro about to make his season debut, should there be any concerns about the guard’s fit in the lineup? Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) doesn’t think so, arguing that the return of an All-Star player should only make a good team better, even if it creates some tough lineup decisions.
The Wizards were shorthanded in the frontcourt on Friday, as second-year center Alex Sarr missed a second consecutive game due to left big toe soreness (Twitter link). Marvin Bagley III, who started in Sarr’s place on Wednesday and played nearly 31 minutes, was also unavailable on Friday due to a right hip contusion. With two of their top big men out, the Wizards were out-rebounded 48-29 in a 30-point blowout loss to Toronto.

Hornets Notes: Knueppel, Miller, McNeeley, Kalkbrenner, Plumlee

October 6th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Two spots in the Hornets‘ starting lineup are uncertain as the regular season approaches, and coach Charles Lee indicated they could be flexible for a while, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Moussa Diabate was the starting center for Sunday’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City, while rookie Kon Knueppel got the nod at small forward.

“I spoke with Tre (Mann) and Kon and Collin (Sexton), and I said, ‘I think you guys need to be prepared to start a lot of different ways and we’ll see how the season goes,’” Lee said. “I think that each one of them has had really high moments or really good bright spots and have shown that they learned to be out there and have a significant role. And all three I think will have a significant role. And every night it might look a little bit different and they need to be open minded to it. And so (Sunday), trying to just get some data on what lineups I think work well defensively, what lineups work well offensively and we’ll keep kind of carving out what we think makes the most sense for our team on a night-to-night basis.”

Knueppel, the fourth pick in this year’s draft, led Charlotte in scoring with 18 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-10 beyond the arc. He’s eager to launch his NBA career and isn’t concerned about whether he’s used as a starter or a reserve.

“I think it doesn’t really matter,” Knueppel said. “I think we’re all going to contribute a bunch or all three of us will. So, just depending on the matchups each night, we want to start out on their guard heavy. Maybe he goes to one of those guys just depending on the matchup. But I think we’ll all get similar playing time every game.”

There’s more from Charlotte, all from Boone:

Sunday night marked Brandon Miller‘s return to the court for the first time since he tore a ligament in his right wrist in January. Boone notes that Miller didn’t show any lingering effects from the injury, throwing down a pair of dunks with his right hand and driving into the lane with no fear of contact. “Just getting that feel back,” Miller said. “I haven’t played basketball with my guys in a long time, so I would say just getting the feel back and building that confidence and bond that we have with our teammates, just being that stronger every day.”
Rookies Liam McNeeley and Ryan Kalkbrenner also saw significant minutes in their debuts Sunday night. They both displayed a mix of inexperience and positive plays, and Lee was encouraged by what he saw. “I think everyone got to see what these kids are about,” he said. “Our young rookies, they’re fearless, they don’t back down. Their competitive spirit, their winning spirit, they’re coming up with offensive rebounds, they’re diving on the floor for loose balls. There’s a physicality, there’s a togetherness.”
Mason Plumlee joined the team on Sunday after missing nearly a week with an excused absence. He participated in warmups but didn’t play as Lee gave the minutes at center to Diabaté and Kalkbrenner.

Hornets Notes: Miller, Knueppel, Lee, Mann, Dinwiddie, Lineup

September 29th, 2025 at 12:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Brandon Miller is healthy and will participate in training camp, Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said on Monday, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Miller’s 2024/25 campaign was cut short by wrist surgery performed in January.

There’s no timetable regarding the injury status of Grant Williams and Josh Green, Peterson added. Both players are expected to miss all of training camp. Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.

We have more on the Hornets from Boone:

LaMelo Ball was caught off guard by rookie Kon Knueppel‘s athleticism, particularly his hops (Twitter link). “I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go with the bounce,” he said. “For real. I didn’t know he could jump like that. He’s even caught a few little dunks. I’m like, ‘Hold up, I’ve seen ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ at the end and he’s been kind of jumping like that the whole day, though. Solid.”
Hornets head coach Charles Lee indicated the system and offensive strategy has been tweaked so they can play faster this season. He added he’s more prepared now than he was in his first year on the job (Twitter link).
Tre Mann re-signed with the team on a three-year, $24MM contract. He missed most of last season due to a back injury but started to feel back to normal in April. “I’m grateful to be healthy,” he said. (Twitter video link).
Journeyman guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed a one-year deal in July as a free agent. He believes the team has the talent to end its postseason drought. “Being able to help a team possibly trying to make the playoffs is an exciting opportunity and another challenge in my career,” he said. (video link).
Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges are starting lineup locks. Who fills the other spots? According to Boone, Sexton could be the person sliding into the shooting guard spot. Starting him would allow Lee to moved him to point guard when Ball goes to the bench in the opening quarter. At center, Lee could play the matchup game. Veteran Mason Plumlee appears to be the favorite to snag that spot, backed up by Moussa Diabate and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Hornets Waive Nick Smith Jr.

September 25th, 2025 at 5:25pm CST by Earnest Marshall

5:25pm: The move is now official, per the Hornets.

4:28pm: The Hornets are waiving guard Nick Smith Jr., according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Smith, 21, was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 draft. On the surface, the decision to waive him may seem surprising, given that he averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a 20-year-old while starting 27 games for Charlotte last season.

However, the Hornets are facing a roster crunch ahead of the 2025/26 season. Before last week, the Hornets had 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts and DaQuan Jeffries and Moussa Diabate among those on partially or non-guaranteed contracts. Charlotte got to work trimming the roster last week by cutting Jeffries, but still had to make multiple moves to set its 15-man regular season roster.

Over the course of the offseason, Charlotte brought in four rookies on standard contracts and, through a series of free agent moves and trades, added veterans Mason Plumlee, Spencer Dinwiddie, Pat Connaughton and Collin Sexton. That meant, barring other trades, the Hornets were always going to have to cut at least one player on a fully guaranteed contract, such as Smith.

Once this move is official, the Hornets will still have 15 players on standard contracts and Diabate’s non-guaranteed deal along with their three two-ways and Isaih Moore on an Exhibit 10 contract.

While the easy answer would be to cut Diabate to satisfy roster limits, the decision is not that simple. Diabate averaged a touch under 20 minutes a night for Charlotte last year, appeared in 71 games (eight starts) and posted 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Additionally, Diabate is one of just three players on the roster (including two-ways) who is over 6’10”, so waiving him would leave Charlotte in an even more dire need of big depth. Keep an eye on how this situation unfolds before opening night, given the Hornets will need to make another trade or cut.

As for Smith, it’s possible a team will claim him and his modest $2.7MM salary this year. His contract includes a $4.9MM team option for 2026/27, which will be automatically declined if he clears waivers.

The Nets seem like a great candidate to take a flier on a 21-year-old with a career average of 8.0 PPG and a 36.9% clip from three, although they have a roster crunch of their own to sort through. If he goes unclaimed, it’s hard to imagine it will be long before Smith signs on somewhere. He would be eligible to sign a two-way contract with just two years of service.

The decision to cut Smith for Charlotte was likely less about the player himself than the sheer overlap of guards the Hornets find themselves equipped with. In addition to Connaughton, Sexton and Dinwiddie joining the backcourt, the Hornets drafted Kon Knueppel and Sion James while still rostering LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann and Josh Green.

Early Look At Hornets’ Potential Roster Crunch

September 14th, 2025 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Barring a trade (or two), Charlotte will be facing a roster crunch this fall.

As our tracker shows, the Hornets currently have a full offseason roster, with 18 players on standard contracts (16 guaranteed) and all three two-way spots filled. They need to trim their standard roster down to 15 players before the regular season begins.

None of the players on standard deals are signed to training camp contracts, and until the Hornets free up roster spots, they will be unable to finalize Exhibit 10 deals with players who will be headed to their G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, to open the 2025/26 season. That likely won’t play a factor in the roster battle, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless.

Here’s the list of players currently on standard contracts, sorted by how much money they make:

* Denotes non-guaranteed contract.

Outside of maybe Miller and Knueppel, it wouldn’t totally surprise me if Charlotte decided to eventually trade virtually anyone on the roster. But for the sake of this exercise, we’ll assume that Ball, Bridges, Sexton, Green, Williams, Salaun, McNeeley, James and Kalkbrenner won’t be on the move in the next five-plus weeks.

The Hornets re-signed Mann to a guaranteed three-year, $24MM contract in free agency and he can’t be traded until January 15. It’s safe to say he won’t be waived before the season begins.

Dinwiddie and Plumlee were also free agent additions and neither can be dealt until Dec. 15. Although they both received guaranteed contracts, they’re only earning the veteran’s minimum in 2025/26.

Either Dinwiddie or Plumlee could theoretically be cut this fall, but it would be a little strange to sign a player to a guaranteed deal only to release him before he suits up for a regular season contest. It’s certainly an option, especially if one gets hurt, but it seems fairly unlikely right now.

By process of elimination, that likely leaves four players — Connaughton, Smith, Jeffries and Diabate — essentially vying for the 15th and final roster spot.

Of the four, Jeffries seems like the most obvious candidate to be waived. He was sent to Charlotte last October as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, and while he appeared in 47 games last season, he wasn’t a major contributor. The five-year veteran is on a fully non-guaranteed contract, so the Hornets won’t incur a cap hit if they release him.

Despite earning $9.42MM in 2025/26, Connaughton also seems pretty likely to be cut. Perhaps I’m wrong and Charlotte will keep his expiring contract to use for salary-matching purposes in a future trade, but he has negative value on that deal after his career was derailed by injuries the past few years. When they sent Vasilije Micic to the Bucks for Connaughton in July, the Hornets acquired two second-round picks in the deal — it seems safe to assume they made the trade for the draft assets, not for Connaughton himself.

That leaves Smith and Diabate. Smith is just two years removed from being selected in the first round of the 2023 draft, but he hasn’t taken a major step forward since entering the NBA, having made exactly 39.1% of his field goal attempts in both of his professional seasons. He played a more significant role last season, but the Hornets were outscored by 14.3 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court, compared to 6.3 points per 100 possessions when he wasn’t playing.

Smith also has a backcourt logjam working against him, while Diabate should benefit from the fact that the Hornets don’t have many viable options in the middle — Plumlee and Kalkbrenner are the only other centers on the roster, so Diabate could actually play rotation minutes this fall, as he did last season, whereas the path to regular playing time for Smith would be more crowded with Miller and Mann back from injuries and Dinwiddie and Sexton now in the mix as well.

It’s worth reiterating that Smith’s salary for 2025/26 is guaranteed, but neither he nor Diabate is owed any guaranteed money beyond the coming season and Charlotte is operating way below the luxury tax line this season. In other words, eating some guaranteed money shouldn’t really affect the team’s flexibility.

Still, even if Jeffries, Connaughton, and Smith look like the most logical odd men out, it’s possible this situation won’t end up being quite that straightforward, so it’ll be worth keeping an eye on this fall.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Moussa Diabate Declines To Rejoin French National Team

August 17th, 2025 at 9:28am CST by Rory Maher

Hornets big man Moussa Diabate was cut from the French national team on August 8 ahead of EuroBasket 2025. After a knee issue forced Vincent Poirier to withdraw from the tournament, France’s head coach, Frederic Fauthoux, reached out to Diabate about the possibility of rejoining Les Bleus, according to Arthur Puybertier of BeBasket.

However, after consulting with his camp, Diabate declined the offer in order to “focus on his upcoming NBA season” (hat tip to Eurohoops).

2025/26 is a big season for the 6’11” center, whose minimum-salary contract with Charlotte is non-guaranteed. Diabate emerged as a rotation regular in ’24/25, averaging 5.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 59.6% from the field in 71 appearances (17.5 minutes per game).

While the Hornets could be facing a roster crunch this fall, head coach Charles Lee recently praised Diabate, so it would be somewhat surprising if the 23-year-old ends up being released.

The French national team announced on Sunday (via Twitter) that it has finalized its 12-man group for EuroBasket, with Poirier and Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi the final two players cut. According to Eurohoops, France’s roster will likely consist of Theo Maledon, Sylvain Francisco, Elie Okobo, Isaia Cordinier, Matthew Strazel, Zaccharie Risacher, Bilal Coulibaly, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guerschon Yabusele, Jaylen Hoard, Alex Sarr and Mouhammadou Jaiteh.

Risacher (Hawks), Coulibaly (Wizards), Yabusele (Knicks) and Sarr (Wizards) are current NBA players, while Maledon, Okobo, Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hoard previously spent time in the league. Cordinier is a former second-round pick (44th overall in 2016), but the 28-year-old has only played in Europe to this point in his career.

Charles Lee Talks Hornets’ Offseason

August 15th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hornets have had a busy offseason.

They traded Jusuf Nurkic to the Jazz for Collin Sexton and a second-round pick and drafted Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sion James, and Liam McNeeley, who was selected with a pick that came over after trading Mark Williams to the Suns. They also added Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Mason Plumlee, either via trade or free agency, and retained free agent Tre Mann.

After getting only 74 combined games out of franchise cornerstones LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the latter of whom is nearly fully recovered from wrist surgery, they will also be hoping for some better health luck this season.

Head coach Charles Lee went on Charlotte sports radio station WFNZ to discuss the team’s moves, preview the rotation outlook, and provide some injury updates.

Lee talked about the addition of Sexton, what was attractive about him from Charlotte’s standpoint, and what he will bring to the team this season.

“[Hornets’ general manager Jeff Peterson] and his group, they’re just so well prepared,” Lee said. “… They understand what we need to do from a roster depth and balance standpoint, too. And I think, as they were approached with the situation, they broke it down, they prepared like they usually do, they chopped it up, and figured out what makes sense for our team going forward.

“I’ve been very excited about Collin Sexton joining our group. From afar, I’ve always witnessed him competing at a really high level. Since he’s been with our group and around our group, he’s elevated the intensity. He’s definitely a sociable and in-your-face type guy, but I love it. I think he’s going to add a lot to our group and our culture.”

When asked about the influx of guards to the roster, which now features Ball, Sexton, Knueppel, Mann, Dinwiddie, James, and Nick Smith Jr., Lee expressed excitement about the possibilities presented by having so many players capable of handling the ball.

“I think we had a pretty good roster last year, but this year we are definitely a little more versatile,” he said. “Having so many guards and so many competitors with high basketball IQ, it’s gonna help us be able to play in a lot of different ways. If we watch the league, everybody’s playing a lot faster, it’s becoming a lot more positionless, and so I think with this versatility that we have of our roster, having a lot more guards, having a lot more ball-handlers that can help us hopefully create some more open shots. I’m really excited to see how it all comes together.”

Charlotte’s center rotation in the wake of the Williams trade remains a question mark, but Lee seemed confident in the various looks the different big men can bring to the team.

“We can play a lot of different ways this year, having Plumlee, having Kalkbrenner, having [Moussa Diabate], it allows you to be in center field sometimes or be able to switch. It’s a good balance,” he said.

Specifically addressing the offseason addition of Plumlee, who is expected by some to begin the season as the starting center, Lee said the Hornets are getting a player with “a ton of experience” who understands what it takes to win.

“He’s been used as a starter, he’s been used as a role player coming off the bench. He’s going to be able to adapt to whatever we need, I think that he’s going to be able to give a lot of corporate knowledge of the NBA,” Lee said. “He’s a professional, he’s in every day, focused on his body, focused on improving in the weight room, and even however many years he’s been in the league now, he understands and has a growth mindset, which is really important, I think, for our group and being open minded.”

Lee went on to praise the two younger big men who will play alongside Plumlee too.

“I think Moussa had a phenomenal opportunity this summer,” Lee said. “He’s continued to grow, he’s one of our great success stories from a player development standpoint, and his all-in and commitment to trying to be better, try to be the most versatile and energetic big that he can possibly be. And we saw what Ryan brings in Summer League. I think he’s gonna be able to play both sides of the court at a really high level. I see a lot of Brook Lopez in him.”

Finally, Lee shared injury updates on Grant Williams, who has been rehabbing after tearing his right ACL and meniscus, and Josh Green, who underwent shoulder surgery this summer:

“I think both guys have been attacking their rehab plans really well. I always have to give credit to our performance staff and to our coaching staff. They work so well together in putting together these roadmaps for our guys to be able to return to play. Both guys are making really good progress.”

However, when it came to their respective returns to action, he stopped short of any definitive proclamations.

“I can’t put a timetable on it as of right now of when they’ll be back, but they are making positive strides, and I’m just really happy with how they show up every day, how they’re attacking their rehab,” Lee said. “You take a couple steps forward and then all of a sudden you might have a step back, but I think that their mindset has been not to let that slow them down, and they’re really focused on trying to be around the team and get back to the team as soon as they can.”

Two NBA Players Among France’s Pre-EuroBasket Cuts

August 8th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The French national team announced today (via Twitter) that it has trimmed its preliminary EuroBasket roster to 14 players by making three cuts. Two NBA players – Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng and Hornets big man Moussa Diabate – were among those cut, along with former lottery pick Frank Ntilikina.

Dieng and Diabate both have big seasons on tap in 2025/26. Dieng, the No. 11 overall pick in 2022, is currently eligible for a contract extension as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie scale deal, which will pay him $6.67MM.

However, unlike fellow ’22 lottery picks Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who received maximum-salary extensions from the Thunder this summer, Dieng isn’t considered likely to get a new deal at this time and is probably more focused on simply hanging onto his roster spot on a deep OKC squad. He’s the only player on the 15-man roster whose contract is fully expiring (with no option for 2026/27).

Diabate, meanwhile, will be looking to parlay a career year in Charlotte into a guaranteed contract and a more significant role. His $2.27MM salary for ’25/26 is currently non-guaranteed and the Hornets, who are currently carrying 18 players on standard contracts (16 guaranteed), could be facing a roster crunch this fall. However, the team is somewhat thin in the frontcourt and Diabate may well be part of the rotation again after averaging 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per contest (71 games) last season.

France still has plenty of current and former NBA players on its roster after parting with three of them. Wizards youngsters Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and ex-NBAers like Theo Maledon, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Elie Okobo are among those still on the squad, per Eurohoops.

The French team will have to make two more cuts before EuroBasket tips off later this month in order to set its 12-man roster.

Southeast Notes: Rozier, Heat, Hornets, Wizards

July 31st, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Earnest Marshall

When Jake Fischer recently reported that the Heat and Wizards held trade talks about guards Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart, he wrote that the two sides could not come to an agreement as Miami “could not reach an organizational consensus on whether such a trade was a clear upgrade.” Smart was ultimately bought out and ended up with the Lakers.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald confirms that the two Southeast teams did indeed engage with one another about a possible deal and notes that it would have made sense on paper given Smart’s expiring salary ($21.6MM) is cheaper than Rozier’s ($26.6MM). However, Chiang clarifies that the primary reason such a trade did not occur was primarily due to the fact that Miami didn’t want to attach the necessary draft capital it would have taken to complete such a deal.

The Heat remain open to trade talks surrounding Rozier, but they have been hesitant to include draft picks or sacrifice future flexibility simply to get off his expiring contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

A federal investigation was launched early last year regarding game-worn Heat gear that was stolen from the team’s facilities, Chiang writes in another post. The gear includes that from the likes of Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.
Look for Mason Plumlee to start at center for the Hornets in a year where his competition looks to be rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner and former two-way big Moussa Diabate, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. Plumlee started for the Hornets during Mark Williams‘ rookie season before being traded to the Clippers. Boone suggests a similar situation could play out in 2025/26, with Plumlee starting as the man in the middle before Kalkbrenner ultimately takes over.
The Wizards will keep their 2026 first-round pick if it ends up in the top eight of the draft. The Knicks will own the pick if it falls outside of that range, but as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details, the Wizards don’t feel compelled to try to reacquire that selection in its entirety, since doing so would mean potentially giving up the swap rights they own on the Suns’ 2026 first-rounder.