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Heat Notes: Ware, Mitchell, Larsson, Smith, Rozier

November 21st, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

After starting either Kel’el Ware or Nikola Jovic alongside Bam Adebayo early in the season, the Heat didn’t have either youngster in their starting five when Adebayo returned from a toe injury on Wednesday. Jovic remained sidelined with a hip issue, while Ware moved to the second unit after having started six consecutive games in Adebayo’s place.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes, head coach Erik Spoelstra faces a difficult decision going forward on whether or not to start Ware and Adebayo together. While a smaller starting five is better suited to the fast-paced offensive style the Heat are deploying this season, the club has struggled on the glass with those smaller lineups.

Overall, Miami ranks 26th in rebounding percentage, including 29th in defensive rebounding percentage. Ware is an asset in that department, having averaged 10.0 rebounds in just 24.3 minutes per game through the first month of the season. In 19 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, he racked up 16 boards, though the team was still out-rebounded 62-52 by Golden State.

Spoelstra’s starting lineup decisions may ultimately come down to game-by-game matchups, though he’ll have fewer options at his disposal this weekend, with Andrew Wiggins out due to a hip injury and Tyler Herro not on track to make his season debut until Monday.

We have more on the Heat:

There’s no expectation that red-hot shooting guard Norman Powell will come out of the starting lineup when Herro returns, according to Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Both Herald reporters expect either Davion Mitchell or Pelle Larsson to move to the bench to make room for Herro.
Chiang adds that Dru Smith is a candidate to lose his spot in the Heat’s rotation once Herro is back and the team is fully healthy, though he cautions that’s not a given. While Smith’s production has been relatively modest (6.1 points and 3.3 assists in 17.1 minutes per game), the 27-year-old is playing good defense and Miami has a +8.1 net rating when he plays, compared to just +0.2 when he’s not on the floor.
The Heat still haven’t received clarity from the NBA on whether or not they can include Terry Rozier‘s expiring $26.6MM contract in a trade for salary-matching purposes, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Rozier was placed on leave by the league after being arrested as part of an FBI investigation into illegal gambling.
If Miami knew Rozier couldn’t be used in a trade, the team would almost certainly consider waiving him, Chiang writes, since only $24.9MM of his salary is guaranteed. That means the Heat could create $1.7MM in flexibility under the tax line and sign a replacement player if they were to cut the veteran guard.

Lakers Notes: Jesse Buss, Scouts, Bronny, Thiero, Offense

November 21st, 2025 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

After being removed from his role as the Lakers‘ assistant general manager on Thursday, Jesse Buss told Dan Woike of The Athletic that he’ll always be a fan of the team, but that he hasn’t spoken to to general manager Rob Pelinka or his sister Jeanie Buss in five months and feels as if his voice was diminished in recent years.

“I kind of felt siloed quite a bit, dating back to before, I guess, the 2023 draft,” Jesse explained. “And I kind of didn’t think much of it. But as time went on and there was a lack of communication between not only my sister and I, but the organization as a whole while I was combating various health issues, I kind of felt like the writing was on the wall. The sale of the team happening kind of more or less just solidified it in my mind. And I just more or less expected (to be let go).

“Obviously this is a job I’ve loved for a very long time. And I love this organization. I love the fans. I love the city of Los Angeles. It’s pretty much all I’ve known my entire life. … When it comes down to it, even if I’m not part of the organization in any capacity, I’m always gonna root for this team. And obviously I root for players that Joey and I had a part of bringing in on the team, such as Austin (Reaves) and Rui (Hachimura).”

According to Jesse, his father – the late Jerry Buss – envisioned having him and Joey work their way up the basketball operations department and eventually run the Lakers’ front office.

“That was something that was discussed over 15 years ago,” Jesse said. “And what he had told me at the time was that he wanted Jimmy (Buss) to retire at some point within the next five to seven years, so this was about 2010, and he started to slowly incorporate Joey and I into the day-to-day operations. And eventually, I think the plan was (that) Jeanie was gonna run the business side and Joey and I were gonna help run the basketball operations department.”

Jesse became a key member of the Lakers’ scouting department who had a “large amount of input” on the club’s draft picks, and he tells Woike that he was also consulted on certain free agent decisions and potential trades over the years. However, he said his involvement with the team “came in waves” before declining in recent years.

“Oftentimes within the organization, it kind of felt like I was being treated like I was working against them,” Jesse said. “And, I guess you could say, like an enemy. But the only thing I ever wanted was the most success for this team. The credit, or whoever was involved with those decisions, it didn’t really matter as long as it was the best possible thing for the Lakers.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Besides Jesse and Joey Buss, other scouting personnel let go by the Lakers on Thursday included scouts Sean Buss and Aaron Jackson, international scout Can Pelister, and scout support and strategy coordinator Moses Zapata, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
With a fully healthy roster, the Lakers have assigned a pair of young players – guard Bronny James and forward Adou Thiero – to the G League, according to Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Both players could suit up for the South Bay Lakers on Friday when Los Angeles’ affiliate hosts the Santa Cruz Warriors.
In a story for The Orange County Register, Price explores how LeBron James‘ return on Tuesday helped provide a glimpse of the Lakers’ offensive upside going forward. While Utah – which ranks 25th in the NBA in defensive rating – wasn’t exactly a formidable opponent, the fact that the Lakers set season highs in points (140) and efficiency (59.5% shooting) while making so many of their offensive possessions look “effortless” was a very encouraging sign, Price writes.

Community Shootaround: Early Eastern Conference Impressions

November 21st, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Coming into the 2025/26 season, the general consensus among NBA fans and experts alike was that the Western Conference would be deeper and much more competitive than the Eastern Conference, where multiple All-Stars – including Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton – would be sidelined while recovering from major injuries.

The sense was that at least seven or eight teams in the West looked like solid playoff clubs, while several more – including the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, Kings, Suns, and Pelicans – believed they could break into that group.

So far this fall, the teams at the very top of the West have been just as good as we expected. The Thunder are 15-1, the Nuggets and Rockets only have three losses apiece, and the Lakers, Spurs, and Timberwolves are all at least five games above .500.

But the quality depth we expected in the West hasn’t been there yet. The ninth-place team – Portland – is just 6-9, with playoff hopefuls like the Grizzlies (5-11), Clippers (4-11), Mavs (4-12), Kings (3-13), and Pelicans (2-13) all falling well short of their preseason expectations.

Eastern Conference clubs still have a losing record against the West in the early going, but that has been largely a result of the East’s very worst teams playing a lot of inter-conference games — the Hornets, Nets, Pacers, and Wizards have gone 3-19 against Western Conference opponents, while the other 11 East teams have a 30-17 record vs. the other conference.

In the West, a 5-9 record currently puts the Jazz in a play-in spot, but the 8-8 Bucks are on the outside of the top 10 in the East. Still, it’s not as if Milwaukee faces an insurmountable deficit in the standings. While the 13-2 Pistons are three games ahead of anyone else in the conference, the Nos. 2 through 11 seeds are currently separated by just 2.5 games, from the 10-5 Raptors to those 8-8 Bucks.

The Pistons and Raptors have been two of the conference’s most pleasant surprises so far. Detroit was viewed as a solid playoff team and Toronto was expected to be better than last season’s 30-win version of the team, but both clubs have far exceeded expectations. The Pistons have the NBA’s second-best defense after barely cracking the top 10 in that category last season; the Raptors, meanwhile, are up from 26th in the NBA in offense to eighth this fall.

The Knicks and Cavaliers, who were expected to be good, are third and fourth in the East, closely followed by the 9-6 Heat and Sixers. Miami’s new uptempo offensive system has the Heat playing at the fastest pace in the NBA and has helped rejuvenate a team playing without All-Star guard Tyler Herro. In Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey appears to be taking a leap to a new level of stardom, whether or not Joel Embiid and Paul George are available — Maxey is the NBA’s second-leading scorer behind Luka Doncic.

The Bulls, Hawks, Magic, and Celtics hold the play-in spots in the East for the time being. Orlando and Atlanta, widely projected to be playoff teams, are still finding their footing as they incorporate offseason additions and deal with injuries affecting star players (Paolo Banchero and Trae Young), but Chicago and Boston have been better than expected.

The Bulls are getting contributions up and down their roster, with seven players averaging at least 13.3 points per game; the Celtics are showing they’re still a dangerous team without Tatum on the court, as Jaylen Brown has admirably taken on the No. 1 role on offense by averaging career highs in points per game (27.5) and field goal percentage (50.3%).

Finally, while the Bucks are sitting at .500 now, three of their recent losses have come in games that Giannis Antetokounmpo missed or exited early. As long as their superstar forward is available for most of the season, they look like a solid playoff contender.

We want to get your early impressions on the Eastern Conference. Which of the early-season surprises – including the Pistons, Raptors, Heat, Sixers, and Bulls – do you believe are for real? Which of the 11 current .500-and-above teams in the East do you expect to finish outside of the top 10? Which teams will be in the top six? Do you believe the East has a deeper group of top-10 teams than the West?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Queen, Dumars, Front Office

November 21st, 2025 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

Forward Zion Williamson returned to the court on Wednesday after missing the previous eight games due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, and the Pelicans played better than they had in the past week, writes Les East of NOLA.com. However, it wasn’t enough against the Nuggets. New Orleans lost its seventh consecutive game, and now has losing streaks of six and seven games sandwiching its only two victories of the season.

Despite not having registered a win since taking over for Willie Green as the Pelicans’ head coach last Saturday, James Borrego was encouraged by what he saw from Williamson, who was a +14 during his 29 minutes of action. The club was outscored by 21 points in the 19 minutes the former No. 1 overall pick didn’t play.

“He got us off to a really good start,” Borrego said after the loss. “His energy and spirit are really important for the team, the city and the organization. We feel like we have a shot every night when he’s on the floor. We didn’t drop the sword tonight, and that’s his spirit.”

Here’s more out of New Orleans:

Williamson went through a full practice on Thursday and isn’t listed on the injury report for Friday’s game in Dallas, but it’s not yet clear whether he’ll be cleared to play in back-to-backs coming off his latest hamstring injury, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans will return home after their matchup with the Mavericks to host Atlanta on Saturday.
Rookie big man Derik Queen continues to be one of the bright spots in New Orleans amid the team’s disappointing 2-13 start. He led the club with 30 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday’s loss, shooting 12-of-18 from the floor and chipping in four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Borrego referred to the performance as an “impressive first go” at three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, a player that Queen has “looked up to for many years,” as Rod Walker of NOLA.com relays. “He’s an amazing player,” Jokic said after the game. “You can see some similarities (to me). I don’t want people to see him and tell him he’s something like me. He’s a good enough player to have his own story.”
With the Pelicans’ front office facing scrutiny for some of its offseason decisions, Shamit Dua of In The N.O. shares an interesting new detail on the team’s basketball operations department, writing that Joe Dumars‘ son, 34-year-old Jordan Dumars, has become part of management’s inner circle. The Pelicans never formally announced the hiring of the younger Dumars, but sources who spoke to Dua describe Jordan, his father, and senior VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver as being “attached at the hip.” The team told Dua that Jordan’s title is “basketball operations consultant” and confirmed that he has been participating in basketball strategy meetings and discussions.

Mavs Rumors: Davis, Irving, Gafford, Lively, Front Office

November 21st, 2025 at 12:01am CST by Rory Maher

Despite minority owner Mark Cuban‘s public statements to the contrary, multiple reporters have heard the Mavericks will explore the trade market for star big man Anthony Davis before the deadline in February.

Marc Stein reports at Substack that Dallas plans to take “any” incoming trade calls on Davis in the coming months, though a deal actually materializing will depend on the quality of potential offers. Davis has a lengthy injury history, Stein notes, and is currently sidelined by a calf strain.

Team sources who spoke to Christian Clark of The Athletic say the Mavs plan to be “opportunistic in pursuing any scenario that strengthens the roster” around Cooper Flagg. Those same sources also insisted Dallas is still in “information-gathering mode” as the team weighs its options for the future.

Here are a few more rumors on the Mavericks:

According to Stein’s sources, Dallas isn’t looking to solicit offers for Kyrie Irving and would like to retain the nine-time All-Star, who is out indefinitely with a torn ACL. However, Stein points out that the Mavs lack future first-round picks, and suggests their stance on Irving might change if they receive an offer that’s too good to pass up.
Stein continues to hear center Daniel Gafford would have several suitors if the Mavericks put him on the trade market. The athletic big man has been rounding into form after his season debut was delayed by a right ankle sprain, having averaged 13.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over his last four games (27.0 minutes per contest).
In his latest Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said he thinks the Mavs aren’t going to just sell off players to the highest bidders if their values are at a relative low point due to injuries. He made the comment in passing, but Fischer doesn’t expect Dereck Lively II to be among the players on the trading block.
Both Stein and Clark report that governor Patrick Dumont doesn’t feel a sense of urgency to begin a formal search for a new head of basketball operations after dismissing Nico Harrison. “The timeline won’t determine the hire. The qualifications will determine the hire,” one source familiar with ownership’s thinking told The Athletic. According to Clark, the Mavs are seeking “calmness and stability” from whomever gets selected to run the front office. Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley are currently serving as co-interim general managers.

Fischer: Hornets ‘Not Actively Looking To Move’ LaMelo Ball

November 20th, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday that LaMelo Ball has become “increasingly frustrated” with the Hornets and is open being traded to a new team. Iko, citing league sources, also wrote that Charlotte’s front office had grown “disillusioned” with the star point guard and was open to a deal as well.

NBA insider Jake Fischer has heard differently. In his latest Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), Fischer said he made several calls on Thursday regarding Ball’s situation with the Hornets, and while rival teams are “hoping” and “preparing” as though the 23-year-old may become available prior to the February 5 deadline, that is not currently the case.

“I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Hornets are not actively looking to move LaMelo Ball any time soon,” Fischer reported.

Fischer went on to say that several key members of the organization — including Ball, coaches and front office executives — want to get a better idea of what the team looks like when Brandon Miller returns to action before making any type of drastic changes.

“LaMelo Ball is not asking out, to my understanding,” Fischer said. “And the Hornets are not actively looking to trade him by any stretch right now.”

According to Fischer, Ball isn’t the only former All-Star point guard that rival teams are monitoring: Ja Morant of the Grizzlies and Trae Young of the Hawks — both of whom are injured at the moment — fall into that category as well.

Fischer’s Stein Line colleague Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack story that the Hornets, Grizzlies and Hawks have each denied that they’re willing to listen to offers for their maximum-salary guards. Yet Stein also hears rival clubs are skeptical of that posturing and think that Ball, Morant and/or Young could indeed be on the market in the coming months.

Butler Trying To Bridge Gap Between Kuminga, Warriors

November 20th, 2025 at 9:28pm CST by Rory Maher

After a lengthy contract standoff over the offseason resulted in Jonathan Kuminga re-signing with the Warriors on a two-year, $46.8MM deal, the fifth-year forward helped the team get off to a strong start this fall, with Golden State going 4-1 over its first five games.

Kuminga, who was in the starting lineup for all five of those games, was named a full-time starter by head coach Steve Kerr in late October. Yet after the Warriors struggled over their next seven contests — they went 2-5 over that span — Kerr pulled Kuminga from the starting lineup, a demotion the former lottery pick took hard, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.

“He feels like the scapegoat again,” one team source told ESPN.

There is lingering tension between the two sides following their “contentious” restricted free agency negotiations, Slater writes, but the Warriors still believe they need Kuminga to play an important role to hit their ceiling in 2025/26, even if the relationship doesn’t last beyond the February 5 trade deadline. According to Slater, several members of the organization as well as people close to Kuminga believe Jimmy Butler has the best chance of salvaging a situation that has long been on shaky ground.

“I feel like, in this league, he’s one of the people that actually [has] been in my shoes throughout their career,” Kuminga said. “And knows what I’ve been going through.”

As Slater details, Butler has befriended Kuminga and has been working with him to try and maximize his considerable talent. He also sees a little bit of himself in his younger teammate.

“I think everybody comes to that steppingstone moment in their career where you know that you can get over that hump,” Butler said. “Some people are like, ‘Nah, you’re not ready for that yet.’ But you know better. I think that’s where he is. I was at that point [with Chicago].”

While Butler refers to himself as Kuminga’s “No. 1” fan, he says he’s not in the 23-year-old’s corner just to tell him what he wants to hear.

“I realize that he listens to me,” Butler said, per Slater. “He respects me. And I don’t ever take that for granted. But I’m always going to tell him the truth, too. And when JK doing some bulls–t, I’m going to tell him we can’t have that, man.”

Slater’s story features several more interesting details and quotes and is worth checking out in full.

Kuminga, who has been battling knee tendinitis in recent weeks, will miss his fifth straight game on Friday, Slater tweets.

Injury Notes: Leonard, Jerome, Murray-Boyles, Heat, Cavs

November 20th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard went through portions of Wednesday’s practice, though he didn’t do any contact drills, head coach Tyronn Lue told Law Murray of The Athletic and other media members (Twitter video link).

“He did a few things,” Lue said. ” … He’s definitely gotten better. I mean, I don’t know how long it’s gonna be (until he returns). But he’s definitely gotten better. Just seeing him on the floor yesterday was really good to see.”

Leonard, a two-time Finals MVP, was off to a strong start this fall prior to suffering right ankle and foot sprains on November 3. The Clips were 3-3 in the six games Leonard played but have gone just 1-7 without their highest-paid player. The 34-year-old missed his ninth straight game on Thursday in Orlando.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Free agent addition Ty Jerome has yet to play for the Grizzlies in 2025/26 after suffering a high-grade right calf strain during the preseason. The seventh-year guard will be reevaluated on Friday, with a return timeline expected to come in the days after that examination, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Collin Murray-Boyles, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 draft, will miss his second straight game on Friday due to an MCL sprain in his right knee, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (via Twitter). The Raptors forward/center has averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game through 11 appearances as a rookie, with a shooting line of .500/.500/.762.
Heat forward Andrew Wiggins has been diagnosed with a left hip flexor strain and will be sidelined for his first game of the season on Friday in Chicago, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic was ruled out of Wednesday’s game with a right hip impingement and will miss at least two more, as he didn’t travel with the team on its two-game road trip, Jackson reports.
While Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merrill will be out for the second straight contest on Friday with a right hand sprain, it’s possible point guard Darius Garland could return to action. The two-time All-Star is questionable against Indiana, per the NBA’s injury report, as are Jarrett Allen (right third finger strain) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion). Garland has missed the past five games after re-injuring his surgically repaired left great toe last week, but head coach Kenny Atkinson recently said the 25-year-old was “really close” to suiting up.

Pacers Sign Garrison Mathews To 10-Day Contract

November 20th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Luke Adams

5:30 pm: Mathews’ 10-day hardship deal is now official, the Pacers announced in a press release.

11:21 am: The Pacers are planning to sign free agent wing Garrison Mathews to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Known primarily as an outside shooter, Mathews has appeared in 314 total NBA regular season games since debuting in 2019, averaging 6.5 points in 17.5 minutes per game and making 38.2% of his career attempts from beyond the arc for Washington, Houston, and Atlanta.

After spending the past two-and-a-half seasons with the Hawks, Mathews signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract this offseason with the Knicks in the hopes of earning a spot on their regular season roster. However, the 29-year-old was beaten out by fellow swingman Landry Shamet, resulting in New York waiving him at the end of the preseason last month. Mathews has been a free agent since then.

As we outlined in a separate story earlier today, the Pacers are currently carrying Jeremiah Robinson-Earl using a hardship exception, but his second 10-day contract is about to expire, so the team is signing him to a new two-year deal in order to retain him. Monte Morris will be waived to create room on the 15-man roster for Robinson-Earl.

A player isn’t permitted to sign a third 10-day contract with the same team, which is why Robinson-Earl is being moved to the standard roster, but the Pacers remain eligible for a hardship exception, which is granted when at least four players have missed three or more consecutive games and are projected to be out for at least two more weeks. Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), Aaron Nesmith (knee), and Kam Jones (back) all appear to fit that bill for Indiana.

Mathews will earn $165,197 over the course of his 10 days with the Pacers, while the team takes on a cap hit of $131,970.

Domantas Sabonis Out At Least 3-4 Weeks With Torn Meniscus

November 20th, 2025 at 5:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a partially torn meniscus in his left knee and will be sidelined for at least three-to-four weeks, which is when he’ll be reexamined, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (story via ESPN’s Anthony Slater).

The Kings formally confirmed the news in a press release. According to the team, Sabonis experienced knee soreness after Sunday’s game in San Antonio and subsequently underwent an MRI, which revealed the meniscus tear.

It’s brutal timing for the Kings, who will get starting forward Keegan Murray back on Thursday after he missed the first 15 games of the season following thumb surgery.

As Slater observes, Sabonis has dealt with multiple injuries this fall, having previously missed three games due to hamstring and rib issues. The three-time All-Star was sidelined for Wednesday’s loss in Oklahoma City as well.

The 3-12 Kings are in a tailspin, having lost seven straight games for the first time since 2021/22, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. All seven losses have come by double digits, Slater notes.

Despite another loss on Wednesday, head coach Doug Christie came away encouraged by the Kings’ effort level, according to Anderson.

“The level of compete the guys brought I thought was really, really high level,” Christie said. “That’s what we need to get ourselves out of where we’re at, and if we do that on a night-to-night basis, most nights in the NBA you give yourselves a chance to win. This was the world champs and there were eight, nine minutes left, and they found themselves right there.”

With Sabonis out for at least 10 games, Precious Achiuwa, Drew Eubanks and Maxime Raynaud are among the frontcourt members who could have expanded roles for Sacramento.

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