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Bam Adebayo Endorses Heat’s Roster Moves

August 2nd, 2025 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat haven’t won a playoff series since their surprising run to the 2023 Finals, but Bam Adebayo believes the team’s offseason moves have it headed back toward contention, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo spoke to reporters Saturday at his youth basketball clinic in Miami, marking his first public comments since the Heat were knocked out of the playoffs by Cleveland in April.

“It’s a very good shake-up for our team and now there’s a different dynamic to it,” Adebayo said.

Miami added another dynamic scorer last month by acquiring Norman Powell from the Clippers in a three-team trade. After two straight top-four finishes in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, Powell moved into L.A.’s starting lineup last season and responded with a career-high 21.8 points per game. Chiang notes that he was one of just six players who averaged at least 21 PPG while shooting better than 48% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

The Heat were able to land Powell at a bargain price, sending versatile forward Kyle Anderson, veteran big man Kevin Love and a 2027 second-round pick to Utah in the deal.

“I feel like Norman is one of those guys that floats under the radar,” Adebayo said. “But as you saw this year, he’s really shown that he can be an All-Star caliber player. You’ve seen what he’s done and you’ve seen him grow in this league. And, obviously, he wants to take the next challenge. Obviously, the next challenge is being with the Miami Heat. So I’m happy to have him.”

Miami was also able to re-sign free agent point guard Davion Mitchell, who was acquired from Toronto in February. Mitchell responded to the trade by putting up 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 30 games with Miami while shooting 50.4% from the floor and 44.7% from beyond the arc. Chiang states that he also made a difference with his aggressive defense, as the Heat gave up 3.4 fewer points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.

“Davion being back, obviously, we’ve been missing somebody that can really play on-ball defense,” Adebayo said. “And having him come in and be that guy and understand his role, I’m looking forward to him being here for a full year and all of us being together and getting to know one another and turning this into more of a brotherhood. We were kind of disconnected a little bit trying to figure out everybody’s role and trying to figure out everybody’s style of play. But now we’re going to have a good training camp and then we go from there.”

Adebayo also talked about the teammates he lost as the Heat retooled their roster. In addition to parting ways with Love and Anderson, Miami sent Duncan Robinson to Detroit in a sign-and-trade deal that brought back Simone Fontecchio.

“I’m going to miss them, obviously,” Adebayo said. “Just because Duncan has been here for eight years and having that connection was special. And then K-Love was a leader that could speak to somebody from a championship level, could obviously encourage the younger group, be an example, but also he was the bridge between some of the coaches and the players. So like I said, I’m going to miss both of them. I’m glad we had the time that we did. It was, obviously, helpful for my growth and my development as a player and as a captain.”

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Heat Notes: Star Duo, Jovic, Larsson, Fontecchio

July 27th, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

If this season goes poorly, it could lead to an internal examination of the Heat‘s longest-tenured pairing, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

In an offseason mailbag, Winderman says the entire organization, including head coach Erik Spoelstra, understands that the team’s performance during the last two years – including back-to-back No. 8 seeds and pair of first-round playoff exits – is not to the franchise’s lofty standards.

Jimmy Butler‘s impact on those outcomes can’t be overlooked, but Winderman also suggests that the coming season could be “make-or-break” for theTyler Herro/Bam Adebayo duo.

Herro had a career year last season, averaging personal highs in points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game while making his first All-Star team, but that coincided with Adebayo posting his lowest scoring year since the 2019/20 season. Most importantly, it didn’t lead the team to wins — Miami had a 37-45 regular season record, its worst mark in a decade.

Winderman notes in his mailbag that the trade for Norman Powell was a win-now move designed to bring in more reliable offense, and that there will be expectations for the team to show signs of growth in the first full season of the post-Butler era.

We have more from the Heat:

  • Nikola Jovic understands the Heat are taking a risk by allowing him to represent Serbia in this year’s EuroBasket tournament and is grateful for both the opportunity and the precedent set by former Miami guard Goran Dragic, writes Winderman. “You’re letting someone play for their country, paying them a lot of money, and they’re important to you,” Jovic said. “An injury would definitely be a setback for them. But, by chance, and to my great fortune, I’m part of the Miami team that had Goran Dragic.” The Heat expressed that Dragic always came back from international tournaments a better player, a pronouncement which gives Jovic confidence in himself and his development. The fourth-year forward is expected to play a large role with the Serbian team, which won the bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup, and he hopes that will help him solidify a more consistent role with the Heat. “This way, I enter the new NBA season already in game rhythm. I just keep going,” he said.
  • Also set to participate in EuroBasket is Heat shooting guard Pelle Larsson, who will represent Sweden not long after playing for Miami in Summer League. Winderman isn’t worried about the workload for Larsson, especially since the team let him out of his summer duties four days early to join the Swedes. Rather than being nervous about the grind of going from Summer League to EuroBasket to training camp, the Heat are excited to see what the 24-year-old can do as a leading man in the games, Winderman writes.
  • Simone Fontecchio has arrived in Folgaria, in northern Italy, to join the Italian EuroBasket squad, writes Michele Nespoli of Sportando. However, he will be unable to start training with them until Wednesday, July 30, as stipulated by the NBA’s regulations in regards to FIBA competition. Fontecchio has chosen to report to the team early to be in closer communication with them, as he did in 2023.
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Southeast Notes: Jakucionis, Adebayo, Bufkin, Prunty

July 5th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis got off to a rough start in his Summer League debut, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 20th overall pick struggled with his shot Saturday in a victory over San Antonio in the California Classic, going 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-4 from three-point range. He also committed three turnovers in 22 minutes of action.

“Today was my first game and it was different,” Jakucionis said. “The game style and everything is different. But I’m happy with the team’s performance. I think we played pretty good. We had good effort, we shared the ball well and we played as a team.”

Even though he only finished with one assist, Jakucionis made several nice passes to teammates who weren’t able to hit their shots, Chiang adds. Jakucionis was one of the highest-usage guards in college basketball at Illinois last season, but Miami tried him both on and off the ball in Saturday’s game.

“I think Kas was very steady,” Summer League coach Eric Glass said. “That’s the one thing I’ve noticed about him. Even through the training camp we had, there were never really any high moments, any low moments, he was just super steady, super solid. And I thought that’s what he brought us today.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Heat should consider trading Bam Adebayo, who’s starting to seem out of place on an increasingly young roster, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Adebayo is close to his 28th birthday and is entering the final season before his extension kicks in. Winderman states that it will be tough to justify paying Adebayo $51MM during the 2026/27 season without a competitive team around him.
  • The Hawks are eager to see how Kobe Bufkin looks during Summer League after recovering from January shoulder surgery, per Grant Afseth of RG. Bufkin may not play the entire schedule in Las Vegas, but Afseth hears that he’s been impressive in scrimmages since receiving medical clearance to resume playing. Sources tell Afseth that Atlanta has refused multiple trade offers for Bufkin, including one from Sacramento that was reported this week.
  • Bucks assistant Joe Prunty is set to join the Magic‘s coaching staff, sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Prunty began his coaching career in 1996 and has spent time as an interim head coach in Atlanta and Milwaukee.
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Heat Rumors: Young Core, Adebayo, Herro, Rozier, Wiggins

July 2nd, 2025 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been a relatively quiet free agency period so far for the Heat, who agreed to re-sign Davion Mitchell on Saturday and worked out a sign-and-trade deal sending Duncan Robinson to Detroit, but haven’t made any veteran roster additions outside of Simone Fontecchio, who will be sent to Miami in that trade with the Pistons.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Miami are content to “let our young guys show what they can do” this fall, with a full training camp together. As Jackson explains, the Heat believe they can’t accurately judge the current group based on last season’s results due to the Jimmy Butler chaos, changing roles, and Andrew Wiggins‘ health issues, among other factors.

The team also believes that its young prospects – Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, and Kasparas Jakucionis – all have a chance to be “really good players,” with some of them set to take on increased roles this season, Jackson writes.

The Heat are remaining open to taking a bigger swing if a star hits the trade market, but would only be aggressive if a player in his prime is available, Jackson continues. That’s why Miami wasn’t willing to go all-in for Kevin Durant, with multiple sources telling the Herald that the team never thought it was close to landing the 36-year-old forward.

Whether or not the Heat have the assets to beat out rival suitors if an in-his-prime star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the trade block is a fair question, Jackson notes.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Miami haven’t considered the idea of trading Bam Adebayo and/or Tyler Herro in order to launch a rebuild, a source with knowledge of the situation tells the Herald. The Heat believe that tanking fails more often than it works and doesn’t plan to rethink that philosophy, according to Jackson.
  • The Heat also aren’t weighing the idea of waiving and stretching the final year of Terry Rozier‘s contract, which will pay him $26.6MM this season, Jackson says. Unlike Milwaukee with Damian Lillard, Miami doesn’t need the immediate cap savings, so the plan is to either trade Rozier at some point or simply keep him for next season, Jackson adds.
  • Although the Heat are entertaining inquiries on Wiggins, there’s no urgency to move him, according to Jackson, who says the club acquired him from Golden State in February because it likes his game, not to use his contract in a subsequent deal. The Heat view him as a player who can complement Adebayo and Herro.
  • The Heat officially signed undrafted rookie Vladislav Goldin to a two-way contract on Wednesday. Our story on the deal can be found here.
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Heat Notes: Durant, Wiggins, Ware, Burks

June 17th, 2025 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Heat remain engaged with the Suns on forward Kevin Durant, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 stated during a radio appearance on Monday that Miami’s offer isn’t where it needs to be to seriously entice Phoenix.

“I have to preface this by saying that offers change. (But) right now, this is what I know, this is as of today. Miami wouldn’t be able to get a deal done today,” Gambadoro said (Twitter video link). “Deals change. You go back to the table, you go back to the drawing board. If you want the guy really bad, you then take guys out (of the offer) and add other guys, or add more draft capital.”

Gambadoro went on to say that the Suns probably aren’t very interested in taking back Andrew Wiggins, who is coming off a down year and is owed more than $58MM over the next two seasons (Twitter video link). He also suggested he’s not sure how much Kel’el Ware would move the needle for Phoenix, though he acknowledged that Miami would be improving its chances of landing Durant by adding the young big man to its offer.

For what it’s worth, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic wrote today that the Suns are struggling to gain leverage in their trade negotiations due to Durant’s age, contract situation, and desire for a fresh start with a new team. Phoenix may have to lower its asking price in order to get a deal done, according to Rankin.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • While Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are obviously off limits in the Durant trade talks, no one on the Heat’s roster should be considered entirely untouchable for the right player, draft asset, or combination of both, says Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman runs through the players currently under contract with Miami, evaluating their trade value and considering what sort of scenarios it would take to move them.
  • In two more stories for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman explains why Durant having the Heat on his wish list only means so much and argues that Miami should set a self-imposed deadline to either acquire Durant or move onto other pursuits.
  • During an appearance on Tuesday at a Miami-area basketball camp, veteran guard Alec Burks said he remains focused on re-signing with the Heat this offseason and would love to reach an agreement with the team before the end of the month, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. “I just like being here,” Burks said. “I like the city. The city shows me a lot of love and my family, I like the organization, everybody I work with. It’s just a great place to be for this stage of my career. I like being here.” Playing on a minimum-salary contract in 2024/25, Burks averaged 7.3 points in 17.6 minutes per game across 49 outings, with a career-high 42.5% mark on three-point tries.
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Latest On Kevin Durant

June 12th, 2025 at 4:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on NBA Today on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania gave an update on his report that the Suns and Kevin Durant‘s business partner, Rich Kleiman, have been evaluating trade options ahead of this month’s draft.

“There is traction on Kevin Durant trade scenarios,” Charania said. “And there are some teams that are motivated to get a deal done sooner rather than later, and so we’ll see. Will something happen before the NBA Draft? Does this linger into June 25, June 26, closer to that draft period?

“But those are the five teams (Houston, Minnesota, New York, Miami and San Antonio) where the Suns are most focused at. There are some wild-card suitors as well. But what this could end up coming down to is, he’s on expiring deal. … Is this all going to be contingent on him accepting a long-term (extension)? (Or) will there be a team that simply swings for him?”

While his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst said earlier on Thursday that he thinks Durant “definitely” has interest in joining the Knicks, multiple local reporters have stated the team doesn’t plan to pursue the two-time Finals MVP, perhaps ruling New York out as a potential suitor.

Although the “situation remains fluid,” there’s growing skepticism that the Spurs will acquire Durant, with “no clear traction” on a deal, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org.

According to Afseth, league insiders have doubts about the fit of Durant, who turns in 37 years old in September, joining a young, up-and-coming team in San Antonio. Afseth suggests the Spurs may be reluctant to meet the Suns’ asking price for Durant.

Following up on a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Afseth cites league sources who say the Sixers‘ discussions with the Spurs about moving up from No. 3 to No. 2 are believed to have been exploratory rather than serious.

“For now, it’s more due diligence than anything,” one source told RG.

As of now, the Spurs are still expected to keep the second pick and select Dylan Harper, Afseth reports.

While the Knicks or Spurs may not land Durant, the Heat are legitimately interested in the superstar forward, confirms Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The big question, Winderman writes, is whether that interest is mutual.

As Winderman observes, the Heat and Suns discussed a trade involving Durant and Jimmy Butler prior to the February deadline. Butler ended up in Golden State, which first nearly acquired Durant before he essentially nixed the deal. Heat stars Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are not expected to be available in any Durant trade talks, according to Winderman.

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Heat Notes: Ware, Larsson, Anderson, Jaquez

May 29th, 2025 at 8:42am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat suffered through a rare losing season in 2024/25, but they were encouraged by the progress made by rookies Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Both players saw little action early in the year, but worked their way up to regular minutes by the playoffs.

Chiang notes that Ware, the 15th pick in last year’s draft, only logged double-digit minutes in two of the first 25 games, but became a consistent starter in January. He averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks over his final 38 games of the season, finishing sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting and earning a spot on the All-Rookie second team. Although Ware struggled against Cleveland in the playoffs, he said the experience of battling Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in a high-stakes situation will benefit him in the future.

“Just learning how the game was played,” Ware said. “It’s different from the regular season. Even the play-in games are different. So I would say now I have the experience of that. So just knowing what it is and how it will be next time.”

Larsson, the 44th pick last year, lived up to coach Erik Spoelstra‘s prediction that he could be an “elite role player,” Chiang adds. He ended the season strong as his playing time increased, averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals in his final six regular season games.

“I think going into the season, I really had no expectations,” Larsson said. “I kind of just went in with an open mindset. And I got into some good rhythm, had some injuries that kind of set me back a few times and tried to regain that rhythm. But I think just having a year under my belt kind of just helps me calm down a little bit and realize what’s more important than other things, and that’s what I can focus my work on.”

There’s more on the Heat:

  • Kyle Anderson credits Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro for making him feel welcome in Miami after he was acquired from Golden State in February’s five-team Jimmy Butler trade, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. It was the first in-season trade Anderson has experienced in his 11 NBA seasons. “Bam was awesome, Bam and Tyler. The leaders of this team bring their hard hats to work every day. They’re great teammates. They really care about you,” Anderson said. “I’m not just saying that ’cause it’s cliche and I’m supposed to. Those guys are really fun to be around. They really care about everybody. And they know that they have the team on their back.” Winderman suggests that Anderson would be an appealing trade asset because his $9.7MM salary for 2026/27 is non-guaranteed, so there’s a chance he won’t be with the team next season.
  • In a recent Sun Sentinel mailbag, Winderman considers whether it would make sense for the Heat to include Ware in a trade offer for Kevin Durant this summer and concludes it’s worth considering.
  • Chiang of The Miami Herald explores what’s next for Jaime Jaquez after the forward endured a second season that he described during his exit interview as “extremely humbling.” The fourth-place finisher in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023/24, Jaquez saw his playing time drop off significantly in year two as his shooting percentages dipped across the board. “I think the mental part of the game is almost more important than the physical,” Jaquez said. “That’s something that I’ve learned this year. You have to be mentally sharp at all times and never have any lapses. Because the second that that happens, teams are taking advantage. So that was one of my biggest lessons this year. So taking that into this offseason, it’s something I’m going to work on extremely hard. I’m looking forward to just learning and getting better.”

Luke Adams contributed to this article.

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NBA Announces 2024/25 All-Defensive Teams

May 22nd, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2024/25 season (Twitter links).

The teams are determined by a panel of 100 media members, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.

There were no unanimous First Team selections this year, but Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley came close, having been named to the First Team on 99 ballots (Twitter link). He was selected to the Second Team on the 100th ballot, for a total of 199 points.

The honorees are as follows, along with their point totals:

First Team

Second Team

The NBA adjusted the voting rules in 2023 to allow All-Defensive ballots to be positionless. Up until that point, each team consisted of two guards, two forwards, and a center.

Despite the lack of positional requirements, this year’s teams are reasonably well balanced — while Mobley, Green, Zubac, Jackson, and Gobert all serve as defensive anchors for their respective clubs, Mobley, Green, and Jackson spend much of their time on the court playing forward rather than center.

It’s the ninth time that Green has made an All-Defensive team and the eighth time that Gobert has earned the honor. Jackson and Mobley have each been recognized multiple times too — it’s the third time Jackson has made the cut and the second time for Mobley. However, Daniels, Dort, Thompson, Zubac, Williams, and Camara have never been named All-Defensive players before this season.

Among the other players who received votes, Knicks forward OG Anunoby came closest to cracking the top 10, having been named to the First Team on two ballots and the Second Team on 45 ballots for a total of 49 points. An additional 13 players received at least one vote, but none of them had more than 18 total points.

That group of players who missed the cut includes Heat big man Bam Adebayo, whose streak of five straight All-Defensive seasons has come to an end.

Players were required to meet the criteria of the 65-game rule in order to qualify for All-Defensive consideration. The full voting results can be viewed here (Twitter link).

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Dort has earned a $500K bonus for making the First Team this season. In addition to increasing his earnings for this season, that will bump Dort’s cap hit for 2025/26 from $17,722,222 to $18,222,222, since the bonus will now be considered likely to be earned next season.

Conversely, after missing out on All-Defensive spots this season, Derrick White and Jaden McDaniels will see their cap hits for next season reduced by $250K and $431K, respectively, Marks adds (Twitter link). Those bonuses, which had been considered likely after the duo earned All-Defensive nods in 2024, won’t be earned this season, which means the Celtics and Timberwolves will each receive a tax variance credit and both bonuses will be considered unlikely for 2025/26.

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Southeast Notes: Heat, Howard, Sarr, Carrington

May 20th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat must be aggressive this offseason and willing to remain in luxury tax territory to improve the roster, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. If Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and/or Zion Williamson become available at the right price, the Heat should pursue those opportunities, according to Jackson, who says that includes looking into the possibility of making a deal with the Celtics, who are facing a prohibitive tax bill next season.

The Heat should also gauge the Hornets‘ interest in removing protections on the 2027 first-round pick the Heat owe them for the Terry Rozier deal, perhaps by offering an unprotected 2032 pick with added incentives, Jackson says. That would allow Miami to offer up to four first-round picks instead of three in a deal for a star.

What the Heat need to stop doing, in Jackson’s view, is overvaluing their assets. While they shouldn’t be shopped outright, Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro shouldn’t be off the table in a blockbuster deal if it helps the team acquire an even more talented player, Jackson contends.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Heat should seriously consider moving the No. 20 pick in this year’s draft, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. The pick they owe the Hornets currently puts them under restrictions from trading some of their future first-rounders. If they deal the No. 20 pick for any first-round pick in 2027, it could open multiple first-round picks for trades in the coming years, Winderman notes.
  • Jett Howard got more opportunities in his second season with the Magic but didn’t take advantage of them, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. He appeared in 60 games but averaged just 4.5 points in 11.7 minutes per game. Howard remains confident he can be an impact player with more playing time. “I can shoot the ball at a pretty high level,” he said. “Getting used to doing that out there … It’s hard being called in sometimes and not other times, but that’s just with anything [as] a young guy trying to get into the league, trying to get navigate through that and get some comfortability with that.”
  • As we relayed earlier today, Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington earned All-Rookie honors. How rare is that for the Wizards franchise? They are the first Washington players to make an All-Rookie team since Rui Hachimura was a second-team pick in 2019/20, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post notes. The only other time the franchise had two selections was when Rod Thorn and Gus Johnson earned the honor in 1963/64 for the Baltimore Bullets.
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And-Ones: Wright, Rookie Extensions, All-Interview Team, More

May 10th, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Colorado guard McKinley Wright IV, who appeared in 32 NBA regular season games for Minnesota and Dallas from 2021-23, has been named the Most Valuable Player for the ABA League (formerly known as the Adriatic League) in Europe.

Wright has spent the last two seasons playing for KK Buducnost and led the Montenegrin team to a 26-4 record and a No. 1 seed in ABA competition this season. The 26-year-old, known as a solid perimeter defender, averaged team bests of 12.8 points and 4.9 assists in 22.5 minutes per game, with an excellent shooting line of .545/.370/.848.

Wright now has the honor of sharing a career accomplishment with future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic, who was named the MVP of the ABA League in 2014/15, his age-20 season, when he played for Mega Basket in Serbia.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

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