Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Jones, Jakucionis, Burks, Powell, Preseason

August 12th, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Kai Jones‘ workout with the Heat on Monday wasn’t just a one-day affair. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the free agent center is actually spending four days working out at Kaseya Center this week as the club considers whether to sign him. No decisions have been made yet, but a source tells Jackson that the Heat have “long shown an appreciation” for the former first-rounder’s skill set.

The Heat have 14 players on standard contracts and could make Jones their 15th man, but the club is just a little over the luxury tax line and may not fill that final roster spot to open the season. The big man is also ineligible to receive a two-way contract.

While Jackson suggests an Exhibit 10 deal could be a possibility, Jones has reportedly drawn serious interest from the Italian team Virtus Bologna, who could offer him guaranteed money and a more significant role, so it’s unclear if a non-guaranteed camp contract would appeal to the 24-year-old.

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Within that same Herald story, Jackson spoke to a veteran Eastern Conference scout to get his take on the Heat’s place in the Eastern Conference hierarchy, their offseason acquisition of Norman Powell, what they can expect from Simone Fontecchio, and his impressions of first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis. On that last subject, the scout wasn’t especially enthusiastic. “NBA people I talked to in Las Vegas were killing him, didn’t have anything nice to say about him,” the scout said of Jakucionis. “Quickness and shooting were my concern. Can he beat [skilled NBA players] off the dribble? He better be able to make shots. His play was disappointing, but I’m not ready to judge. He’s [very young at 19].”
While Alec Burks expressed interest at the end of last season in returning to the Heat, a reunion with the veteran guard no longer makes sense after the club added Powell and Fontecchio, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required).
The Heat have no shortage of players benefiting from international competition this summer, with Powell, Fontecchio, Nikola Jovic, and Pelle Larsson all representing their national teams, as Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Powell led Jamaica to the two wins they needed in order to advance out of the World Cup pre-qualifying round before sitting out the third and final game of this competition window, Winderman adds (via Twitter).
The Heat and Magic announced on Tuesday that they’ll open their preseason with a game in San Juan, Puerto Rico on October 4. In total, the Heat will play six preseason games, as they outlined in a press release.
Heat Hall-of-Famers Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, and Pat Riley will be the presenters when longtime team owner Micky Arison is inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next month, per a press release.

Knicks Notes: Bridges, Towns, Lineup, Carmelo

August 8th, 2025 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

In a subscriber-only story, Zach Braziller of The New York Post considers whether the Knicks‘ coaching change will benefit Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in their second year with the team.

Bridges had an up-and-down first season in New York, while Towns put up big numbers but wasn’t always involved in the offense enough, including in some playoff games. New head coach Mike Brown is expected to bring a faster pace and more ball movement with him to the Knicks, Braziller notes, which could result in better looks for Bridges and Towns.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic covers similar ground in a mailbag, observing that Brown used some creative offensive sets in Sacramento to get DeMar DeRozan good mid-range looks and could run similar sets for Bridges. Edwards also thinks the Knicks could use Towns as the hub of their offense more frequently and take advantage of his passing.

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Edwards also explores some lineup and rotation questions in his mailbag, speculating that the Knicks will open the season with Towns and Mitchell Robinson starting alongside one another in the frontcourt in order to provide more rim protection on the first unit.
Whether it’s Robinson or Josh Hart in the starting lineup, Edwards projects both players to be regular parts of the rotation along with Towns, Bridges, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele. Whether Brown opts to go beyond a nine-man rotation to open the season could depend on who the Knicks sign to fill out their roster and whether or not any of the club’s young players stand out during the preseason, Edwards writes.
Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has chosen Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade to be his presenters when he’s formally inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next month, according to a press release.
In case you missed it, Mike Weinar withdrew from the Knicks’ search for a lead assistant, but Chris Jent of the Hornets remains under consideration. In other Knicks news, we recently passed along the details on Bridges’ four-year extension with the team, including his unique trade kicker.

And-Ones: Wade, Parker, Amazon, Shaq, EuroBasket

April 30th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker are expected to join Amazon Prime Video’s NBA coverage for the 2025/26 season, reports Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. As Glasspiegel explains, deals for Wade and Parker aren’t finalized yet, but appear likely to get done.

Wade, who did color commentary for NBC’s Olympic coverage in Paris last year, would be a hybrid game and studio analyst for Amazon, according to Glasspiegel. Parker, meanwhile, would be part of Amazon’s studio show for both NBA and WNBA broadcasts after having long worked for TNT.

With the company set to become a broadcasting partner for the NBA beginning in ’25/26, Amazon is in the process of filling out its roster of on-air talent. Reporting earlier this week indicated that Steve Nash and Stan Van Gundy will join the streamer as analysts.

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

Former NBA star and current TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal will become the men’s basketball general manager for Sacramento State, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who says it will be an unpaid, voluntary role. O’Neal’s son – Shaqir O’Neal – is transferring from Florida A&M to Sacramento State for his senior year and will play for the Hornets under new head coach Mike Bibby.
FIBA has revealed the schedule for the EuroBasket 2025 tournament, formally announcing in a press release that the event will tip off on August 27 with a six-game slate. The group stage will wrap up on September 4, with the elimination phase taking place from Sept. 6-14. The full schedule for EuroBasket 2025, which should feature many NBA players, can be viewed here.
In the wake of Chris Finch‘s claim that the physicality in the NBA playoffs has “gone too far” and disrupted the flow of games, a panel of writers from The Athletic debate that subject, with Eric Koreen, Fred Katz, Kelly Iko, and Law Murray discussing whether any particular moment or series has crossed the line and whether the increased physicality this spring has been good or bad for the league.

Steve Nash, Stan Van Gundy To Join Amazon’s NBA Coverage

April 29th, 2025 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Amazon Prime Video is hiring Steve Nash and Stan Van Gundy as part of NBA coverage team for the 2025/26 season, according to reports.

Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein has the scoop on Nash, writing (via Substack) that the two-time MVP will be part of Amazon’s NBA studio and game coverage. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Van Gundy will be joining Amazon as a game analyst.

Nash, a former NBA point guard and head coach, only recently forayed into the media space, joining LeBron James as a co-host on the recently relaunched Mind The Game podcast. Van Gundy, on the other hand, is a veteran broadcaster, having spent time with both ESPN and TNT as an NBA analyst. The former head coach of the Heat, Magic, Pistons, and Pelicans will be making the move to Amazon with TNT set to lose its broadcasting rights at the end of this season.

Amazon previously reached deals with former NBA stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki, who will be part of the streamer’s studio show hosted by Taylor Rooks, so it will be a reunion for former Mavericks teammates – and close friends – Nash and Nowitzki.

Ian Eagle is set to be Prime Video’s top play-by-play announcer, though it remains unclear whether Van Gundy will join Eagle on that No. 1 team, Marchand writes.

According to Marchand, Amazon has also shown interest in ESPN’s Richard Jefferson as an analyst, and has spoken to TNT’s Kevin Harlan and Timberwolves broadcaster Michael Grady about possible play-by-play roles. Dwyane Wade is among Prime Video’s other candidates for potential color commentator positions, Marchand adds.

Amazon is one of three broadcasting partners – along with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and NBC – that are part of the NBA’s new media rights agreement, which will go into effect for the ’25/26 season.

Anthony, Howard Headline 2025 Hall Of Fame Class

April 5th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard headline the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The organization has confirmed the news.

The full list of inductees is as follows:

Carmelo Anthony – 10-time All-Star, six All-NBA teams, three Olympic gold medals with Team USA, NCAA championship with Syracuse, member of the 75th Anniversary team.
Dwight Howard – Eight-time All-Star, eight All-NBA teams, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five rebounding titles, NBA champion, Olympic gold medal.
Sue Bird – 13-time WNBA All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA, four-time WNBA champion, five Olympic gold medals.
Maya Moore – Seven-time All-WNBA, six-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA champion, 2013 Finals MVP, 2014 MVP.
Sylvia Fowles – Eight-time All-WNBA, eight-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2017 MVP.
Danny Crawford – Officiated over 2,000 regular season games and 30 NBA Finals.
Billy Donovan – Currently head coach of the Bulls, Donovan will be inducted for his accomplishments at the college level, including winning back-to-back national championships with Florida in 2006 and ’07.
Micky Arison – The longtime Heat owner was inducted as a contributor. Miami has won three NBA titles and made the NBA Finals seven times during his tenure.
2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team – Known as the “Redeem Team,” the Americans went 8-0 en route to a gold medal in Beijing after finishing with a surprising bronze in 2004.

As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes, Anthony and Howard will essentially be inducted twice in the same year, as both were members of Team USA in 2008. Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh and Kobe Bryant, all of whom were already in the Hall of Fame, were also members of that team, as were LeBron James and Chris Paul — both of whom are still active NBA players.

The 17 finalists for the 2025 class were announced in February.

Blake Griffin To Join Amazon As NBA Analyst

January 6th, 2025 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Amazon Prime Video has reached a deal to hire former NBA star Blake Griffin as an NBA analyst, reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

Amazon isn’t one of the league’s broadcasting partners for the current season, but is one of three companies – along with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and NBC – that are part of the new media rights agreement, which will go into effect for the 2025/26 campaign.

Prime Video is slowly filling out its roster of color commentators, studio analysts, and play-by-play commentators, having also agreed to hire Ian Eagle as its lead play-by-play man and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki as an analyst, as Marchand confirms. Reporting last month indicated that Taylor Rooks will be the lead host of Amazon’s NBA coverage.

Griffin, who announced his retirement as an NBA player last April, doesn’t have any NBA broadcasting experience, but multiple reports in recent months have stated he was among Amazon’s targets.

The former No. 1 overall pick compiled an impressive on-court résumé from 2010-23, including six All-Star berths, and has the sort of engaging personality that makes him a logical choice for broadcast work. He was known for his sense of humor off the court during his playing days, making cameos on multiple sitcoms and trying his hand at stand-up comedy.

According to Marchand, the current expectation is that Griffin and Nowitzki will both be part of Amazon’s studio coverage. The company still needs to add more play-by-play and color commentators and has spoken to Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade about a possible role as a game or studio analyst, Marchand reports.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Hornets, Friedman, Wade

September 12th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After two years in Atlanta, Dejounte Murray was traded to New Orleans in July, leaving an open backcourt spot in the Hawks‘ projected starting lineup next to star point guard Trae Young. Who will fill that opening? Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required) considers the options, suggesting that as many as five players could be in the mix for the job.

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dyson Daniels look like the top candidates. A Young/Bogdanovic pairing in the backcourt could create some problems on the defensive end, according to Williams, though she notes that Bogdanovic improved on that end of the court last season. Daniels, meanwhile, has the makings of an elite point-of-attack defender, but he has yet to display much of an offensive game at the NBA level and will be new to the Hawks’ system.

Vit Krejci, Garrison Mathews, and Kobe Bufkin are the other shooting guard possibilities Williams looks at, though she acknowledges that not all of them are locks to end up in the regular rotation, let alone to vie for a starting role.

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The Hawks will hold their training camp next month at the University of Georgia in Athens, per Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while the Hornets will conduct their camp in Durham at Duke University, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. It’ll be a familiar setting for Hornets big man Mark Williams, who played his college ball with the Blue Devils.
Assistant coach Nick Friedman, who spent the past five seasons in the Hornets organization, is joining the Capital City Go-Go – the Wizards‘ G League affiliate – under head coach Cody Toppert, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Friedman and Toppert previously worked together with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Northern Arizona Suns, Scotto notes.
The Heat announced on Thursday that they’ll be unveiling a statue of Dwyane Wade outside Kaseya Center on Sunday, October 27, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. Wade will be honored by the team the following night during the Oct. 28 home game vs. Detroit.

And-Ones: Blatt, Patton, Trade Candidates, Wade

August 7th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Earnest Marshall

Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt is continuing to live his basketball dream despite a multiple sclerosis diagnosis six years ago that took away his ability to walk. In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Blatt discussed his health and role with the Canadian Olympic team.

“That’s the way you’ve gotta be,” Blatt said of his resilience. “That’s the way you’ve gotta be. That’s what this sport and this business has taught me. If you ain’t working, you ain’t living. And if you’re not trying to improve, then you’re going backward. That’s the only thing you can do.”

Despite not coaching from the sidelines, he has been serving as a consultant for Canada. Blatt took part in all team activities and spent his time helping Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez determine what was and wasn’t working with the team’s rotations.

“I think the thing more than anything else is that you learn, when you’re faced with this kind of thing, is that you learn how to be as effective and fulfilled at the same time as you can, when you can,” Blatt said. “You can be as good as you want to be within the limitations that you’re faced with.”

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Former NBA first-round pick Justin Patton signed with Greek club Peristeri BC, the team announced in a release. Patton was the 16th overall pick in 2017 and was part of the draft-night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. He was also part of the deal that sent Butler to Philadelphia a year later. Patton played four seasons in the NBA with Minnesota, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Houston from 2017-21. In 22 career games (six starts), he averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds.
While it’s possible a few more trades will be made before the regular season begins, the next major flurry of movement will likely occur once more players become trade-eligible after Dec. 15 and Jan. 15. A total of 25 in-season trades occurred in 2023/24, with notable names like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Immanuel Quickley on the move. We’ll likely see more big names dealt at this year’s deadline, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, whonames D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jerami Grant, Cameron Johnson, Kyle Kuzma, Zach LaVine, Bruce Brown, Collin Sexton and Trae Young as some of the players who could dominate trade rumors this coming season. Pincus also sees members of the 2021 draft class like Jonathan Kuminga, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Corey Kispert as potential trade candidates if they can’t come to terms on extensions, much like Quickley last season.
In the same piece, Pincus notes that the Rockets holding onto Jeff Green, Jock Landale and Jae’Sean Tate‘s contracts is a sign they’re working on a bigger trade. Pincus’s sources also ponder whether Jaden Ivey or Miles Bridges could be on the move this season.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade made his debut as a color commentator at the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC. NBC, alongside Amazon and ESPN, acquired the media rights to broadcast NBA games starting in 2025/26. However, Wade said it was too early to say whether his activities this offseason hint at a potential broadcasting future, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. “I’m just having fun with it as well, and I think it could be a future if everything lines up the way it needs to. But I’m not going to put any pressure on it either,” Wade said.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Olympics, Butler, Morris

August 3rd, 2024 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The three-year max extension that Bam Adebayo signed last month signals that it’s time for him to take over as the face of the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. At 27, Adebayo represents the future of the franchise, Winderman adds, which means personnel decisions should be made based on what’s best for him rather than Jimmy Butler.

Butler will turn 35 soon and his days in Miami may be numbered, regardless of whether he chooses to pick up his $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season. The Heat have explored trade possibilities involving Butler, and they may be ready to focus on a younger team built around Adebayo after years of short-term veteran additions.

Winderman observes that Adebayo and Butler have rarely exhibited much chemistry, as it often seemed they were “competing for the same spots on the court.” He also points out that although Kyle Lowry was brought in on Butler’s behalf, Adebayo seemed to benefit more from having an experienced point guard running the offense. This year’s Olympics have provided more evidence of what Adebayo can do when he’s surrounded by high-level talent, Winderman adds.

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Adebayo is displaying his versatility for Team USA, per Walter Villa of The Miami Herald, with NBC broadcaster and former Heat star Dwyane Wade noting that Adebayo is filling the same role that he did during the 2008 Games. “I got an early text from (Miami head coach and Team USA assistant Eric Spoelstra) and, for me, ‘early’ was about 11 a.m.,” Wade said during Saturday’s game. “Spo said Bam’s role on this team is similar to mine in (2008, when USA won gold). You are coming in off the bench, and your role can change every night. That’s how valuable Bam has been, playing his role very well.”
It’s unlikely that Butler will be traded before the start of the season, Winderman states in a mailbag column. He adds that the team would have needed to pursue a Butler deal around the draft or the start of free agency if it was serious about unloading him. There probably won’t be any movement on a Butler trade until at least December 15, when most free agents who signed this summer become eligible to be dealt, and nothing may happen until closer to the February 6 trade deadline.
Despite rumors of interest in Marcus Morris, the Heat are likely done with significant transactions for the offseason, Winderman adds in the same piece. The only exception may be if they can get a rotation player at the veteran’s minimum.

And-Ones: Wade, Howard, Vucevic, Pre-Draft

May 30th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has been hired by NBC to work as a game analyst covering men’s basketball for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Wade will work alongside play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle, Jackson adds.

Wade, who is a minority stakeholder of the Jazz, has worked as an analyst for TNT. The Heat announced in January that they would build a statue outside the team’s arena in honor of Wade.

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Eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is continuing his playing career overseas. The 38-year-old has signed with the Taiwan Mustangs for The Asian Tournament, the team announced (via Instagram). Howard, who last played in the NBA in 2021/22, signed with a team in Puerto Rico in March. Howard previously spent the ’22/23 season in Taiwan. He was accused of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit filed last July; that civil suit is ongoing, with a Georgia judge denying a motion to dismiss it in February.
Bulls center Nikola Vucevic headlines the 17-man preliminary roster for Montenegro ahead of the country’s Olympic qualifying tournament this summer, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Former Bull Marko Simonovic is also on the list — he spent last season playing in Serbia and Turkey.
Players who were invited to the draft combine but were unable to participate will instead be required to take part in pre-draft activities in Treviso, Italy from June 4-7, the NBA announced (Twitter link). The players had excused absences, as they were still playing for teams overseas. The list of players participating in Italy will be announced next week, per the league.