Southeast Notes: Herro, Burks, Hawks, Suggs
Heat guard Tyler Herro had an impressive regular season, making his first All-Star appearance and winning the three-point contest. He posted career highs in several statistical categories, including points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game, while making a career-best 77 appearances. The 25-year-old also struggled in the final two games of Miami’s first-round series with Cleveland, though the Heat were clearly overmatched against the top-seeded Cavs.
Herro, who is under contract through 2026/27, will be eligible for a three-year extension in October. Asked about the possibility of signing that extension, Herro made it clear that he wants to stay with the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
“Not the biggest deal, but I would love to be here,” Herro said. “The front office, the organization, the city, everyone knows how much I love Miami. I’ve been here since I was 18, 19. I’ve got two kids here.
“This is really home for me. I love being here. Basketball is why I’m here at the end of the day. I want to win and I know how badly this organization and city want to win. We will see what happens. If it doesn’t get done in October, then we can get it done next summer. It will just be a little bit higher of a price.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- While a few Heat veterans declined to speak to the media, guard Alec Burks would like to return to Miami, according to Jackson. “Hopefully I can come back,” said Burks, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum in 2024.
- In a subscriber-only story for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lauren Williams takes a look at which Hawks players are likely to return in ’25/26 and which players could be on different rosters next season. Unsurprisingly, young core players like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher fall into the former group, while impending free agents such as Caris LeVert and Clint Capela are in the latter.
- At his end-of-season media availability on Thursday, Magic guard Jalen Suggs said undergoing season-ending knee surgery won’t change the physical way he defends opponents heading into ’25/26. “I ain’t changing a damn thing,” Suggs told Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I ain’t going to lie. I ain’t changing nothing. That’s what all this (rehab) work is for.” Suggs, who made the All-Defensive Second Team last season, was limited to 35 games in ’24/25 due to injuries.
Dyson Daniels Named Most Improved Player
Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is this year’s Most Improved Player, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Daniels blossomed after coming to Atlanta in an offseason trade. He became a full-time starter for the first time in his third NBA season and posted career highs with 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 76 games with .493/.340/.593 shooting splits.
With 229 steals, Daniels led the league by a wide margin and was named as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as Most Improved.
Daniels captured 44 first-place votes, 36 for second place and four for third to easily win the award with 332 total points.
The other finalists were Clippers center Ivica Zubac (23-18-17-186) and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (15-11-14-122).
Nuggets guard Christian Braun (9-15-30-120) and Lakers guard Austin Reaves (8-4-12-39) rounded out the top five.
Also receiving first-place votes were Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Rockets swingman Amen Thompson, Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, Heat guard Tyler Herro and Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
In total, 14 players showed up on at least one ballot. The full voting results can be viewed here.
The Pelicans selected Daniels with the eighth pick in the 2022 draft, but he wasn’t able to fully develop his game in two seasons with New Orleans. That changed after he was sent to Atlanta last July in a trade for Dejounte Murray. As a 6’8″ defensive specialist, Daniels was a perfect fit alongside Trae Young in the Hawks’ backcourt, and playing alongside Young helped him significantly improve his shooting numbers.
Daniels, 22, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
Warriors’ Draymond Green Wins 2024/25 Hustle Award
Warriors forward/center Draymond Green has won the NBA’s Hustle Award for the 2024/25 season, the league announced today (story via Brian Martin of NBA.com).
The Hustle Award has been around since the ’16/17 campaign. Unlike other postseason awards, it is not voted on by the media.
Instead, the award goes to the player who has the top composite ranking in nine “hustle stats” — charges drawn, deflections, screen assists, contested two-point shots, contested three-point shots, offensive loose balls recovered, defensive loose balls recovered, offensive box outs, and defensive box outs.
As Martin writes, Green didn’t lead the NBA in any of those nine categories, but he was in the top 15 in five and became the first winner in the award’s history to rank in the top 40 in all nine.
The Hustle Award is meant to honor players “who make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis,” per Martin.
Green, who finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season, was runner-up for the Hustle Award on two other occasions, Martin notes. Thunder guard Cason Wallace finished second behind Green, with Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele, Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels rounding out the top five.
Thunder swingman Alex Caruso won the Hustle Award in ’23/24 while playing for the Bulls. Wizards guard Marcus Smart has won the award three times.
And-Ones: Gambling, Doncic, Thompsons, DPOY, More
As part of their anonymous poll of 158 NBA players, the full results of which can be viewed here, Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic got several interesting responses about the league’s gambling partnerships and the impact they’ve had.
Of The Athletic’s poll respondents, 46% felt the partnerships were bad for the NBA, while 34% said they were good — the remaining 20% were either undecided or were somewhere in the middle. The general consensus is that those partnerships have benefited the league financially but have increased the likelihood of players being harassed by fans.
As Amick and Robbins write in a separate story, players around the league also sounded off on February’s shocking Luka Doncic trade, questioning not only the Mavericks‘ decision to deal the perennial All-NBA first-teamer but also the timing of the move.
Some players who spoke to The Athletic acknowledged that the trade wouldn’t have looked quite so bad if not for the injury woes that tanked the Mavericks’ season, while others said it was too early to render final judgment. But the responses Amick and Robbins got strongly suggested that the only players fully on board with the deal were anonymous Lakers, including one respondent who said, “I think it (was a) phenomenal decision. So smart. Wise. I’m a Nico Harrison fan.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In an entertaining feature for ESPN.com, Michael C. Wright takes a closer look at the rapid rise of twin brothers Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, who have met their goal of making the playoffs for the first time this year, with the Rockets and Pistons, respectively. Now, they’re ready to take that goal one step further. “I want to see him in the Finals,” Amen told Wright. “That would be fire. But just one of us wins. I know who that’s going to be.” Ausar shares his brother’s goal, but disagrees with his prediction about which team would come out on top. “Man, we would whoop ’em,” Ausar said. “This year, when we played, when we had all of our players, we beat them.”
- With the NBA set to announce its Defensive Player of the Year award winner on Thursday evening, Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to 13 head coaches and assistants around the league about who deserves the honor. Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Thunder wing Luguentz Dort were the top vote-getters in Robbins’ poll — Dort isn’t among the three finalists for the award.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looks ahead to the offseason and identifies under-the-radar teams that might make sense as destinations for 10 potential trade candidates around the NBA, ranging from stars like Kevin Durant and Trae Young to role players such as Marcus Smart and Daniel Gafford.
NBA Announces Finalists For 2024/25 Awards
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic are the three finalists for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this season, the league announced on Sunday (Twitter link).
While all three players put up monster numbers, Gilgeous-Alexander is generally considered the favorite to win the award due in large part to the Thunder’s team success this season. Oklahoma City won a league-high 68 regular season games, compared to 50 for Jokic’s Nuggets and 48 for Antetokounmpo’s Bucks.
The finalists for each award represent the top three vote-getters. The winners will be announced at a later date.
Here’s a rundown of the finalists for the major NBA awards voted on by media members:
Coach of the Year
- Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Ime Udoka (Rockets)
Rookie of the Year
- Stephon Castle (Spurs)
- Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
- Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Sixth Man of the Year
- Malik Beasley (Pistons)
- Ty Jerome (Cavaliers)
- Payton Pritchard (Celtics)
Defensive Player of the Year
- Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
- Draymond Green (Warriors)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
Most Improved Player
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
- Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
- Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
Clutch Player of the Year
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Hawks Notes: Young, Snyder, Daniels, Offseason
Trae Young described the season as a “failure” after being eliminated from the play-in tournament with Friday’s loss to Miami, writes Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks appeared to be in a good position to earn a playoff spot after finishing eighth in the East, but they were overwhelmed in the play-in opener at Orlando and couldn’t overcome the Heat in an overtime battle.
You could make a case that the Hawks overachieved considering their young roster and numerous injuries, including the loss of star forward Jalen Johnson, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late January. But Young doesn’t believe there should be any excuses for not advancing past the play-in.
“For me, personally, not making the playoffs is a failure for me,” he said. “No matter who’s out there, no matter how much adversity we faced, I still feel like we’ve got a good enough group to make the playoffs and at least go in there and compete.”
As Cunningham notes, the early exit casts more doubt on Young’s future with the team. He has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract at $46MM, along with a nearly $49MM player option for 2026/27. The Hawks reportedly explored potential deals involving Young last season and could decide to revisit that option this summer. But after Friday’s loss, he sounded like he plans to stay in Atlanta.
“The goal is to always win, of course, but when you have the kind of team that we have, you know there is going to be bumps and bruises,” Young added. “It’s not easy for me. Hopefully next year can focus on winning.”
There’s more on the Hawks:
- General manager Landry Fields shot down any speculation that he might consider replacing head coach Quin Snyder (Twitter video link from Caleb Johnson of 929 The Game). “Quin has done a terrific job. I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Fields told reporters. “I’m excited about what we’ve built and are building.”
- One of the most positive developments for the Hawks was the emergence of Dyson Daniels as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate after he was acquired in an offseason trade with the Pelicans. Daniels talked to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about what led to his breakthrough season. “I don’t point fingers at anyone but myself,” Daniels said. “I came in there in New Orleans and took a step back. I let the superstars be the superstars. I didn’t fit into being a role player. Coming into the NBA, you can’t do that. If you want to settle for being a role player, then you’re going to be out of the league in a few years. So, that’s what I did in New Orleans and I know it wasn’t me. … It was my confidence. I was second-guessing myself and in my head too much. I came here [Atlanta] with a free mind.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks looks ahead to the Hawks’ offseason in an Insider-only story and a YouTube video. Marks points out that Daniels will be extension-eligible this summer and states that making a decision on Young’s future will be a priority.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Griffin, Green, Suns, Beal, More
There has been buzz around the NBA this weekend about the future in New Orleans, where the futures of Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Willie Green appear tenuous, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). League sources tell The Stein Line that some people around the league are “undeniably bracing” for Griffin’s exit from the franchise, with Green also said to be on the hot seat.
While injuries were once again a significant factor this season, it has been a disappointing run in recent years for the Pelicans, who haven’t been able to capitalize on getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft and acquiring significant trade hauls for Anthony Davis (in 2019) and Jrue Holiday (2020). The club has made the playoffs in only two of the past six seasons and won just two total games in those postseason appearances.
Dyson Daniels‘ rise in Atlanta this season, after he was sent to the Hawks in last summer’s Dejounte Murray trade, has been a “source of tension” within the Pelicans organization, Stein and Fischer say, noting that Green has been questioned internally for having often leaned on Jose Alvarado over Daniels from 2022-24.
Still, Stein and Fischer caution that there were “whispers” about Green’s job being in danger following New Orleans’ 5-29 start in the fall and he has made it through the season, so there’s a chance he could be retained through the offseason too. He’s known to hold “significant support” from owner Gayle Benson, according to The Stein Line.
Here are a few more items of interest from Stein and Fischer:
- While it’s somewhat rare for a team to clean house by firing its head of basketball operations and head coach at the same time, Denver did it last week and the Suns have been “painted” as a team that could follow suit, write Stein and Fischer. General manager James Jones has been atop the front office hierarchy since 2018, whereas head coach Mike Budenholzer just joined the organization on a five-year contract in 2024.
- In addition to exploring a Kevin Durant trade, the Suns are “known to be trying to extricate themselves” from the final two years of Bradley Beal‘s contract, Stein and Fischer confirm. That will be easier said than done, given his no-trade clause and the $111MM he’s still owed. But for what it’s worth, plugged-in Phoenix insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 said last week that there’s a “zero percent chance” Beal will be back on the Suns next season (Twitter link).
- If Chauncey Billups hadn’t signed a contract extension with the Trail Blazers, there was a belief he might emerge as a candidate in Phoenix and/or Denver, according to Fischer and Stein. It remains to be seen whether the Suns will make a coaching change this spring, but some of their players were said last May to be high on Billups. The Nuggets, meanwhile, will definitely have a coaching vacancy, but it’s unclear whether or not they would have targeted Billups — as Fischer and Stein explain, there was a sense that Billups, a Denver native, would have been interested in that job if Portland hadn’t retained him.
- Berlin, Germany and London, England are viewed as the frontrunners among European cities to host NBA regular season games next season, with Manchester also believed to be in consideration, per The Stein Line.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Sarr, Middleton
Despite having lost their last three games in a row and six of their last 10 contests overall, the Hawks have been making a push to develop their young perimeter players with a play-in tournament berth already assured, writes Jake Fischer for Hawks.com.
No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in particular has been taking positive strides as the season has transitioned into its home stretch. Accordingly, he has been named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for two months running.
“(Trae Young is) more comfortable and aggressive throwing the ball ahead and seeing those guys attack the rim in transition,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said.
“The floor’s more open,” Young agreed. “And that causes my defender to make a decision whether to help or stay with me.”
The growth of 23-year-old forward Jalen Johnson, prior to his season-ending shoulder injury, and 22-year-old guard Dyson Daniels, a strong All-Defensive Team candidate, also gives the team major hope for the future.
“We think we can propel this team to a championship one day,” Daniels said. “The more we play together, the more chemistry we develop, the more experience we get, the more games we’re going to win.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Another Rookie of the Year candidate, Wizards big man Alex Sarr, has been showing plenty of promise as Washington’s lottery-bound 2024/25 season has wound down, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The 19-year-old, selected with the No. 2 pick last summer, has been taking particular pride in his recent play on defense. “I love that he celebrated a defensive play,” coach Brian Keefe said, referring to a key block in a late-game situation in March. “It wasn’t just an offensive play. That’s winning stuff. That’s a winning play he made. If he wanted to be excited about that, that’s great, because we want him to anchor our defense.” Sarr’s shooting from distance has come and gone this season, but he has been enjoying consistent minutes, which he appreciates. “Being able to have freedom helps you develop as a player,” Sarr told Robbins, “knowing the things maybe you shouldn’t do, the things you have to work on.”
- Former All-Star wing Khris Middleton, just two months into his Wizards tenure, has become a stabilizing veteran presence. According to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (subscriber link), Middleton already leads Washington in taking charges. The 33-year-old veteran’s willingness to put his body on the line has inspired his young teammates, Hughes opines.
- In case you missed it, veteran Heat wing Andrew Wiggins is hoping to be back before Miami’s regular season ends, although there is no set timeline yet for his return from his right hamstring tendinopathy.
Southeast Notes: Anthony, Houstan, Daniels, Rozier
Magic guard Cole Anthony returned to action on Tuesday after missing seven games with a left big toe strain. He was upgraded from questionable to available prior to Orlando’s contest against San Antonio, the team’s PR department tweets.
Anthony has appeared in 61 games this season, averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest. He’s in the first year of a three-year, $39.1MM contract.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Caleb Houstan received rotation minutes over the past six Magic games in Anthony’s absence. The highlight of that stretch for Houstan was an 18-point outing against Sacramento on Saturday. “He’s always consistent, no matter if he’s playing or not playing, if he’s in or out of the rotation,” Paolo Banchero told Beede. “He’s always showing up, getting his work in. Every time he shoots it, it has a pretty good chance of going in.” Orlando holds a $2.19MM club option on Houstan’s contract for next season, which must be exercised by the end of June.
- Hawks defensive ace Dyson Daniels, just named Defensive Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference, is pleased with the chemistry on the team. “I think we have really good pieces on this team, and pieces that work well together,” Daniels told Sportskeeda’s Grant Afseth. “Obviously, (Trae Young is) our guy, the motor of the team. We try to look after him, set him screens, get him open, and he does the same for us. He’s a really good passer.”
- Terry Rozier had dropped out of the Heat‘s rotation until Monday, when he played 33 minutes against Washington with a host of players missing the contest. Rozier contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. The veteran guard, who has one year left on his contract, admits it’s best a rough season for him. “It’s never easy for a competitor, especially me,” he said, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “You work so hard and then it just becomes unfortunate with the situation. But you just try to stay positive through it all, and give grace and still be thankful that I’m in this position. You try to keep working hard, waiting for my name to be called again.”
Dyson Daniels, Draymond Green Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, who was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for games played in October/November, has won the award for the second time this season, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Daniels is the East’s Defensive Player of the Month for March.
Daniels, who has become a legitimate contender for Defensive Player of the Year in his first season as a Hawk, continued to wreak havoc on opposing offenses in March, leading the NBA in steals (3.3), deflections (5.4), and forced turnovers (3.1) per contest over the course of 14 games as Atlanta went 9-5.
Daniels is the second Eastern Conference player to be recognized with two Defensive Player of the Month awards this season, joining Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, who earned the honor in both December and February.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, Warriors forward Draymond Green was named the Defensive Player of the Month for March.
Green, who advocated for himself as a top DPOY candidate a couple weeks ago, backed up the claim with his performance on that end of the court in March. According to the NBA, Green ranked third in the West in steals (1.9) and contested shots (9.1) per game for the month, while Golden State had the fourth-best defensive rating in the league (109.7).
Five different players have been named Defensive Player of the Month in the West this season — Green joins Victor Wembanyama, Jaren Jackson Jr., Amen Thompson, and Toumani Camara as the honorees in the award’s inaugural season.
Mobley, Knicks forward OG Anunoby, and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes were also nominated for the Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month award for March, according to the NBA (Twitter link). The West’s other nominees were Camara, Clippers center Ivica Zubac, and Thunder wing Luguentz Dort.