Heat Notes: Offseason, Wiggins, Jaquez, Jovic
Despite some highlights and internal growth from their younger players, the Heat had a disappointing season that ultimately ended with a play-in loss. Now the team has to determine its next steps as it looks to regain a competitive foothold in the East.
After re-signing Davion Mitchell and extending Nikola Jovic, Miami is not expected to be a cap space team this summer, but the club still has real financial flexibility, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for The Third Apron (Substack link).
The Heat have 13 roster slots accounted for, including their first-round pick in the 2026 draft, which projects to be No. 13, barring a change on lottery night. The Heat will also be able to trade up to four first-round picks this summer. That leads Gozlan to suggest that a consolidation trade could make sense.
The team will also have access to its $15.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Barry Jackson notes for the Miami Herald in a two-part look at potential roster additions. He lists CJ McCollum, Ayo Dosunmu, and Quentin Grimes, as potential guard and wing targets using that exception.
Miami also needs help at the power forward spot, Jackson writes in part two of the column, noting that Rui Hachimura, Kristaps Porzingis, and John Collins could be among the team’s targets if it looks to address its frontcourt using the MLE.
We have more from the Heat:
- One factor that will help determine how much spending flexibility the Heat have is what Andrew Wiggins chooses to do with his $30.2MM player option, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Wiggins has until June 29 to pick up the option or until June 30 to decline it and work out an extension, if both sides want to pursue that route. Exercising the option could make a star trade easier for the Heat, but the decision ultimately rests with the 31-year-old. “I’m not sure yet,” he said of his future plans. “I’m going to see what’s going on and talk to my agent. Obviously, I love Miami.”
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.‘s excellent season wasn’t rewarded with a Sixth Man of the Year award, but his play in 2025/26 has left him feeling better than ever, Anthony Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. “I feel a lot more confident,” Jaquez said last week. “I feel like I really belong in this league. I think this year kind of solidified that for at least myself, knowing that I can really do this. And going forward, continue to stay ambitious, continue to strive for more, continue to improve, continue to help this team win games.” After a disappointing sophomore season, Jaquez turned in an impressively versatile third year, one that he’s eager to build on moving forward.
- Jovic has expressed frustration with his play as well as the standards he feels held to by the coaching staff, but says that former Heat teammate Duncan Robinson has helped him navigate the ups and downs of his uncertain role. However, coach Erik Spoelstra says that the 6’10” forward needs to get out of his head and out of his own way, Winderman write. “Niko’s objective this offseason?” Spoelstra said. “To not have a victim mindset about it, to not blame anything, just get to work and improve the things that he needs to improve — take it on his shoulders and he’ll be just fine.”
Spurs’ Keldon Johnson Named Sixth Man Of The Year
For the second time in three days, a Spurs player has won a major award. After Victor Wembanyama was named the 2025/26 Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, Keldon Johnson has earned Sixth Man of the Year honors, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Coming off the bench in all 82 games for the 62-20 Spurs, Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23.3 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .519/.363/.794. According to the league (Twitter link), he set a single-season franchise record by scoring 1,081 bench points, surpassing the mark previously set by Manu Ginobili, the only other Sixth Man of the Year winner in Spurs history.
Johnson epitomized the sixth man role by becoming the only NBA player in 2025/26 who appeared in all 82 games without making a single start, per the team.
Johnson earned 63 first-place votes and showed up on 96 out of 100 total ballots, accumulating 404 total points to beat out Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nuggets wing Tim Hardaway Jr., his fellow finalists. They finished second and third in the voting, respectively, with Jaquez receiving 34 first-place votes and 331 points, while Hardaway was a distant third (no first-place votes, 45 points).
In 75 games for the Heat, including 74 as a reserve, Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 28.3 minutes per game, making 50.7% of his shots from the floor.
It’s fair to wonder how big an impact the delay in award voting had on the Sixth Man of the Year race. Because a handful of stars appealed to be ruled award-eligible despite not meeting the 65-game criteria, the NBA needed a little extra time to make decisions on those cases. Ballots weren’t sent out until last Thursday and and had to be submitted by Friday evening.
By that time, the Heat had been eliminated in a play-in game that Jaquez didn’t play especially well in (he made 5-of-14 field goal attempts). That prompted at least one voter – Bill Simmons of The Ringer – to admit that he changed his vote from Jaquez to Johnson, despite the fact that Sixth Man is a regular season award.
Outside of the three finalists, nine more players received at least one vote. Timberwolves big man Naz Reid (42 points) and Thunder wing Ajay Mitchell (29) rounded out the top five, while Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (28) was the only other player to show up on more than three ballots.
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, and Raptors guard Jamal Shead also earned votes. The full results can be viewed here (Twitter link).
NBA Announces Finalists For 2025/26 Awards
The NBA has announced the finalists for this season’s major awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Clutch Player of the Year.
The MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year finalists were announced at halftime of the NBC broadcast of Game 1 between the Pistons and Magic, while the league’s official account tweeted the rest.
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
The leaders of the three top teams in the Western Conference all have strong arguments for MVP. Jokic became the first player to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game while also averaging 27.7 points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31.1 PPG and led the Thunder to the league’s best record despite the fact that multiple starters missed substantial time this season. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game while emerging as a lock for Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
This race is expected to come down to the former Duke teammates. Knueppel played a key role for a resurgent Hornets squad, becoming the first rookie to lead the league in made three-pointers while averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 81 appearances. Flagg’s Mavs finished well out of the postseason picture, but he showed massive star upside, averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG while scoring at least 42 points in four separate games. Edgecombe averaged 35.0 minutes per game over 75 contests, posting a well-rounded 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.2 APG.
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
Mazzulla and Bickerstaff each led massively overperforming teams that managed to dominate the Eastern Conference despite having players in and out of the lineup all year. Johnson helped navigate a tricky guard rotation and spacing issues as the Spurs posted the second-best record in the league.

Defensive Player of the Year
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to win this award, ranking first in total blocks, blocks per game, defensive rating, and defensive rebounding percentage this season. Holmgren was second in blocks per game for the league’s top defense, while Thompson proved himself to be arguably the best perimeter defender in the league with his combination of off-ball defensive play-making and point-of-attack dominance.
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks)
- Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Both Avdija and Duren were first-time All-Stars this season, while Alexander-Walker earned a starting spot on his new team and raised his scoring from 9.4 points per game last season to 20.8 PPG this season on .459/.399/.902 shooting splits, all career high percentages.
Sixth Man of the Year
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Nuggets)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat)
- Keldon Johnson (Spurs)
Hardaway cracked 40% from three this season for the first time in his career while shooting 6.9 attempts in his 26.6 minutes per game. Most importantly for the injury-plagued Nuggets, he played 80 games, including six starts, and was the team’s fifth-highest scorer. Jaquez had an impressively well-rounded contribution off the bench, posting career-highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Johnson was a crucial scoring hub for the Spurs bench units while adding offensive pop when the starters struggled to score.
Clutch Player of the Year
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards ranked first and second, respectively, in clutch scoring per game, while Murray was second in total clutch points behind the Thunder star and shot the most efficiently from three of the guards.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points notes (via Twitter) that the awards will be announced in the coming days and weeks, starting with Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, April 20.
Heat Notes: Spoelstra, Bam, Powell, Fontecchio
While Erik Spoelstra was upset on Tuesday about the “dangerous play” from LaMelo Ball that caused Bam Adebayo to injure his lower back, the Heat‘s head coach was calmer when he was asked about the incident in Thursday’s exit interviews, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“I’m not really thinking about that anymore,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “I said what I had to say about it. I didn’t think that he needed to be penalized more moving forward. I don’t think that would make sense. I don’t think he’s a dirty player. I just think, at the moment, both things can be true. In that moment, it was a dirty play, a dangerous play. It should have been caught at that moment, but it wasn’t. And then, you move on.”
Adebayo also addressed the play and said he didn’t have any previous history with Ball to suggest there was any “bad blood” between them. An X-ray on the big man’s back came back negative, Chiang writes, and Adebayo hasn’t undergone an MRI to this point.
“Obviously, I’m still walking, so I’m OK,” Adebayo said after walking gingerly, but without any assistance, to the microphone on Thursday.
As for the offseason, Adebayo said questions about potential roster changes should be directed to Spoelstra and president Pat Riley. But the three-time All-Star acknowledged that the team will “probably” look different after missing the playoffs, and Adebayo made it clear where his motivation lies.
“You see how the last four years have been,” Adebayo said. “You can go in and voice that. Everybody in this building knows I want to win. I put on that jersey almost every game through hell and high water just because I want to win. I want to put us in a position to win. When you don’t win, I always put it on myself. That’s me going in the summer trying to be better. Trying to figure out how I can take my game to the next level, how I can be a better captain.
“And the business side is not my side. To me, being able to share my opinion is more important because that means you have somebody actively listening to you. For them to listen is me telling them I want to win. That’s bottom line.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Norman Powell made his first All-Star team in his first season in Miami, but injuries caused him to miss extended time after the break and he only played 19 minutes in Tuesday’s play-in loss to Charlotte, Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. The veteran wing openly expressed a desire to sign an extension with the Heat early in the season, but he was more guarded when he discussed his future with the team on Tuesday. “They have to make decisions and things based on the team and where they want to be and what they want to do next year,” Powell said of the Heat. “Hopefully I’m a part of the plan. And if I am, great. Like I said, I like my time here. So we’ll just see where they’re at, where my agent is at, and what’s going on in free agency.”
- Although Spoelstra was understandably disappointed with an early end to the Heat’s season, he struck an optimistic tone about the development of young players like Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “There was significant improvement. You saw his ability to compete in a meaningful game and produce in the moments of truth,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “There were a lot of ups and downs this year, but I appreciate his intention every day trying to work at it, get better. And he still has a big offseason ahead to make that next jump hopefully.”
- Simone Fontecchio, who will be a free agent this summer, has already made it known he’d like to re-sign with Miami. The 30-year-old said on Thursday that he likely won’t play with the Italian national team during World Cup qualifying games in July, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, but is hopeful he’ll be able to suit up for games in August once his free agency is resolved.
Southeast Notes: Jaquez, Herro, Carrington, Cain
The Heat entered the season hoping for a bounce-back performance following last season’s 10th-place finish in the East, but it has been a disappointing year in Miami, where the Heat once again find themselves entering the postseason as the No. 10 seed in the East.
While the team might not have achieved its regular season goals, it was a successful season from an individual perspective for third-year forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is one of the frontrunners for the Sixth Man of the Year award, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
After averaging career-highs in points (15.2), rebounds (5.1), and assists (4.7) per game, Jaquez has the second-best odds to win the award according to BetOnline, Chiang notes, behind only Keldon Johnson of the Spurs.
“I think, obviously, I didn’t want to have the year I had last year. But life happens,” Jaquez said. “The only thing you can do is get back up. I heard a great quote, ‘Failure isn’t falling down, failure is staying down.’ And I think just being able to come back and improve on my game, it would just be a great recognition of the hard work.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- Tyler Herro isn’t shying away from the disappointment of the Heat‘s 2025/26 regular season, but he’s ready to put it behind him and move forward, Chiang writes. “It’s been a long, weird, awkward season,” he said. “Different injuries, in and out. I started the season out, obviously, for kind of like an indefinite time, not really knowing when I was coming back. So it’s just like taking it one step at a time, one day at a time and one game at a time.” One goal is clear for the shooting guard. “I need to get out of the play-in,” he said.
- By suiting up in the Wizards‘ loss to the Cavaliers today, Bub Carrington became the first player since Karl-Anthony Towns to play in 164 straight games over his first two NBA seasons. Towns achieved the feat of not missing a game through the first two years from 2015-2017, and added a third straight year in 2017/18. Carrington played 38 minutes in the last game of the season, scoring 20 points and adding nine assists for Washington on Sunday.
- While the Magic‘s regular season ended in disappointment following a loss to the Celtics’ reserves, fourth-year player Jamal Cain has plenty to be happy about with his performance this year, Jason Beede writes for the Orlando Sentinel. Cain carved out a role for himself and earned his place in the rotation, as Beede details. “All the work that me and my trainer put in is actually coming to fruition,” Cain said. “Also, my teammates believe in me and give me confidence.” Cain’s deal includes a team option for the 2026/27 season.
And-Ones: NBA Awards Picks, G League Awards
Reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claims two awards on the unofficial ballot of Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports: MVP and Clutch Player of the Year.
To be clear, Devine does have an official vote for year-end awards, but those ballots aren’t sent out until the regular season concludes on April 12. Devine also notes that he may be forced to change some of his picks, depending on which players are eligible.
Victor Wembanyama, for example, needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s remaining two games to be eligible for awards consideration. The French big man is Devine’s choice for Defensive Player of the Year and is his runner-up for MVP, ahead of Nikola Jokic.
Kon Knueppel (Rookie of the Year) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Most Improved Player) are a couple of Devine’s other awards picks.
Here are a few more awards-related stories and announcements:
- There’s quite a bit of overlap between Devine’s awards picks and the tentative selections of Zach Harper of The Athletic. Both writers have Joe Mazzulla, J.B. Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson as the three finalists, in order of how they finish, for Coach of the Year, and Keldon Johnson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. as their top three picks for Sixth Man of the Year.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer lists his three All-NBA, two All-Defensive, and two All-Rookie teams. Pina’s first-team All-NBA picks are Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama and Jokic; his All-Defensive First Team selections are Wembanyama, Derrick White, Scottie Barnes, Ausar Thompson and Chet Holmgren; and his top-five rookies are Knueppel, Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper and Derik Queen.
- The NBA G League has announced its All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams, which are each comprised of five players (Twitter links via the NBA). The All-Defensive selections are Jamarion Sharp (Texas Legends), Chris Manon (South Bay Lakers), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Andersson Garcia (Mexico City Capitanes) and Jalen Slawson (Noblesville Boom), while the All-Rookie team consists of Raptors 905 standout Martin, Norchad Omier and Sean Pedulla of the San Diego Clippers, Keshon Gilbert (College Park Skyhawks) and RJ Davis (South Bay Lakers). Martin, Manon, Slawson (Pacers), Omier and Pedulla are on two-way contracts with their respective NBA teams.
Wiggins, Jaquez, Powell To Return Monday For Heat
The Heat will have their full rotation available for Monday’s game against San Antonio, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Starting forward Andrew Wiggins, who has missed the last eight games with sesamoiditis in his left big toe, will be active against the Spurs. Key reserve Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has been sidelined for the past two contests because of left hip soreness, will be available as well.
Miami will also have veteran wing Norman Powell back in action after he missed Saturday’s loss in Houston due to left calf tightness, Winderman notes.
As Winderman observes, the stretch run of the season will be important for all three players. Wiggins could be a free agent this summer if he declines his $30.2MM player option for 2026/27; Powell will be a free agent unless he signs a veteran extension before July 1; and Jaquez will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
Wiggins has averaged 15.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 block on .474/.399/.788 shooting in 57 games this season (31.0 minutes per contest). Jaquez is a Sixth Man of the Year contender, having averaged 15.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 4.8 APG on .500/.281/.766 shooting in 64 appearances (28.6 MPG).
Powell, a first-time All-Star this season, is the Heat’s leading scorer at 22.3 PPG. He has also contributed 3.6 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.2 SPG on .473/.384/.823 shooting splits in 52 games (30.1 MPG).
Miami is currently 38-33, the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the team is only 1.5 games behind No. 5 Toronto with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Heat Notes: Bam, Balance, Jaquez, Riley, LeBron
Thursday’s game at Philadelphia was an important one for the Heat and for the 76ers, who are both looking to avoid the play-in tournament, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The No. 8 Heat lost to the No. 6 Sixers and are now 2.5 games behind Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference’s final outright playoff spot.
“I don’t want to be in that s–t no more,” big man Bam Adebayo said after the Heat lost 124-117. “We’re better than being in the play-in for the last four years.”
As Winderman notes, Miami has made the play-in tournament in each of the past three seasons and is projected to be in it again in 2025/26. The upcoming home stand could prove important — seven of the team’s next eight games are in Miami, though the Heat will be without leading scorer Norman Powell for at least four of those contests because of a Grade 1 right groin strain.
“We’ve already been struggling on the road,” Adebayo said, “so we go home, win some games, you know, be in our atmosphere, be in our habitat where our fans are cheering for us, and see if we can string some W’s together.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Head coach Erik Spoelstra is still trying to find the optimal balance of developing the Heat’s several young players while the team looks to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I have to do a better job with this group,” Spoelstra said. “We have the potential that we can see. We have the explosiveness, we have the defense. It’s a matter of consistency. And that’s what I’m here for, to be able to help bridge that along with the veterans, to be able to help our consistency. But also to hold the young guys accountable. And we have more of them than we’ve had in recent history, but also develop them and infuse confidence in them. And that’s a fine balance. But again, that’s what I’m here for. I want to take that challenge, and I want to be better with that.”
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. is no longer the betting favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award, having been leapfrogged by Naz Reid and Keldon Johnson. As Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel, the third-year forward said that he’s more focused on helping the team win than individual accolades, and while he views himself as a starting-caliber player, he has adapted to the key role off the bench. “I’m embracing my role. It’s pretty defined right now, so I’m just making the most of it,” Jaquez said. “I take pride in it. I take pride in our second unit. I try to be vocal, talk to guys, and try to lead the best I can, especially in that second unit. I really just embrace that role, for sure.”
- Heat president Pat Riley was honored with a statue outside the Lakers’ arena on Sunday. The 80-year-old executive reflected on what could have been for Miami had LeBron James decided to stay with the Heat in the summer of 2014, as Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. “I thought getting the big three — Dwyane (Wade), Chris Bosh and especially LeBron — that we had finally put together what I thought could become a dynasty,” Riley when asked during a news conference in Los Angeles what James’ four-year run with the Heat meant to him. “It was. Four trips to the Finals in a row, two world championships. It was an incredible run. And as a coach and somebody who really thought about how to build that particular team and had built it, I saw something that could have lasted eight to 10 years.”
- James was asked about Riley’s comments on Sunday, Chiang adds in the same story. “I never said I’m going to go there four years and decide to go somewhere else,” said James, who referred to Riley as “one of the all-time greats.” “That’s just how the cards were played. But, yeah, it’s human nature to look back and say what could have been. But that’s part of life. I thought the four years that we had were great, obviously. We were able to pick up two championships, we lost two of them, unfortunately. But a lot of great memories, a lot of great time there. It would have been interesting to see what could have happened.“
Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors: Wolves, Warriors, Heat, More
The Timberwolves are among the most serious suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo, league sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania reported on Wednesday that the Bucks star is “ready for a new home” and that Milwaukee is showing more willingness than ever to listen to offers for the two-time MVP.
While Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is one of the NBA’s most aggressive front office executives, it’s difficult to envision Minnesota putting together a package that would appeal to the Bucks. The Wolves don’t have any tradable first-round picks, so an offer would would have to be heavy on player value. With Anthony Edwards off the table, a package would probably start with Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Donte DiVincenzo.
As talented as those players are, none are All-Stars. Plus, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (YouTube link) anticipates that the Bucks would be seeking a more draft-heavy return if they end up moving Antetokounmpo.
“They have to prioritize the draft,” Windhorst said. “This year’s draft and their pick situation going forward. Their future is going to be tied to (the) draft.”
Here are several more Giannis-related rumors, a week out from the February 5 deadline:
- The Warriors have contacted the Bucks within the past week to convey their “firm” interest in Antetokounmpo and to make it clear they’re prepared to make a strong offer, reports Anthony Slater of ESPN. While Golden State isn’t actively shopping Jimmy Butler, he would be on the table in a Giannis scenario for salary-matching purposes, according to Slater, who adds that the Bucks have some interest in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski could also be a factor in those trade talks, Slater notes.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) considers what the Heat‘s best deadline for offer for Antetokounmpo might look like, suggesting it would probably consist of Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Terry Rozier‘s expiring contract, and Miami’s two tradable first-round picks.
- The Rockets are unlikely to get involved in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said in the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link). “I have been told that the Rockets will not be bidders,” MacMahon said. “Now, hey, nobody was under oath, but I’ve been told that repeatedly and I’ll say that they’ve got a pretty good track record of shooting me straight.”
- MacMahon also doesn’t anticipate the Spurs being a player for Antetokounmpo. “I have been told by folks with the Spurs, ‘We’re not a home for Giannis,'” he said on the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link). “And there’s been a lot of smoke going back to the summer, but everything in San Antonio is about the (Victor Wembanyama) timeline, and this is a decade past the Wemby timeline when you bring in Giannis at his age.”
- The Thunder have more than enough assets to make a strong offer for Antetokounmpo, but they shouldn’t – and likely won’t – seriously entertain the idea, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com, who suggests that making a move for a veteran star like Giannis would shorten Oklahoma City’s window of championship contention.
Tyler Herro Likely Out At Least Five Games With Rib Injury
Heat guard Tyler Herro recently underwent an MRI which revealed a costochondral injury on the right side of his ribs, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Herro, who didn’t travel to Golden State ahead of Monday’s contest, is expected to miss Miami’s entire five-game road trip, Chiang writes. After making 77 appearances en route to his first All-Star game in 2024/25, Herro has been limited to just 11 games thus far in ’25/26 due to offseason ankle surgery, a toe contusion, and now the rib issue.
Costochondral refers to the joints where ribs connect to cartilage, according to Chiang, who writes that it can be a very painful injury which is typically a matter of pain tolerance. Herro, who turns 26 years old tomorrow, has averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal on .497/.358/.902 shooting this season (31.7 minutes per game).
Herro also missed Saturday’s win over Oklahoma City, so Monday will mark his second straight absence. There’s no official timeline for the seventh-year guard’s return, per Chiang.
On a more positive note for the Heat, starting point guard Davion Mitchell and sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. are both expected to return on Monday. Both players have been sidelined for the past two games with shoulder and knee injuries, respectively, but they’re probable to suit up against the Warriors.
Miami is currently 22-20, the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
