Josh Richardson

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Bryant, Martin, Richardson

November 30th, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Heat center Bam Adebayo is taking his game to new heights this season as he becomes more aggressive on the court than ever before, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Adebayo’s latest game, Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks, saw the seventh-year center set a career high with 27 field-goal attempts, along with season highs in points and minutes. The two-time All-Star did this against an interior defense spearheaded by 2022/23 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Brook Lopez and five-time All-Defensive Team selection Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“He was just super assertive,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Adebayo. “That’s what we need from Bam. He was really aggressive getting into the paint, creating those paint opportunities that normally Jimmy is so great at for us. Now we have a lot of guys with that ability to do that. But Bam was relentless all game long and that just shows you his capacity to do it on both ends.”

Adebayo is currently averaging career highs of 23.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in addition to his 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. His play has him under consideration for his third All-Star Game as well as for Defensive Player of the Year and/or an All-NBA selection.

As Chiang observes, being named Defensive Player of the Year or being selected to an All-NBA Team would make Adebayo eligible to sign a four-year super-max extension this upcoming offseason. His teammates have been vocal about Adebayo’s continued evolution.

“I think he should be a lock for All-NBA this year,” Richardson said. “He’s really been carrying a lot of the load for us this year.”

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Center Thomas Bryant was signed over the offseason to help stabilize the Heat’s non-Adebayo minutes, but he has fallen out of the rotation as Kevin Love has produced positive minutes in that role. According to Chiang in a separate story, Bryant said it’s been an adjustment but that he’s staying ready for anything. “Everything being communicated is just staying ready, going over things that I’ve done before, just keep improving on everything and just stay with it,” Bryant said. “‘Your time is coming’ whenever it might be, so it’s always about a stay ready mind-set and just always staying ready no matter what the outcome is.“
Forward Caleb Martin is continuing to work his way back into form after a lingering knee injury kept him out of most of the preseason and 10 straight games at one point this season, according to Chiang. After averaging 5.8 points on 30.6% shooting in his first five games back, Martin scored 22 points on Saturday against the Nets. “I want quick results, I want to just get back to my normal self, too,” Martin said. “I just know it’s going to take some time. So I accept that and figure out how to go with that.“
With Dru Smith out for the season and Tyler Herro recovering from his own injury, Josh Richardson has adopted the Heat’s backup point guard position for the time being, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel observes. “I play with kind of both units,” Richardson said. “So with the first unit, it’s more so spacing, giving Jimmy and Bam kind of like an outlet. With the second unit, I kind of got to be a paint-touch guy. We have Duncan [Robinson] out there running around. So it’s kind of fluid. It’s one thing that I’ve got to figure out.“

Southeast Notes: Butler, Richardson, Anthony, Magic, Hornets

October 31st, 2023 at 10:32pm CST by Rory Maher

After an injury-riddled 2022/23 season that surprisingly saw Miami reach the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the East, the Heat once again have dealt with several injuries to start ’23/24, with starters and rotation players missing time. That has played a factor in the team’s 1-3 start, which includes three consecutive road losses, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes.

According to Chiang, Jimmy Butler — who already missed a game due to rest — is the latest player to pop up on the injury report, having been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with Brooklyn due to right knee tendinitis. While there’s optimism the injury isn’t serious, it’s still a bit concerning that Butler is less than 100%, particularly since that knee has given him problems over the past few seasons, Chiang reports (via Twitter).

After three home games this week, the Heat will play nine of their following ten games on the road, and they are fully aware that this is a key stretch of the schedule, despite being very early in the season.

“This is an important week for us coming up at home,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have a lot of work to do. We’ve had a lot of moving parts early on in the season. That’s not an excuse. We need to just have a productive week. We have three games at home and we have some time with shootarounds, practices. We just need to move the needle this week.”

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One bit of good news for the Heat is that Josh Richardson was able to make his season debut in Monday’s loss at Milwaukee, notching six points, three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes. He says he’s still working his way back into shape after his preseason was cut short due to a foot injury. “Hopefully I can bring something positive to their mix, just a little ball-handling, a little pace,” Richardson said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Defensively, I think I can do some things for us. But it’s really about getting my feet wet, because I really didn’t have a preseason. So just trying to get back into the swing of things.”
Magic guard Cole Anthony, who signed a three-year, $39MM rookie scale extension before the season started, recently had an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that covers a number of topics, including his new deal, how he’s been able to improve throughout his career, and the team’s goals.
Speaking to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, head coach Jamahl Mosley credited the Magic‘s depth and health for the team’s 2-1 start. “It helps out so much because someone’s number can always be called,” Mosley said. “The work that our coaches put in with these guys is so detailed and they’ll be ready no matter when their number is called.” As Beede notes, instead of going with set rotations, Mosley has improvised and gone with who has been playing the best from game-to-game.
With the NFL’s Panthers struggling, the Hornets have a chance to become Charlotte’s premier sports team, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. However, that will only transpire if the Hornets — who are currently mired in the NBA’s longest playoff drought — can show fans they’re worth following, Boone opines.

Heat Notes: Jaquez, Richardson, Highsmith, Road Trip, Bryant

October 26th, 2023 at 10:14pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez immediately made an impact for Miami in his first NBA game, recording six points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra showed trust in Jaquez, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, allowing him to bring the ball up the court and running offense through him in the mid-post.

“When I got out there, it just felt like basketball,” Jaquez said. “I think the nerves kind of settled down when I first got out there. I think the preseason helped a lot, those games. I felt really comfortable.”

According to Spoelstra and Jaquez’s teammates, his experience in college was apparent. Jaquez, a 22-year-old rookie, played four seasons at UCLA.

“Jaime is not a regular rookie,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. “A guy that’s experienced, he’s been in big games before, he’s been in those games where he’s needed to be a leader, he’s needed to be the one option. That’s throughout all those years in college. Me and Tyler [Herro] came in here at 19 after one year in college and had to figure it out. I feel like he’s coming into the league ready.”

Jaquez was on a minutes restriction due to a groin injury suffered in the preseason, Chiang writes, but his play in the opener paves the way for more playing time even after Miami’s injured players return to action.

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Josh Richardson (foot) and Haywood Highsmith (knee) both missed the Heat’s opener against the Pistons on Wednesday and both will be out for their game Friday in Boston, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman adds (Twitter link) that neither player traveled with the team. Miami’s game in Boston is the first in a three-game road trip, meaning both players may remain on the shelf until the Heat return home.
The Heat’s upcoming three-game road stretch is indicative of the month to come, with Miami playing on the road for 12 of their next 16 games, Chiang observes in a separate piece. Eight of those 12 road games come against teams who made the playoffs last season. In particular, it will be interesting to see how Miami plays against Boston (Oct. 27) and Milwaukee (Oct. 30), Chiang writes. “It’s going to test us,” Adebayo said. “This is one of those road trips where you’re going into the lion’s den and seeing where you are, seeing who you are as a team and your identity.“
Heat center Thomas Bryant made his Miami debut on Wednesday and looked to justify their pursuit of him in July’s free agency period, Winderman writes. He played with energy for the Heat’s second unit and recorded eight points, six rebounds and three assists. “We tried to address the one issue that I think had to be addressed,” Heat president Pat Riley said of adding Bryant. “And we really like this player in Thomas Bryant that can give us more around the paint, at the rim, offense. If you go back and look at last year against Denver, we were beat in the paint. That’s it. We were killed in the paint.“

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Sioux Falls, Richardson, Highsmith, Roster Decisions

October 19th, 2023 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bam Adebayo is eligible to sign a two-year, $97MM extension until Monday. However, the Heat center realizes he could get a longer and more lucrative contract if he waits, he told Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Adebayo could meet the super-max criteria and become eligible to sign a four-year, $245MM extension in the 2024 offseason if he makes an All-NBA team or is named Defensive Player of the Year this season.

“The money difference does play a part,” he said. “But we’ll have that conversation at some point.”

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Despite the logistics of shuttling players from Point A to B, the Heat announced a five-year agreement to keep their NBA G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). It’s approximately 1,824 miles between the two cities.
Foot injuries continue to mar Josh Richardson‘s preseason. He departed Wednesday’s preseason loss with a right foot injury and was underwent an MRI on his foot on Thursday, according to Chiang. The MRI results were negative and he’s day-to-day. He sat out the Heat’s second and third preseason games due to left foot discomfort.
An MRI on Haywood Highsmith‘s left knee revealed a sprain and he’ll be reevaluated in two weeks, Chiang tweets. He recently had his $1.9MM salary guaranteed.
There are six players on the Heat’s current 19-man camp roster competing for the 14th spot on the standard roster and the three two-way contract slots. Out of that group, Jamal Cain, Dru Smith and Cole Swider have stood out, according to Chiang. Cain and Smith are already on two-way deals and looking to get a promotion to the standard roster. “It’s just gratifying to see that kind of improvement from a young player, particularly when it’s not easy,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Cain.

Heat Notes: Richardson, CBA, Cain, Highsmith, More

October 19th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

Josh Richardson, who returned to the Heat as a free agent this summer after playing for the team from 2015-19, has been used exclusively as a point guard this fall, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. While Richardson spent some time at the point during his first stint in Miami, he had morphed in recent years into more of a swingman who plays the two and three.

“First day of camp, [coaches said] I’m with the point guards and I’m like, ‘All right,'” Richardson said. “And every day since that, it’s, ‘I’m with the point guards. All right.'”

Richardson added that he doesn’t mind the move back to point guard, since serving as the primary ball-handler in the Heat’s system is “not too difficult.”

“It’s quick. Space and pace,” he said. “It’s not like I’m just walking down calling plays every time.”

Unfortunately, Richardson left Wednesday’s game early due to a foot injury, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald notes (via Twitter). The 30-year-old will be reevaluated on Thursday and the Heat will be hoping the injury is minor, given their relative lack of point guard depth.

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Jackson and Chiang of The Miami Herald take a closer look at how new rules in the Collective Bargaining Agreement affecting teams over the tax apron(s) will impact the Heat during the 2023/24 season and going forward. We recently covered how the trade rules will change for tax-apron teams after the season. As the Herald writes note, Miami also won’t be able to sign players on the buyout market this season if their pre-waiver salaries were greater than the mid-level exception ($12.4MM)
While two-way player Jamal Cain was hoping to be part of the Heat’s standard roster by now, he remains confident in his ability and believes that promotion will happen sooner or later, according to Chiang. “It doesn’t change my work ethic. I feel like it amped my work ethic a little higher,” Cain said. “No frustration. I know I’m an NBA player. I know I can play at this level, so it’s just a matter of time.”
Heat forward Haywood Highsmith scored a team-high 15 points in Wednesday’s preseason loss to Brooklyn and may be on his way to earning some of the rotation minutes that had been earmarked for Nikola Jovic, says Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He just has great fortitude,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Highsmith. “He’s just been so consistent with his work.”
Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter video link), big man Bam Adebayo said that he wishes the Damian Lillard trade had been completed earlier in the offseason for the sake of the players involved in the final deal — as well as the Heat players rumored to be part of a potential package for Lillard. “Guys got kids, guys got families, guys need to know what’s about to happen,” Adebayo said. “Some people in that mix of what happened got that phone call and… it was like three or four days before camp. … That’s a lot to move in 72 hours.”

Heat Notes: Cain, Smith, Butler, Injuries, Peterson, Williams

October 15th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Cain is making a strong bid to have his two-way contract with the Heat converted into a standard deal, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Cain had 24 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes against San Antonio on Friday.

Miami currently has 13 players on standard deals and needs to add at least one more by the season opener.

“He really competed and played hard,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, as relayed by the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. “It’s satisfying to see. He’s put in so much time in the last year. His effort and attention to details defensively have gotten a lot better.”

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Dru Smith is participating in his third straight training camp with Miami and also hopes to earn a spot on the 15-man roster, according to The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “I’m just really grateful and really appreciative of the opportunities that I’ve been able to have, the chances that I have in front of me right now,” Smith said. “After that, it’s in my hands but also it’s out of my hands. Whatever they decide to do, that’s what they decide to do. So I just have to go out there and try to play the best basketball that I can and let the rest fall where it may.” Smith currently holds a two-way contract.
Jimmy Butler is recovering from dental surgery, Winderman tweets. He remains on track to play in the team’s season opener on Oct. 25.
Caleb Martin (knee), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (groin), Nikola Jovic (hip), R.J. Hampton (hip), Smith (hamstring) and Josh Richardson (foot) also sat out the Heat’s preseason game against the Grizzlies on Sunday, Winderman tweets.
Spoelstra is hopeful Drew Peterson and Alondes Williams will join the Heat’s NBA G League team, Sioux Falls Skyforce, after they clear waivers, Winderman relays in another tweet. The duo was cut loose on Saturday.

Heat Notes: Herro, Lillard, Richardson, Dragic, Roster Spots

October 9th, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Damian Lillard spent the summer trying to get traded, but Heat guard Tyler Herro, who likely would have been part of any deal that brought Lillard to Miami, was happy to stay where he is, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin reportedly didn’t want Herro, which made it difficult for the teams to reach a deal without a third franchise involved. Although Herro doesn’t hold any resentment toward Cronin for his decision, he’s happy with the way things worked out.

“I didn’t want to go to Portland, so I’m glad Portland didn’t want me,” Herro said. “I just don’t want to be in Portland. So it’s not personal with Portland, at all. I’m just happy to be on the court. I haven’t played since April. I broke my hand and I haven’t played since then, so I’m ready to play.”

Teammates have been raving about Herro’s performance in camp as he returned from the injury that forced him to miss virtually all of last season’s playoffs. Herro doesn’t believe the perception of his importance to the Heat should change because the team reached the NBA Finals without him.

“I got hurt and obviously we went on a run,” he said. “So I don’t know if that changed people’s perspectives on the way that I play or my value. Nothing has changed. I haven’t gotten any worse. I’ve only gotten better, older, more experienced. And our team didn’t get better without me, we just started shooting better and making shots. We didn’t make shots all year. And I’m the best shooter on the team. So I don’t think with me sitting out affected our shooting percentage. I just think we started making shots.”

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Lillard discussed his request to be dealt to the Heat during a weekend interview with Sirius XM NBA Radio (Twitter link). “I don’t think it was a secret that Miami is where I wanted to go when I asked for a trade,” he said. “When this conversation started, it was like ‘We’re not going to be able to build this team out. We’ll help you get to where you want to go.’ And that was where I wanted to go.”
Josh Richardson appears to be the backup point guard heading into the preseason opener, Winderman states in a mailbag column. In response to a reader’s question about signing Goran Dragic, Winderman said he doubts that the team would want two 37-year-old point guards on the roster, but he adds that the organization’s view of Dragic might change if Kyle Lowry gets traded. Winderman also mentions John Wall if the Heat are in the market for veteran help.
Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes at closer look at the Exhibit 10 players competing for a roster spot: Justin Champagnie, Cheick Diallo, Drew Peterson, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Herro, Wizards, Okongwu

October 6th, 2023 at 5:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Kyle Lowry said earlier this week that he expects to be the Heat‘s starting point guard in 2023/24 after finishing last season as a reserve. But will he actually reclaim his old job?

According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, while head coach Erik Spoelstra was complimentary of Lowry on Friday, he remained noncommittal about who will start at point, noting that a couple other players have been getting practice reps as well.

“Kyle, obviously, is our decorated champion,” Spoelstra said. “So playing on those words, he’s one of the great quarterbacks and quarterback minds in this league and he’s critical to what we do. (Josh Richardson) has been playing some there, just trying to get him re-acclimated to a little more of the role that he played with us previously. And Dru Smith is quietly or not so quietly had a very good camp. He’s improved considerably.”

Richardson has played for five different teams over four seasons since Miami traded him away in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster in 2019. He returned to the Heat this summer on a two-year, minimum-salary deal. Smith, meanwhile is a second-year guard on a two-way deal. He split last season with Miami and Brooklyn.

Here are a few more notes from the Southeast Division:

In an interview with Couper Moorhead of Heat.com, Tyler Herro said he realizes he can’t do anything about being involved in trade rumors, but he’s out to prove he’s valuable in ’23/24. “It’s funny, but everyone has their opinion,” he said. “The only people that really know are the ones in the front offices making the trades and ultimately deciding whose value is what. I feel like I’m pretty damn valuable. I don’t know. I feel like I’m valuable as hell. At the end of the day, I’m going to show that this season and hopefully by the end of the season I’m going to be in the same boat as Bam (Adebayo).“
After ranking 17th in the NBA in pace last season, the Wizards plan to deploy a more up-tempo offense in 2023/24. Players are excited about the change, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “Oh my God, it’s going to be amazing… It’s going to be really fun and it’s going to be fun to watch,” said forward Kyle Kuzma.
The Hawks are working with fourth-year center Onyeka Okongwu to expand his offensive arsenal, as Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (subscriber link). “Some of the things that he’s working on, whether it’s a corner three or dribble handoff, taking the ball and driving, there’s some situations he’s in, they’re new to him, but he’s also very capable in those situations,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “I mean, when you see him, drive baseline, throw a left-hand pass along the baseline, he can do that stuff. It’s just got to become instinctive and that takes time but he’s putting in the work.” Okongwu is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23, the day before the regular season begins.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Butler, Richardson, Ellington

October 5th, 2023 at 6:59pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Even with Joel Embiid manning the paint for Team USA, Heat center Bam Adebayo is still expecting to be on the national team’s roster, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Adebayo told reporters that he’d already received an invite from Team USA to be on the roster for next year’s Olympics.

If he remains healthy, Adebayo plans to play for Team USA in Paris after winning a gold medal with the Americans in Tokyo in 2021. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is an assistant under national team head coach Steve Kerr and is looking forward to coaching Adebayo in the event, according to Chiang.

“I think it’s awesome for Bam,” Spoelstra said. “I think it’s continuing to help establish him as one of the ultimate winners in this league. He was one of the most impactful players in USA Basketball, and we understand why. I don’t even know what his stats were in the Olympics. But in talking to everybody at Team USA, they felt like he was a must for that roster because of everything he does on both ends of the court and because he’s such a winner.”

Adebayo is entering his seventh season in the NBA and holds career averages of 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds.

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The NBA implemented new rules impacting teams resting healthy players this offseason. Though Jimmy Butler is defined as a star player who is subject to these rules, he says it will have “zero” effect on how many games he plays in the regular season, Marc Berman of The Palm Beach Post writes. “I’m going to play the games that I am healthy and I’m going to go out there and help my team win,” Butler said. Butler also said he didn’t care about any postseason awards. Players must now play in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards, like MVP.
After sending Josh Richardson out in the trade that brought Butler to Miami in 2019, head coach Erik Spoelstra always thought his return was inevitable, Chiang writes in a separate story. Spoelstra was right, as Richardson signed with the Heat this offseason. “It almost happened a couple times,” Richardson said. “But all the chips didn’t fall in place. But I mean, when I left, me and Spo talked about it, that it was going to happen eventually. It’s just one of those things.“
Even though Wayne Ellington played with nine franchises during his 13-year career, Miami left a lasting impression on him, Chiang writes in another story. That’s why Ellington decided to come back to the Heat as a player development coach, replacing Anthony Carter, who left to join the Grizzlies’ staff. “When I got here, I really bought into what the culture was about, I really bought into what the coaching staff was preaching and I put the work in and I saw that change and it helped me become who I thought I could be as a player,” Ellington said.

Heat Notes: Richardson, Lowry, Beal, Butler

October 4th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have been considering a reunion with Josh Richardson since they traded him in 2019, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami valued Richardson, but needed to include him in the deal that brought Jimmy Butler from Philadelphia. The 30-year-old swingman has bounced around the league since then, spending time with the Mavericks, Celtics, Spurs and Pelicans before returning to Miami this summer on a two-year veteran’s minimum contract.

“It’s always kind of been there,” Richardson said of coming back to the Heat. “It almost happened a couple times. But all the chips didn’t fall in place. But I mean, when I left, me and (coach Eric Spoelstra) talked about it that it was going to happen eventually. It’s just one of those things.”

Spoelstra also remembers that conversation, in which he told Richardson that the organization would likely try to sign him again someday. Spoelstra reached out this summer on the first night of free agency and was able to convince Richardson to return.

“It was one of those special conversations because we were able to revisit some of the things that we talked about back when he left,” Spoelstra said. “One of the things was he was a big piece, obviously, to get the transformative piece (Butler) for us. You take that as an incredible compliment as a player. Sometimes it sucks in this business to be involved in a move like that. But we invested so much in him.”

There’s more from Miami:

Kyle Lowry expects to return to the starting lineup this season, but it’s not clear if Spoelstra is thinking that way, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson points out that Lowry was more effective as a reserve after returning from knee issues last season, and coming off the bench makes it easier for Spoelstra to control his minutes. A $29.7MM expiring contract could make Lowry a trade candidate by the February deadline, so he may not be in Miami’s long-term plans.
The Heat decided not to aggressively pursue Bradley Beal when the Wizards made him available in part because they don’t want a player with a no-trade clause, Jackson adds in the same piece. Washington gave Beal that perk when he signed a new contract last summer and he retained it when he was traded to Phoenix.
Butler claims he wasn’t serious when he said in an Instagram video that the Bucks should be investigated for tampering after trading for Damian Lillard, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. “I just say stuff all the time on my socials,” Butler said. “It’s funny, because nobody ever knows what I’m doing. So it’s a big deal whenever I do do something on social besides play dominoes and go to tennis matches. So if I say check somebody for tampering, I guess everybody takes it serious.”

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