Keshad Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Center Spot, Rozier, Goldin, Johnson

July 24th, 2025 at 2:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Do the Heat need to add another center? Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel believes so.

While they have Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo to play that position, the Heat’s options are limited if either has to miss a game or gets in foul trouble. Nikola Jovic would be playing out of position if he’s utilized as the third option and rookie Vladislav Goldin, who is on a two-way deal, lacks agility to make defensive switches. However, the Heat are already over the luxury tax, which complicates any effort to bring in a veteran for depth, Winderman notes.

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Terry Rozier‘s trade value is practically non-existent, according to Winderman, who doubts any other team would look to acquire him without a sweetener. The Heat aren’t in a position to do that, since they still owe a first-round pick to Charlotte for the Rozier acquisition. The only other trade scenarios involving Rozier, in Winderman’s estimation, would be a team looking to acquire his expiring contract for a player signed beyond next season or his salary being packaged as part of a bigger deal.
One thing about Goldin that endeared him to the coaching staff during Summer League appearances was his motor, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “Vlad was really good for us,” Heat assistant coach and Summer League head coach Eric Glass said. “He plays so freakin’ hard out there. He plays so physically. You’d like to have him on the floor even longer, but he goes so hard, sometimes he burns himself out. That’s why we love him.” The former University of Michigan big man, who was undrafted, averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in six games this month.
Keshad Johnson has a guaranteed $1.955MM contract for next season and he doesn’t want to wind up at the end of the bench. “The goal is to crack the Heat’s rotation and prove that I belong on the floor,” Johnson said entering his second NBA season. Johnson’s Summer League outings were generally positive, according to Chiang, but somewhat inconsistent. Johnson would likely have to leapfrog two or three other players at the small forward spot to get minutes.

Heat’s Larsson, Johnson Headline All-California Classic Team

July 9th, 2025 at 7:02am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of players from the Heat‘s 15-man standard roster earned spots on the All-California Classic Summer League team after the four-team event wrapped up on Tuesday night, with second-year wings Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson both making the cut (Twitter link).

The full five-man team of California Classic standouts is as follows:

Pelle Larsson (Heat): 16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, +17 (two games)
Keshad Johnson (Heat): 12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 BPG, .563 FG% (two games)
David Jones-Garcia (Spurs): 22.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, .471 3PT% (three games)
Jackson Rowe (Warriors): 9.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, .579 FG% (three games)
Cole Swider (Lakers): 19.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG, .455 3PT% (three games)

The Heat and Lakers each went 2-1 at the four-day, round-robin tournament, with the Spurs and Warriors posting 1-2 records.

While both Larsson and Johnson are on standard contracts in Miami, Rowe is on a two-way deal with Golden State and Jones-Garcia and Swider don’t currently have contracts in place with their NBA teams beyond the Summer League.

The California Classic, which took place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, is a prelude to the NBA’s main Summer League event in Las Vegas — all 30 teams, including the Heat, Lakers, Spurs, and Warriors, will compete in the Vegas Summer League, which tips off on Thursday.

Heat Pick Up Johnson’s Option; Give QOs To Mitchell, Smith

June 24th, 2025 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have completed a series of roster moves, according to reports from Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Those moves are as follows:

Exercised their team option on Keshad Johnson ($1,955,377).
Issued a qualifying offer to Davion Mitchell ($8,741,210), making him a restricted free agent.
Issued a qualifying offer to Dru Smith (two-way), making him a restricted free agent.

Johnson, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Monday, played a limited role for the Heat as a rookie, appearing in just 16 games and logging 98 total minutes at the NBA level. However, he impressed in the G League, with averages of 17.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 35.1 minutes per game across 32 appearances for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The undrafted rookie earned a promotion from his two-way contract to the standard roster in December.

While some team options remain non-guaranteed after they’re exercised, that’s not the case for Johnson, whose $1.96MM salary for 2025/26 is now fully guaranteed. He’s on track to be eligible for restricted free agency during the summer of 2026.

Mitchell, a former ninth overall pick who has always had a reputation as a tenacious defender, earned his qualifying offer by emerging as an offensive weapon during the second half of the ’24/25 season.

After being traded from Toronto to Houston, the 26-year-old averaged 10.3 points and 5.3 assists per game with a .504/.447/.702 shooting line in 30 regular season outings for the Heat. He was even better in the postseason, making 59.3% of his field goal attempts and 52.0% of his three-pointers with averages of 15.2 PPG and 6.5 APG in six play-in and playoff outings.

Mitchell, who ranks 28th on our top-50 free agent list, will have the option of accepting his $8.7MM qualifying offer, which would set him up to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. However, he’ll likely explore a multiyear deal with the Heat or another team. If he signs an offer sheet with a rival suitor, Miami would have the opportunity to match it.

Smith had his 2024/25 cut short due to a torn Achilles, but has always been a Heat favorite and will apparently have the opportunity to return on another two-way contract. He was the only one of three Miami two-way players to receive a qualifying offer — it doesn’t appear Isaiah Stevens will get one, while Josh Christopher was ineligible for a QO.

Heat Notes: Durant Trade Offer, DeRozan, Kuminga, Robinson, Johnson, Smith

June 23rd, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat weren’t willing to part with rookie center Kel’el Ware, young forward Nikola Jovic or more than one future first-round pick in Kevin Durant trade discussions, a source tells Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Their source says the final offer included Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, two bench players and the No. 20 pick in Wednesday’s draft. Another source tells the authors that Miami was willing to take an unwanted salary from Phoenix, and they note that Marc Stein recently reported that there was interest in Cody Martin.

Jackson and Chiang explain that the Heat are permitted to offer two future first-rounders prior to Wednesday, but would have three available if the trade wasn’t finalized until after the draft is over. Miami wouldn’t consider parting with its picks in 2030 or 2031 to get Durant, and its first-rounders for 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 are in limbo due to obligations owed to Charlotte in the Rozier trade.

The authors add that the Suns could have opted for some tax relief by trading for Duncan Robinson and waiving him before July 8, leaving them on the hook for only the $9.9MM guaranteed portion of his 2025/26 salary. However, sources tell them that Phoenix never expressed any interest in Robinson. As we explained last month, Robinson’s partially guaranteed contract was never as valuable a trade chip in a Durant scenario as the Herald’s duo made it out to be.

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Reports have linked the Heat to Kings forward DeMar DeRozan and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, but neither player has been the focus of trade talks as of Sunday afternoon, Jackson and Chiang add in the same piece. They note that DeRozan, who’s believed to be on the trade market, will make $24.5MM next season, but only has a $10MM guarantee on his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27.
The Heat should have been willing to give up more of their young talent to add a player of Durant’s caliber, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. He argues that Jovic, Jaime Jaquez, Haywood Highsmith and even Ware if necessary should have been sent out to add a star who’s capable of making Miami an instant contender in the East. While Winderman would have been hesitant to part with future draft assets beyond this year’s first-rounder, he believes Miami could have easily topped the package the Rockets are sending to Phoenix in exchange for Durant.
If the Heat can’t trade Robinson, it’s possible that he could decline his $19.9MM option and return on a new deal starting with the $9.9MM he has guaranteed for next season, possibly around $32MM over three years, Winderman suggests in a separate piece. He also examines the possibility of declining a $2MM option on Keshad Johnson and bringing him back on a two-way contact, as well as Miami’s options with Dru Smith, who is eligible for another two-way deal but appeared close to receiving a standard contract before suffering an Achilles injury in December.

Southeast Notes: Young, Hornets, Magic, K. Johnson

June 6th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

A native of Norman, Oklahoma who played his college ball for the Sooners, Trae Young has some affinity for the local NBA team. However, while the Hawks guard will be rooting for the Thunder in the NBA Finals, he tells Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that seeing Oklahoma City make a serious run at a title really just makes him more determined to take his own team to those same heights.

“It’s even more motivating for me,” Young said on Wednesday at a sponsor event. “I want to win a championship bad. But the fact that it’s in my city and I’m just watching it now, if you thought I wanted it bad before, it’s even worse now. … Hopefully we’re here playing the Thunder next year, and I’m not having this (event) here in OKC. So, we have this party there in Atlanta. I love Atlanta.”

The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and haven’t won more than 43 games in a season since Young was drafted in 2018, but the star guard remains optimistic about the franchise’s direction.

“We had the No. 1 pick (Zaccharie Risacher) last year that made strides and almost won Rookie of the Year, got second,” Young said. “We have a lot of young, young, really good players. We have a great coach. We have a lot of stuff, and we have a big summer ahead, for sure.”

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Dylan Cardwell (Auburn), Steven Crowl (Wisconsin), Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma) visited the Hornets for a pre-draft workout earlier this week, while Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall), Eric Dixon (Villanova), Kobe Johnson (UCLA), and Julian Reese (Maryland) auditioned for the team on Thursday, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). Charlotte controls the fourth, 33rd, and 34th overall picks in this year’s draft. Among those prospects, Dixon is the highest-rated on ESPN’s big board at No. 45.
Keith Smith of Spotrac and Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) both previewed the Magic‘s offseason this week, discussing Paolo Banchero‘s upcoming rookie scale extension, looking at Orlando’s rising payroll, and considering how the team might use its multiple first-round picks (No. 16 and No. 25) in this year’s draft.
Although he played limited minutes in just 16 NBA games as a rookie in 2024/25, Heat forward Keshad Johnson feels he has “grown mentally” since entering the league, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I’ve learned a lot about basketball, Xs and Os,” said Johnson, who played well for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. “Just being in the NBA, at first it started off fast. But it started to slow down as time got going. Just getting comfortable. Skill-wise, I feel like the mental aspect of learning cheat codes and things like that.” The Heat hold a minimum-salary team option on Johnson for the 2025/26 season and must exercise or decline that option by June 29.

Heat Notes: Herro, Wiggins, Robinson, Two-Ways, Butler

March 29th, 2025 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After dropping 10 games in a row for the first time in 17 years, the Heat appear to have found their footing within the past week. They ended their losing streak on Sunday with a 17-point win over Charlotte, played spoiler in Jimmy Butler‘s return to Miami on Tuesday in a blowout victory over Golden State (story via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN), and won a third straight game on Thursday vs. Atlanta.

Entering Sunday’s game, Tyler Herro had been struggling with his efficiency since the trade deadline, making just 43.5% of his attempts from the floor – including only 27.9% of his three-pointers – during that 19-game stretch. But he has been on fire in these three victories, averaging 28.3 points per night on 67.4% shooting.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra had nothing but praise for Herro after he poured in 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting on Thursday against the Hawks, lauding the sixth-year guard for the way he has become more of a well-rounded offensive threat.

“Tyler was so efficient.” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “And the best part about it is he did this entire game mostly off the ball. I didn’t run one specific play for him. He got 36 just on the move, within the context of the game. He’s learning how to manipulate when guys are really being aggressive with him. He can be a great screener, he can play off the ball, he can back cut, he can do a lot of those different things. That’s great growth to see.”

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Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, who has already missed eight games due to ankle injury, a leg injury, and an illness since arriving in Miami last month, didn’t travel with the team for the start of its three-game road trip due to right hamstring tendinopathy, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Wiggins and forward Duncan Robinson, who is out with a back issue, have been ruled out for Saturday’s contest in Philadelphia but could join the team at some point on its road trip, which also includes games in Washington on Monday and Boston on Wednesday.
According to Spoelstra, Robinson’s back issue is unrelated to the one that sidelined him at the end of last season and isn’t as significant as that one was. “It’s different than last year,” Spoelstra said, per Jackson. “We think we will be able to manage it. We want to be responsible and give as much treatment and then appropriate ramp-up.”
After the Sioux Falls Skyforce – Miami’s G League affiliate – fell just short of qualifying for the NBAGL playoffs, Heat two-way players Josh Christopher and Isaiah Stevens, along with roster player Keshad Johnson, are rejoining the NBA team and will be prepared to play roles for the banged-up squad if needed, according to Jackson. “They’re ready,” Spoelstra said. “They just have to be plug and play if they do get an opportunity. The way things have gone with guys out, those minutes could be available. They’re ready physically, mentally, emotionally. Everybody is disappointed they didn’t make the playoffs but they made a heck of a run.”
Heat big man Bam Adebayo spoke to reporters this week about how he has handled his most trying stretch as the team’s captain. Chiang has the story and the quotes for the Herald.
Although the Heat got the best of the Warriors on Tuesday, columnist Omar Kelly of The Miami Herald argues that Butler still came out ahead in his divorce with Miami.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Champagnie, Heat Injuries, Nurkic

March 4th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With point guard Jalen Suggs out for the season after undergoing knee surgery, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley will rely more on his frontcourt players to create offensive opportunities, he told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

“It’s going to be different handlers at different times of the game,” he said. “If we realize a team is fully aggressive picking our point guard up, we might have to play through our bigs. Wendell (Carter Jr.), Goga (Bitadze), JI (Jonathan Isaac), those guys being able to handle the basketball and get us into easier sets. If they’re not pressuring Paolo (Banchero) and Franz (Wagner), those guys become our point-forward play-makers. That’s going to be a big key but that’s also going to vary game-to-game as well.”

Longtime veteran Cory Joseph made his first start of the season in place of Suggs on Tuesday.

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Justin Champagnie had his two-way contract converted into a standard four-year, $10MM deal by the Wizards on Monday. He’s been angling for a standard contract since going undrafted in 2021. “It means a lot,” he told Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “I’ve been working hard these past four years of my career, trying to get to this point, and I’m super happy. I’m super thankful. I’m grateful that I got the opportunity here to be myself.” He will earn $1.8MM for the remainder of 2024/25, well above this prorated minimum. The final three seasons of the contract will be non-guaranteed.
Jaime Jaquez (right ankle sprain), Nikola Jovic (broken right hand), Kel’el Ware (left knee sprain) and Andrew Wiggins (right ankle sprain) will miss the Heat‘s game against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers on Wednesday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Undrafted rookies Keshad Johnson and Isaiah Stevens, who have been playing the G League, are expected to suit up for the NBA team to add depth.
After losing his starting spot with Phoenix and getting traded to the Hornets, Jusuf Nurkic is eager to reestablish himself, he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I’ve been in this league long enough. I know what the situation can be and how it’s good for the player to change the situation and have a fresh start,” he said. “I have an eagerness and excitement for the game again. I can’t wait to play again on the court.” He’s averaging 7.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in six games with Charlotte.

Heat Notes: Ware, 2026 Outlook, Rotation, Playoff Push

February 20th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Earnest Marshall

In a tumultuous season that saw star forward Jimmy Butler dealt to the Warriors at the deadline, the Heat‘s defining positive moment from the season continues to be the development of rookie center Kel’el Ware, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Not only has Ware taken significant individual strides in recent weeks, his fit with Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt offers a reason for optimism moving forward.

Ware’s play has him in the top three in Rookie of the Year odds so far despite the fact that he played double-digit minutes in just two of the Heat’s first 25 games. He’s averaging 11.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 53.6% from the floor and 37.3% from deep since the New Year.

“Nightly he’s getting challenged, and these are all opportunities to grow and learn,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He has to do it on the fly. But he’s been a great student. He’s been coachable, not only by the staff but by his teammates. He wants to get it right, he wants to make an impact, he wants to help and he’s facing different challenges.”

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The Heat were able to position themselves decently for 2026 free agency in the Butler deal, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. By avoiding taking on individual salary exceeding $50MM, the Heat will still have some cap space if they hold on to/extend their young core and add cap hits for any potential first-round draft picks. While star free agents don’t usually sign into cap space, Jackson takes a look at how the Heat could create a pathway to do so in a loaded 2026 free agent class. Miami also put themselves in a strong position to make a big move this offseason, equipped with young players, large expiring salaries, and draft capital acquired from Golden State.
Miami’s rotation will be worth monitoring going forward. Kyle Anderson, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell will all likely be factors, but it’s unclear what role each will have on a younger roster. In a piece analyzing post-All-Star questions, Chiang ponders which young players will continue to emerge and considers whether Keshad Johnson or Pelle Larsson will play more moving forward. Chiang also explores whether the Heat can avoid the play-in for the third straight year and if Tyler Herro can continue his All-Star production.
The Heat’s newcomers know they need to play with a level of desperation in order to secure a playoff spot and make some noise in the postseason, Adam Lichtenstein of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel writes. “I feel I needed the All-Star break just to go back and see my family, refresh and get ready for this last stretch of the season,” Wiggins said. The Heat are three games behind the Pistons for sixth in the East, which would keep them out of play-in territory. Miami sits at ninth in the conference standings entering Thursday.

Heat Notes: Butler, Spoelstra, Rivas, Buyout Market, Wiggins, Rotation

February 10th, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat won half of their first 50 games this season. Considering the extended Jimmy Butler drama, coach Erik Spoelstra is relieved that the team’s spirit didn’t crumble before Butler was dealt to Golden State.

“It was six, eight weeks of not having full clarity,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “But I think that helped our team develop some grit. Even though our record isn’t where we want it to be, it could have been a lot worse. You go through a lot of circumstances like that, I’ve seen a lot of teams just fall apart. So we were able to develop some grit that I really like when you have those opportunities during a regular season.”

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Armando Rivas, listed as an assistant athletic trainer, has submitted his resignation, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman writes. Rivas served as Butler’s de facto personal trainer during the forward’s tenure with the Heat, joining Butler from the 76ers during the 2019 offseason.
The Heat plan to explore the buyout market, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. They’ll take a cautious approach, since they already have a full roster and would have to waive a player, most likely either Alec Burks or Keshad Johnson, to bring someone new aboard. The Heat’s deadline moves allowed them to move below the first tax apron, meaning they can sign any player who’s bought out, regardless of the player’s pre-waiver salary.
Andrew Wiggins, the biggest name among the incoming players in the Butler blockbuster, believes he won’t have any trouble fitting into the Heat’s lineup. “Golden State had a unique style, especially playing with Steph (Curry) and Draymond (Green),” he said, per Chiang. “There are similarities with Tyler (Herro) and Bam (Adebayo). So, looking forward to getting out there, being one of the older guys and just getting it started with them.”
The deadline additions will create some interesting decisions regarding the rotation. Winderman speculates that the only rotation locks are Adebayo, Herro, Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Duncan Robinson, Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic.

Southeast Notes: Rozier, Johnson, Jaquez, Banchero, Williams

January 11th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Earnest Marshall

Terry Rozier is waiting on his three-point luck to turn around, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. A career 36.3% shooter, Rozier is connecting on just 33.2% during his Heat tenure, including 29.2% this season.

“I shoot the same every year. It will work for me. It’s just ups and downs,” Rozier said. “Once it starts clicking, it’s going to start clicking. I don’t care what my percentage is; I know it’s always 50 percent chance of going in.”

Rozier was removed from the starting lineup for 14 games but has been a starter in five of his past six outings. He’s averaging 12.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on the season. The Heat traded a first-round pick and Kyle Lowry to acquire Rozier ahead of last year’s deadline.

“We all want to start in this league,” Rozier said. “Nobody wants to be a starter and go to the bench no matter what they say. I’m happy being in the starting lineup. It might not be [permanent]; you never know.”

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In the same article, Jackson notes that Heat rookie Keshad Johnson received a call from Charlotte after going undrafted in 2024, but Johnson knew he wanted to sign with Miami. “Here is where dreams come true,” Johnson said regarding the Heat’s previous success with undrafted players.
Second-year Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is enjoying the best stretch of his season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He’s averaging 16.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 54.5% from the floor and 36.4% on three-pointers in his last four games — he also pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds on Monday and scored a season-high 20 points on Thursday.
Paolo Banchero made his return for the Magic on Friday after missing the last two months with a torn oblique. He scored 34 points in a narrow loss to the Bucks in his first game back, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. “I didn’t see that one coming, I can tell you that,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “But that’s who he is. The kid’s been working his tail off to get back in. And so, what he was able to do with poise, taking the right shots at the right time, defending, taking matchups on, this tells you how much he wants to go get it and get after it. That’s who he is. He’s a star for a reason.” While the Magic stayed afloat without Banchero, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that his return and tremendous play gives the team more hope going forward.
Mark Williams has picked up where he left off for the Hornets after returning from health issues that sidelined him for a full year, averaging 12.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in 13 games (10 starts) this year. In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, Williams opened up about his recovery and having his minutes restriction lifted. “In my time that I was out, I was working on my game,” Williams said. “Obviously my teammates are finding me. There are a lot of spots that I’m comfortable in on the floor, whether it’s my floaters or my dunks. I’m also finding them at the same time for kicks and handoffs. That’s just us regaining the chemistry back with my teammates.“