Keshad Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Adebayo, Larsson, George, S. James

November 7th, 2025 at 11:34am CST by Arthur Hill

Bam Adebayo will miss tonight’s game against Charlotte, but the Heat are relieved his injury wasn’t much worse, according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Adebayo was diagnosed with a sprained left big toe after undergoing an MRI on Thursday. There was fear that he might have suffered a more significant injury after colliding with Cameron Johnson early in Wednesday’s contest at Denver. Adebayo remained in the game for a while before being subbed out for his normal rest with 3:48 left in the first quarter. He went to the team’s locker room and didn’t return to action.

“A guy hit me in the back of the leg and then I felt the pain in my foot,’” Adebayo said. “So, I took it upon myself to check myself out and go see what happened. … Obviously, you don’t want to do anything more to cause any lingering effects. So, (coach Erik Spoelstra) checked me out.”

Adebayo is considered day-to-day, and Chiang and Jackson expect second-year center Kel’el Ware to see increased playing time until he returns. Keshad Johnson, a 6’6″ forward, also saw time in the middle at Denver, and two-way big man Vlad Goldin has been recalled from the G League.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Pelle Larsson has claimed a surprisingly large role for the Heat, earning a spot in the starting lineup for the past five games, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The second-year wing has been an efficient shooter with .500/.348/.813 splits, and he kept his starting role even after Norman Powell returned from injury. “He’s owned these minutes,” Spoelstra said. “He makes you play him, because he does so many of the intangible things. He really elevates the units that he plays in, just with energy, his toughness, winning plays, all that.”
Wizards swingman Kyshawn George has become an early candidate for Most Improved Player honors in his second NBA season, notes Eric Samulski of NBC Sports. George’s increased ball-handling responsibilities have given him a larger role in Washington’s offense. “Growing up, I’ve always been a point guard,” he said. “It’s only been the last couple of years that I kind of transitioned to being able to play the wing. I always kept the point guard skills. I’ve always been able to read the game really well and just make the right decision from there. So they’ve given me the opportunity to run the pick and roll more, and I’m just taking advantage of it.”
Second-round pick Sion James is showing the Hornets that he’s ready to play consistent minutes right away, observes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Taking advantage of the opportunity presented by Brandon Miller‘s injury, James has made three starts already and is averaging 8.8 PPG while shooting 70% from three-point range. He’s also contributing on defense, which is something teammate Tre Mann expected when he first saw James in person. “It was first, the physical aspect, just seeing him — he’s huge,” Mann said. “And then my first thought was ‘Lu Dort.’ Just seeing him work out. I was like, ‘OK, nobody can score on him right now.’ And I was like, ‘Lu Dort’ again. Then I started doing research, looking at his film like, ‘Oh, he was a scorer. He used to score the ball. He’s good offensively, too.’ And I was like, ‘OK, we’ve got to have him. He’s versatile.”

Heat Notes: Powell, Jovic, Ware, Johnson

October 7th, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Before he was traded from the Clippers to the Heat this summer, Norman Powell had begun having conversations with L.A. about a possible contract extension, he tells Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required).

“To be transparent, we were talking extension and what it would look like, and they were telling me they didn’t want to trade me, they wanted me there — all that good stuff,” Powell said. “But they inevitably ended up trading me.”

A report last month indicated that the Heat are open to discussing an extension with Powell, who is entering the final year of his current contract. However, that report suggested any deal would likely happen during the season, once the club had more time to assess his fit on the roster. For his part, the 32-year-old guard says he’s thinking about “basketball” rather than his contract situation, as Winderman relays.

“I’m just focused on what I have to do for this team, and I know if I go out there and perform, you’re going to be rewarded,” Powell said. “I feel like I’ve been performing every single year and my trajectory is just focused on getting better and how I can improve, and the payday will come.”

If Powell can carry over performances like Monday’s into the regular season, it would bode well for his future earnings. In just 16 minutes of action in Miami’s preseason matchup with Milwaukee, he racked up 18 points, making 6-of-12 shots from the floor, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

“You can see his ignitability.” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game, according to Winderman. “I like what he can do on the drive. He can really get hot from three. Guys were finding him. I think we can definitely build on that.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Nikola Jovic‘s four-year rookie scale extension with the Heat starts at $16,200,000 in 2026/27 before dipping to $14,904,000 in ’27/28, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The third year of the deal is worth $15,096,000 and then it rises back up to $16,200,000 in year four (’29/30). The structure will give the team some added cap flexibility during the 2027 and 2028 offseasons and suggests that creating cap room in 2026 probably isn’t a goal.
Jovic got a second consecutive start in Monday’s preseason game against the Bucks, while center Kel’el Ware, who finished last season as a starter, has yet to play alongside Bam Adebayo this month, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Ware put up big numbers off the bench against Milwaukee, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, but he turned the ball over four times and was a -21 on the night. After the game, Spoelstra was more focused on the latter numbers. “I think everybody is looking at the wrong thing,” he said of Ware’s double-double, per Chiang. “It’s got to impact the game. I want him the next game to be a plus-20. That’s what it’s about. … It does not matter if you have 18 and 13 if it’s not impacting the game. … That’s part of being a young player, and that’s why I enjoy coaching him because my responsibility is to help teach him how to connect the dots and become more consistent where it now leads to winning.”
The Heat raised eyebrows early in the offseason when they picked up Keshad Johnson‘s guaranteed team option for 2025/26 after he logged just 98 total minutes as a rookie. Now, Johnson says he’s determined to reward the club for its faith in him, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. “That shows they were [willing to] bet on me,” Johnson said. “If they bet on me, I’ve got to prove them right.” Johnson added that he’s willing to play either on the wing or in the frontcourt, depending on what the coaching staff asks of him. “Whether I’m undersized or not, I can compete with anybody,” the 6’6″ forward said of potentially playing in the frontcourt.

Heat Notes: K. Jones, Herro, Johnson, Rotation, Schedule

August 14th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent center Kai Jones is working out for the Heat this week and Miami could use depth in the middle. However, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel is skeptical the former first-round pick will make the Heat’s roster — assuming he’s offered a contract, which would likely be non-guaranteed.

As Winderman explains, due to their luxury tax situation (they’re currently slightly over the tax line), the Heat are “far more likely” to add a big man on a two-way contract than carry a 15th player on a standard deal to open the season, and Jones no longer has two-way eligibility. It’s also not unusual for free agents to work out for the Heat in the summer, but many of those auditions occur privately, Winderman writes.

Jones has reportedly drawn serious interest from the Italian team Virtus Bologna, which could offer him guaranteed money and a more significant role than Miami, so it’s unclear if a non-guaranteed training camp contract would appeal to the 24-year-old.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Between October 1 and the start of the regular season, Tyler Herro will be eligible for a contract extension that could pay him up to $149.7MM over three years. De’Aaron Fox (four years, maximum salary) and Mikal Bridges (four years, $150MM) recently signed veteran extensions and a scout who spoke to Winderman believes that, in a vacuum, Herro is the best of the three players. While locking in a core duo of Bam Adebayo and Herro with no assurances of short- or long-term team success could be costly for the Heat, particularly given Herro’s defensive limitations, waiting until next offseason could also be risky for both sides. Winderman points out that Herro would be eligible for an even more lucrative deal at that point and suggests Herro and the Heat might need to compromise to reach an agreement this fall.
Haywood Highsmith‘s knee injury may open rotation minutes for second-year forward Keshad Johnson, at least during the preseason, Winderman adds in the same story. Johnson rarely played for the Heat as a rookie in 2024/25, having spent most of the season in the G League. It’s unclear if Highsmith will be available for the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn right meniscus.
In a separate mailbag, Winderman states that head coach Erik Spoelstra is unlikely to make major lineup decisions based on how players perform during the Heat’s six-game preseason slate. That’s not to say training camp won’t be important — Winderman just thinks practices will likely be weighed more heavily than the exhibition games.
Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald shares his takeaways from the Heat’s schedule, which was released this afternoon along with every other team. Miami will only be featured in five nationally televised games in ’25/26 — only seven teams have fewer national TV games, Chiang notes.

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.

We have more on the Heat:

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.

There’s more from Miami:

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.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

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.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

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.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

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.