Noah LaRoche

Heat Notes: Up-Tempo Style, Rozier, Ware

December 8th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat got off to a strong start this season behind an innovative up-tempo offense that de-emphasizes screens and pick-and-rolls, but the rest of the league is starting to adjust, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscription required). The team suffered its third straight loss Saturday against Sacramento, and coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged the need to fix some things ahead of Tuesday’s NBA Cup elimination game with Orlando.

“It was not one of our finer games, but we’ll regroup,” Spoelstra said. “I want our guys to get as much rest as possible. We have a practice day (Monday), which is good. I think we do need to get back in the gym and just fine-tune some things and get ready for Tuesday.”

Spoelstra revamped the team’s style of play over the summer, adopting a frenetic attack after ranking near the bottom of the NBA in pace over the last six seasons. They’re still playing at the league’s fastest pace at 105.4 possessions per 48 minutes, according to Chiang, but opponents are finding ways to slow them down. He notes that five of the team’s last seven games have been among the slowest paced of the season.

“We knew this was going to happen,” Norman Powell said. “We kind of surprised everybody with the pace, and now they’re ready for it.”

There’s more from Miami:

CJ Moore and Fred Katz of The Athletic explore the origins of Spoelstra’s new tactics in a lengthy feature story. Spoelstra was ready to make changes after the Heat were overwhelmed by Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. He met with players and coaches during the offseason and hired a consultant, player development trainer Noah LaRoche, who helped convince the Grizzlies to adopt a similar strategy when he worked for them last year. LaRoche is a strong believer in a “constraints-led approach,” which emphasizes cutting and quick decisions instead of set plays. “It was definitely an adjustment, but I think it’s an adjustment everybody embraced,” Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. “When you have a lot of open space, you don’t really need screens.”
Terry Rozier will be arraigned later today at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN examine how Rozier’s situation affects the Heat’s roster and what recourse they may have regarding last season’s trade that sent a 2027 lottery-protected first-round pick to Charlotte in exchange for Rozier. Sources tell the authors that it’s not clear what would happen if Miami tries to include Rozier’s expiring $26.6MM contract in a trade for salary-matching purposes.
Kel’el Ware has seen his playing time cut recently because his rim protection has been poor and his effort level has been “less than complete,” according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (subscription required).

Heat Notes: Ware, Defense, Powell, Lawsuit, LaRoche

November 3rd, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat second-year big man Kel’el Ware is experiencing growing pains and his playing time has been shaved. He was on the court for just 11 minutes and 30 seconds in a loss to the Lakers on Sunday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes.

“I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating,” Ware said of his usage. “I feel like you got to trust the coach and the decisions that he comes up with. And then you got to go from there and be ready when your name is called.”

Entering Monday’s matchup against the Clippers, the Heat have been outscored by 10 points per 100 possessions with Ware on the court this season, according to Chiang. No other Miami rotation player has a worse net rating.

“We’re not going to give up on him,” frontcourt partner Bam Adebayo said. “We know how great he can be. He moves the needle for this team.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

The Heat’s defense in general was poor against the Lakers, as they gave up 130 points. They are 0-2 on their current road trip. “It really boiled down to a lack of effort on plays that we’re accustomed to doing and making, and/or mindless plays,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “Either fouls or just things that we haven’t been doing. So you do have to credit them, but we’re much better defensively than we showed (Sunday). That’s probably what’s really frustrating.”
Norman Powell missed his third straight game on Sunday because of a right groin strain, Chiang adds. Powell was listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest before being ruled out a few hours before tip-off. He’s considered questionable to play against the Clippers, who dealt him to the Heat in July as part of a three-team trade.
Will the Heat sue the Hornets for their failure to disclose gambling allegations against Terry Rozier before they traded him to Miami in January 2024? The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson believes it’s unlikely, noting that Heat owner Micky Arison and his son, team CEO Nick Arison, are not predisposed to filing lawsuits. The NBA was immediately informed of the suspicious betting activity the day it happened and did not inform the Heat at that time or before it approved the trade, according to Jackson’s sources. However, the Arisons have a strong relationship with commissioner Adam Silver.
Noah LaRoche has been a significant addition to the staff, Chiang writes. He was brought in this season as a consultant after being an assistant with the Grizzlies before last season. LaRoche was credited with helping to install a more free-flowing, motion-based offense with Memphis and is doing the same with the Heat.

Heat Notes: Powell, Rozier, Herro, Jakucionis, Morant, LaRoche

November 2nd, 2025 at 8:22am CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Norman Powell is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $20.48MM in 2025/26. He will remain extension-eligible through June 30, 2026, and if a deal is not reached he will become an unrestricted free agent.

According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Powell recently made it clear he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Heat.

“I love it here. I love everything about the Heat,” Powell emphasized. “I loved them before. They were on my list before I signed my extension in Portland. I wanted to come here and play for the Heat. So I’m excited. I like the culture. I like what they have going on here. I like the mentality and the approach. I feel like they take guys to the next level. They push them past their own expectations, they have high standards. And I always like being around people that have high aspirations and high goals for themselves. It fits who I am, so I want to be here. Hopefully they feel the same way.”

As Chiang writes, Powell was off to a hot start to the season, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .477/.500/.913 shooting in three games (31.0 minutes per contest) before suffering a right groin strain that has caused him to miss the past two. The 32-year-old is questionable for Sunday’s contest at the Lakers.

“Hopefully [the Heat] like everything that’s happened so far and what I bring to the table outside of just on the court,” said Powell, who recently described himself as “super low-maintenance.” “But just who I am every single day, stepping into the arena, integrating myself with the team and the staff and the members around. Hopefully everybody appreciates my presence and we’ll be able to get something done. But, yeah, I want to be here.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel lists the short-term steps he believes commissioner Adam Silver should take to give the Heat more cap and roster flexibility in the wake of Terry Rozier‘s arrest — the veteran guard is facing two federal charges as part of an illegal gambling probe. While the information isn’t really relevant now, a source tells Winderman that the Heat considered waiving Rozier before the season began (a small portion of his contract was non-guaranteed at the time) and also had buyout discussions with the 31-year-old.
All-Star Tyler Herro (left ankle surgery) and rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) are traveling with the team on its current four-game road trip, which ends Wednesday in Denver, per Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s good for them,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Herro and Jakucionis joining the team on the road. “For us, sure, it’s always good to have them around. But I think it just speeds up the whole process when they’re around the guys, around the game, around the whole travel routine, and participating in some of the things that they can do, which they did this morning.” Both players are out on Sunday, though Jakucionis is closer to making his season debut — the 2025 first-round pick is considered day-to-day.
Although the Heat have expressed “more than passing” interest in Ja Morant in the past, Winderman doesn’t expect the team to explore the possibility of buying low on the Grizzlies guard in the wake of his latest off-court incident, which resulted in a one-game suspension for detrimental conduct following a disagreement with the coaching staff.
Speaking of the Grizzlies, former Memphis assistant coach Noah LaRoche is now a consultant with the Heat, who have implemented the movement-heavy offense LaRoche was in charge of last season with Memphis, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. It’s only been five games, but the Heat currently rank seventh in the league in offensive efficiency after finishing 21st, 21st and 25th in the league in that category over the past three years, Windhorst notes. “You know Spo is running the polar opposite of the system that [Heat president] Pat Riley used to run, where he called every play and each play design was exact,” a league executive said. “And it makes me further appreciate and respect that the organization is about the right s–t. They’re about exploring and teaching in Miami.”

Grizzlies Rumors: Coaching Change, Morant, Jackson, Aldama, More

April 1st, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

When Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman held a brief media session over the weekend to discuss his decision to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins, he said he believes the coaching change will give the team “clarity of direction.” As Ramona Shelburne, Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright write for ESPN.com, that was almost certainly a reference to an offensive system that was overhauled ahead of the season and has continued to undergo changes since then.

Jenkins had been tasked this season with overseeing and blending the competing visions of newcomers Tuomas Iisalo and Noah LaRoche, according to ESPN’s trio, who note that both assistant coaches received seven-figure salaries when they were hired. Memphis also reportedly paid a seven-figure buyout to Paris Basketball in order to secure Iisalo, whose system leaned on pick-and-roll schemes, pacing, offensive rebounding, and transition offense; LaRoche’s system prioritized spacing and relocations while mostly eschewing pick-and-rolls and dribble handoffs.

“They were going all-in on these new concepts,” one source told ESPN.

The fact that the Grizzlies were deferring so heavily to a pair of new assistants after overhauling Jenkins’ coaching staff signaled to others in the organization, including the players, that the head coach was on the hot seat entering the season.

“Players aren’t stupid,” another source told ESPN. “They know where this is heading when you fire five assistants after the season.”

The short-term returns on the offensive changes were positive, as the Grizzlies got off to a 35-16 start and led the NBA in scoring, pace, and offensive rebounding while ranking dead last in ball screens per game. However, as Shelburne, MacMahon, and Wright detail, opponents began adjusting to Memphis’ new system and star guard Ja Morant expressed frustration both publicly and privately about the way in which the ball had been taken out of his hands.

The Grizzlies began running significantly more ball screens and handoffs in March, but the decision to move on from both Jenkins and LaRoche suggests the Grizzlies felt there were too many cooks in the kitchen and wanted to give Iisalo – the new interim head coach – the opportunity to simplify the offense this spring.

Addressing the coaching change in an episode of ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast this week (YouTube link), MacMahon stated that the move was about “optimizing” Morant.

“That was a primary motivator for this decision,” MacMahon said (hat tip to RealGM). “There has been noise about Ja being unhappy all season long. There has been noise about, ‘Hey, you know, could Memphis look to move Ja this summer?’ More so, ‘Could Ja look to get out of Memphis this summer? Could Ja look to to force a trade, or at least request a trade? And would Memphis shop him this summer?’ There’s been a lot of that.

“I was texting with a GM after (the coaching change) happened and he said, ‘I would have told you I thought they were definitely going to (shop Morant). Ja was out on them. They won games without him. They have to be sustainable.’ And he said, ‘This is a move that goes in the face of that.’ Basically this is a, ‘Hey Ja, you’re still our guy. Everything we do is going to be based on what’s best for you. What optimizes you.’ They got away from that for a lot of this season and they’re leaning back hard into it.”

Besides the concerns about the offense, there was also a belief in Memphis that Jenkins had lost the locker room and that players – including Morant – were tuning out the team’s longtime head coach, ESPN’s trio reports. One rival Western Conference player told ESPN that the Grizzlies had “lost all of (their) swagger,” while a team source added, “You could just tell no one was on the same page.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Kleiman publicly shot down trade speculation involving Morant last month, and the steps the team is taking to “optimize” him show those comments weren’t just lip service. However, there are still doubts around the NBA about whether the star point guard can lead a team to a title, according to Shelburne, MacMahon, and Wright. “Does he sell tickets? Yes,” one rival GM told ESPN. “Is he a top-25 player when healthy? Yes. Can he win multiple series as the best player? No. Not sure most years you can win even one. Plus he is always hurt.”
The Grizzlies are “committed” to extending Jaren Jackson Jr. and re-signing restricted free agent Santi Aldama this offseason, sources tell ESPN.
Within ESPN’s report, Shelburne, MacMahon, and Wright cite sources who say Draymond Green came close to signing with Memphis when he reached free agency in 2023. That isn’t new information, but a source close to Green insists the longtime Warrior wasn’t just using the Grizzlies as leverage, telling ESPN that he came “very” close to ending up in Memphis via a lucrative sign-and-trade deal. As ESPN’s trio details, the Grizzlies believed Green’s “experience, basketball intelligence and toughness” was just what they needed as they lost Dillon Brooks and dealt with the aftermath of Morant’s suspensions for off-court behavior.
After failing to land Green, Memphis added Marcus Smart instead, but that acquisition didn’t work out as planned due in large part to Smart’s recurring injury issues — he was traded away in a salary-dump deal last month. Since missing out on Green and losing Brooks, the club has also attempted to acquire Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith, sources confirm to ESPN, but was unable to land either player.

Grizzlies Rumors: Jenkins, Bane, Aldama, Morant, Iisalo, LaRoche

March 29th, 2025 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Taylor Jenkins‘ dismissal as the Grizzlies‘ head coach on Friday came as a major surprise, especially given the timing and the fact that he was under contract beyond this season. However, the team’s decision to overhaul his coaching staff a year ago was among the first signs that Jenkins’ days in Memphis may be numbered, according to Sam Amick, Fred Katz, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Last July, executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman and his front office unilaterally decided to replace five of Jenkins’ assistants: Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Scoonie Penn, Sonia Raman and Vitaly Potapenko. Team and league sources tell The Athletic that Jenkins became emotional during his final exchanges with those outgoing coaches, and while he had consulted with the front office on the new hires, those last interactions with his former assistants set an “uneasy tone” for the 2024/25 season, per Amick, Katz, and Vardon.

That coaching overhaul may have signaled a declining level of organizational support for Jenkins, but the Grizzlies’ inconsistent play in the second half of this season and against playoff teams was the main reason he was let go, according to The Athletic’s reporting.

Memphis has gone just 9-13 since starting the season 35-16 and has lost nine games in a row to teams at or above. 500, with an average margin of defeat of 12.8 points per game in those contests.

The defensive drop-off during the recent slump has been troubling, Amick, Katz, and Vardon say — the Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 116.7 in their last 22 games, 19th in the NBA, after playing at a top-five level for much of the first half, and league sources tell The Athletic that the organization “worried greatly about buy-in.”

Even in the team’s only win for the last two weeks, a Tuesday blowout of the Jazz, Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama had an altercation on the bench, exchanging shoves after Bane called out Aldama’s defensive effort, according to a source who spoke to The Athletic.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

A Memphis offense once built around pick-and-rolls now sets fewer screens than any other NBA team and relies more on “clever cutting and off-ball movement,” according to The Athletic’s reporters, who say that the offensive changes came in large part from the new assistants. Star point guard Ja Morant hasn’t been a huge fan of the changes, since he’s playing off the ball more and seeing fewer pick-and-roll opportunities. “Some days he looks like he’s ready to play, and some days he looks like he doesn’t want to be there … because he hates the offense,” one league source tells The Athletic.
The Athletic’s report credits assistants like Tuomas Iisalo and Noah LaRoche with playing pivotal roles in introducing the new offensive system while noting that Jenkins had recently begun reinstalling some of the screen plays Morant likes to run. It’s unclear, then, what sort of message the front office is sending by firing both Jenkins and LaRoche while elevating Iisalo to the role of interim head coach.
League sources tell The Athletic that Morant was upset about the decision to let go of Ahearn last summer and that he “remained supportive” of Jenkins until his firing on Friday.
The Grizzlies paid an above-market salary – along with a buyout – in order to hire Iisalo away from Paris Basketball in 2024, according to Amick, Katz, and Vardon. Paris reportedly liked Iisalo’s offense so much that the team made it a requirement when seeking his replacement that the new coach wouldn’t be allowed to change the system.
Kleiman put out a statement last month strongly refuting the idea that the Grizzlies would consider trading Morant this summer, but firing the only head coach Morant has ever played for will likely reignite speculation about the guard’s long-term future in Memphis, per Amick, Katz, and Vardon. For what it’s worth, two league executives who spoke to The Athletic questioned how much demand there would be for Morant on the trade market, given his injury history, his past off-court transgressions, and a dip in production this season.

Grizzlies Notes: Spencer, Assistant Coaches, Jenkins, Kleiman

March 28th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Two-way Grizzlies rookie guard Cam Spencer has seen an uptick in minutes of late. The UConn alum has thrived in his expanded rotation role with the club. The 6’3″ pro spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about how he’s relishing the extra run.

“As a competitor, you want to get as many minutes as you can to help contribute to winning for the team,” Spencer said. “It’s the NBA, so guys are in and out of the rotation. It’s cliché, but you do have to control what you can control a lot of times. With injuries and moving pieces, sometimes you get 20 minutes a game, and sometimes you get none or five minutes where the team needs a spark, so you really have to control what you can. You continue to work hard, control your attitude, and be ready when your number is called.”

Spencer reflected on the realities of life on a two-way contract, where young players are toggled between teams’ NBA and G League affiliate rosters.

“As a two-way player, your schedule is changing by the hour at times,” Spencer said. “You will literally be on a road trip, maybe going to practice or planning to go to practice, and then you get a call, and you have to leave the city within an hour to get back to the Grizzlies from being with the Hustle (Memphis’ G League affiliate). You play in the Hustle game for 30 minutes, then come back up top, and maybe you only get a few minutes. It’s a lot of just staying ready for your opportunities when they come, and that’s a lot of the NBA, especially on the two-way contract.”

Across 20 NBA games with the Grizzlies, Spencer has averaged 3.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG and 1.3 APG in 10.0 MPG. He has a solid .421/.371/1.000 shooting line.

There’s more out of Memphis:

In addition to firing head coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday, the Grizzlies have let go a pair of his assistants. Sources tell ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Shams Charania (Twitter link) that assistant coaches Noah LaRoche and Patrick St. Andrews were also axed. MacMahon notes that LaRoche had been a key contributor to the Grizzlies’ new offensive approach in 2024/25. Another one of Jenkins’ assistants, Tuomas Iisalo, was promoted to serve as his replacement in an interim capacity.
Although the decision to move on from Jenkins may have seemed sudden, fissures had apparently been forming for a while, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies let Jenkins go after having lost four of their last five contests. A source tells Cole that several Memphis players were “shocked” to hear the news. Tensions had also developed between rookie center Zach Edey and Jenkins, according to Cole, who notes that the rookie had been removed from the starting lineup for the Grizzlies’ last three games. “[General manager Zach Kleiman] blamed Taylor,” a source told Cole. “Taylor blamed Zach. No one takes accountability for absolutely anything.”
In case you missed it, injured two-time All-Star Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is considered “day-to-day” to return from a left hamstring strain that has cost him Memphis’ last six games. He’s listed as questionable to play vs. the Lakers on Saturday.

Southwest Notes: Ingram, Grizzlies, Barnes, Spurs

July 8th, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks were considered a possible trade suitor for Brandon Ingram this offseason, but they ended up not having much interest in giving the forward his next contract or surrendering either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu in a trade with the Pelicans, league sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic.

As a result, the Pelicans and Hawks instead made a deal involving Dejounte Murray that didn’t include Ingram or either of Atlanta’ centers. Now it’s unclear whether New Orleans will be able to find a trade partner for Ingram, who will be on an expiring contract in 2024/25.

According to Guillory, both the Pelicans and Ingram would prefer not to go into training camp without an extension, since it may become a distraction. That could mean New Orleans will be looking to complete a trade by late September, but it also doesn’t sound like a new contract for the former All-Star is out of the question. Guillory cites “some optimism within the building” that Ingram and the Pelicans could work out an extension below the max that leaves both sides happy.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Grizzlies have officially announced Taylor Jenkins‘ new-look coaching staff for the 2024/25 season (Twitter link). Anthony Carter and Patrick St. Andrews are the only returning assistants, though one newcomer (Jason March) had been coaching the Memphis Hustle, while another (Erik Schmidt) was the Grizzlies’ head video coordinator. Joe Boylan (formerly of the Timberwolves), Patrick Mutombo (from the Bucks), Tuomas Iisalo (Paris Basketball), and Noah LaRoche are the other additions. Former assistants Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Scoonie Penn, Sonia Raman, and Vitaly Potapenko have all been replaced, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
LJ Ellis of SpursTalk shares his thoughts on the Spurs‘ impending acquisition of Harrison Barnes, explains why he likes the fit and why he expects the veteran forward to be a starter in San Antonio. As Ellis notes, more minor roster moves will be necessary to open up enough cap room to accommodate Barnes’ incoming salary, so he’s reluctant to give his final assessment of the deal until it’s clear what those moves will be.
As Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News points out (via Twitter), the Spurs wouldn’t have been in position to add both Barnes and Chris Paul if they had kept the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, which carried a cap hit of $6.26MM.