Heat Notes: Deadline, Powell, Mitchell, Smith, Spoelstra
The Heat are often linked to star-level players and this season has been no exception, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant are among the noteworthy players who have been connected to the Heat over the past several weeks.
Still, unlike last year when a Jimmy Butler trade was an inevitability, there aren’t any Heat players looking to be sent out of Miami over the next 10 days. The Heat have good locker room chemistry, Winderman writes, but they’ve also had middling results again, currently just 25-22 and on pace to be in the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season.
Winderman takes stock of the Heat’s assets and potential trade candidates, noting that staying under the luxury tax line — they’re currently $1.6MM below that threshold — will be a priority this season.
One path the Heat could take prior to the February 5 deadline would be to consider dealing Norman Powell or Andrew Wiggins to potentially land another first-round pick, Winderman notes. Miami can currently only trade away two first-rounders (in 2030 and ’32) due to the Stepien rule, but adding another first would unlock additional picks to improve the roster.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Powell’s recent shooting slump have coincided with lower back tightness, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The veteran wing finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s win at Phoenix, but shot just 5-of-21 from the field. “There’s more to basketball than just putting the ball in the basket,” Powell said. “There’s leading, there’s giving yourself up. I’ve done that this whole week with playing hurt with my back spasm and everything like that. But tonight I wanted to make an emphasis on getting rebounds and securing the ball so we can get out in transition, and I was able to do that and get my double-double.”
- Starting point guard Davion Mitchell, who aggravated a left shoulder injury last Tuesday in Sacramento, missed his third straight game on Sunday, Chiang adds. “He’s definitely making progress, but we need to go through some kind of workout where he takes contact and then see how he responds to that,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked for an update on Mitchell’s status ahead of Sunday’s game. “But everything else is trending in a really good way.”
- Spoelstra praised backup guard Dru Smith for his play in the weekend victories in Utah and Phoenix, according to Winderman. “Dru was great both games,” Spoelstra said. “It was almost like a misprint. I think he had five steals (Saturday) night, but I think it was like 13 or 14 deflections. It was crazy.” As Winderman notes, Smith’s role may be tenuous when Mitchell and Tyler Herro (rib injury) are healthy again, but he says he’s focused on making the most of his minutes rather than how much he’s playing.
- Spoelstra, the new head coach of Team USA, is more focused on the Heat at the moment than his summer job, but he said he met with USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill and team director Sean Ford in November. “Right now, there’s not a whole lot of action going on,” Spoelstra said, per Winderman. “I’ve kept in touch with both Grant Hill and Sean Ford, and we met up probably two months ago. But it was more general talks of two summers from now and scheduling, and what that’ll look like. We’ll probably get together in some fashion this summer for a little bit more extended time. I don’t know if we’ll do anything with players, but certainly we’ll meet. I love the whole process, so of course when we play and compete against teams, there’s players that will come to mind. But I’m not sweating that right now. That’s really for Grant. It’ll be a collaborative effort. But there’s plenty of time for that.”
And-Ones: Maxey, Milton, Joseph, Motiejunas
Tyrese Maxey, who is having a fantastic season for the Sixers, was just named an All-Star starter for the first time (it’s his second overall appearance). Speaking to reporters on Monday, the 25-year-old guard said he’d be thrilled to represent Team USA in the future if he’s given the chance.
“I would love to play for Team USA…If that’s something that I have the opportunity to do, then I’ll definitely be there for it,” Maxey said (Twitter video link via PHLY Sixers).
Maxey is posting career-best numbers in several statistics in 2025/26, including points (30.3), assists (6.7), rebounds (4.4), steals (1.9) and blocks (1.0) per game. He also leads the NBA in playing time, with 39.3 minutes per contest.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Shake Milton has a broken bone in his left hand and has traveled to the United States to undergo surgery, according to Pedrac Saric of Serbian outlet Meridian Sport (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Milton, who plays for Partizan Belgrade, is expected to miss around three months. The 29-year-old is having a disappointing year for the Serbian club in his first stint in Europe, Carchia notes.
- Veteran point guard Cory Joseph signed with AS Monaco at the beginning of December after 14 years in the NBA. However, as Alex Molina of Eurohoops writes, Joseph has yet to play for Monaco, which was assessed a transfer ban because of outstanding financial issues. Aris Thessaloniki is interested in acquiring the 34-year-old, but the Greek team has not yet made an offer Joseph finds appealing, per Molina.
- While EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas isn’t happy about the NBA’s proposed European league, he also insists he’s not worried about it. “We’ve only heard the plan or the fireworks of how amazing it will be, how much potential there is,” Motiejunas told Ken Maguire of The Associated Press. “But having a theory is one — and making it work is two. We’ve been here for 26 years. We know how Europe functions.” Motiejunas also expressed confidence that Real Madrid, Fenerbahce and ASVEL — the three shareholder teams that have yet to renew their licenses — will remain with the EuroLeague. “The NBA has been announcing and announcing things for a year but still it’s nothing that you can grasp on,” Motiejunas said. “As businessmen, these are team owners, they also begin to see it’s a little bit of a broken record of ‘we will announce later,’ … The ’27 start is already around the corner.”
MarJon Beauchamp Makes Case For NBA Deal With FIBA Play
Team USA took a first step toward officially clinching its spot in the 2027 FIBA World Cup over the past week, blowing out Nicaragua in a pair of qualifying games. The U.S. team, which won by 35 points on Friday and by 24 points on Monday, will take a 2-0 record into the next round of World Cup qualifiers in late February.
As we detailed in November, Team USA’s roster for those first two qualifying games featured several NBA veterans, including Brandon Knight, Torrey Craig, and Kessler Edwards. The team’s standout performer against Nicaragua, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, was former first-round pick MarJon Beauchamp.
Beauchamp, who turned 25 in October, spent three seasons in the NBA after being drafted 24th overall in 2022, appearing in 135 total games for the Bucks, Clippers, and Knicks. He’s currently a free agent, but he made a strong case during his brief stint with Team USA that he deserves consideration from NBA teams. The 6’7″ forward set a Team USA record by scoring 50 total points across those two games — he made 18-of-26 shots from the floor (69.2%), including 9-of-14 three-pointers (64.3%).
“Yeah, he’s gonna be in the NBA at some point, whether it’s tomorrow or later this year,” said Stephen Silas, the head coach of the U.S. qualifying team, per Vardon.
Beauchamp spent the first two-and-a-half years of his professional career in Milwaukee before being traded to the Clippers at last season’s deadline. He was waived by L.A. a few weeks later and quickly caught on with the Knicks on a two-way contract for the rest of the season.
Beauchamp spent time with Portland and Philadelphia this fall and opened the season with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate. According to Vardon, the former G League Ignite standout is weighing offers from European teams while still hoping to get a call from an NBA suitor. He remains eligible for a two-way contract.
Although Beauchamp didn’t receive consistent rotation minutes during his three NBA seasons, he pointed to a stretch early in the 2023/24 season under then-Bucks coach Adrian Griffin as an example of the kind of role he believes he’s capable of playing. Before Griffin was replaced by Doc Rivers, Beauchamp was averaging 15.7 minutes per night and knocking down 40.3% of his three-pointers through 34 outings.
“I don’t know if people remember my second year in the NBA,” Beauchamp said. “I was playing for Coach Griffin as the seventh man, shooting 40 percent (on three-pointers) off the bench. Doc came in and kind of switched everything up, but my shooting is kind of the one thing people harp on, like I’m not capable. But I really haven’t gotten the opportunity after Coach Griffin. But I stayed believing.”
USA Basketball Announces Roster For World Cup Qualifiers
USA Basketball has announced its 12-man roster for a pair of upcoming World Cup qualifying games against Nicaragua. Those games will take place in Managua, Nicaragua on November 28 and in College Park, Georgia on December 1, with Team USA deploying the following squad:
- Kyle Guy, G
- Brandon Knight, G
- Jaden Shackelford, G
- Javonte Smart, G
- Ryan Woolridge, G
- Pedro Bradshaw, G/F
- Nate Hinton, G/F
- MarJon Beauchamp, F
- Torrey Craig, F
- Kessler Edwards, F
- Garrison Brooks, C
- Jeremiah Tilmon, C
The roster, which is coached by former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, is made up of current free agents or G League players, with no active NBA players taking part. However, seven of the 12 Team USA members have previous NBA experience — Craig (458 regular season games) and Knight (451 games) have spent the most time in the league.
Unlike Knight, who has been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, Craig played for the Bulls and Celtics in ’24/25 and is one of a handful of players who was in the league within the past year. That group also includes Edwards, who made 40 appearances last season for the Mavericks, and Beauchamp, a former first-round pick who played in 35 games for three NBA teams in ’24/25.
Smart and Hinton have previously suited up for the U.S. national team — Smart won bronze with Team USA at this year’s AmeriCup, while Hinton was a member of the U.S. team for a pair of qualifying windows in 2023 (for the World Cup) and 2024 (for the AmeriCup).
This is the first of six windows of qualifying games for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, which will tip off on August 27, 2027. Team USA will also compete in qualifiers next February/March, July, August/September, and November/December, with the final qualifying window opening in Feb. 2027.
The actual World Cup roster is unlikely to feature any of the players in this 12-man group, since the U.S. typically sends a more star-studded squad to the event itself, which takes place during the NBA offseason. However, the qualifying games give some less-heralded players the opportunity to represent their home country and to help Team USA clinch its spot in the World Cup.
And-Ones: LeBron, Curry, Team USA, 2026 Draft, Beverley, More
Asked by Steve Nash on the Mind the Game podcast about the possibility of suiting up for Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, LeBron James made it clear that’s not in his plans, while Stephen Curry indicated he’s a long shot too, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.
“You already know my answer,” James said. “I will be watching it.”
“God willing, I still have the choice and physical option where I could impact the team,” Curry said. “Never say never, but I highly doubt it. Highly doubt it.”
James and Curry teamed up for Team USA at the Olympics for the first time in 2024, defeating the hosts (France) in Paris in the gold medal game after pulling off a dramatic come-from-behind win in the semifinal against Serbia.
“We can’t top what we just did,” James said. “How we gonna top those last two games?”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kansas guard Darryn Peterson is the first player off the board in the first 2026 mock draft published by Jeremy Woo of ESPN. Woo has BYU’s AJ Dybantsa at No. 2, Duke’s Cameron Boozer at No. 3, and Tennessee’s Nate Ament at No. 4, with UNC’s Caleb Wilson rounding out the top five.
- More details have emerged related to Patrick Beverley‘s arrest for assault, with TMZ reporting that the former NBA guard is accused of punching his sister in the eye and choking her for between 20 and 30 seconds. Beverley, who has been out of the NBA since the 2023/24 season, was arrested on Friday and was charged with assault of a family/household member.
- After parting ways with the Brisbane Bullets earlier this season for personal reasons, former NBA guard Javon Freeman-Liberty reengaged with the team last week and has now re-signed with the Bullets for the rest of the 2025/26 season, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter links). Freeman-Liberty, a former DePaul standout, appeared in 22 NBA regular season games for Toronto in 2023/24.
- While the Mavericks had hoped to acquire Dennis Smith Jr.‘s G League returning rights, the Wisconsin Herd – the Bucks‘ affiliate – still holds those rights and is hopeful of having Smith join them soon, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Team USA, Role Players, M. Jones, Balcetis
Speaking to reporters at a Thursday press conference to formally introduce Erik Spoelstra as Team USA’s new men’s basketball head coach, managing director Grant Hill said that winning a World Cup for the first time since 2014 is the “first order of business” for the national team, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
The U.S. finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup and fourth in 2023, failing to secure a medal at either event. Typically, the World Cup rosters featured less established stars than the Olympic squads, and that likely won’t change going forward, according to Vardon, who points to Cooper Flagg and Evan Mobley as a couple possibilities for the 2027 team. For his part, Hill is in no rush to lock in on any specific players quite yet.
“We have some time, and one of the great things is to see who emerges,” Hill said. “You have two years before the World Cup, and it seems like every season there are players who take a step in their development and become better players, All-Star players, players whose games translate to international play.
“It’s great to get these players in the pipeline. The great thing is, yes, the world is getting better, but we are too. We still have some great players in this country, great young players. And you know, it’s on me to get out and recruit and you know, sort of share with guys the importance of doing this.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five role players around the NBA who could end up being pivotal contributors for their respective teams this season, including Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., Cavaliers wing De’Andre Hunter, and Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr.
- After signing him last month, the Perth Wildcats have parted ways with former NBA guard Mason Jones, as Olgun Uluc of ESPN writes. Jones, who was named the MVP of the 2025 G League Finals in April, struggled in his first five games in Australia’s National Basketball League, shooting just 34.7% from the floor, including 27.6% on three-pointers. The Wildcats are exploring the market for a new import guard to replace him, per Uluc.
- Former Nuggets assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis is joining Zalgiris Kaunas as the Lithuanian club’s head of innovations, according to BasketNews. Balcetis was considered a potential candidate to run Denver’s front office after the team fired Calvin Booth in the spring, but the Nuggets opted to promote Ben Tenzer into that position and didn’t renew Balcetis’ contract.
- NBA rookies and award winners will wear patches on their jerseys this season as part of the league’s partnership with Fanatic/Topps. Dan Hajducky of ESPN has the details on the new program.
Heat’s Erik Spoelstra Named Team USA’s New Head Coach
October 14: USA Basketball has officially announced Spoelstra as the new men’s basketball head coach. Spoelstra spoke to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst about his new role and what it means to him.
“Absolutely, absolutely humbled. I mean, it is the honor of a lifetime,” Spoelstra told Reynolds. “And I’m just really appreciative of it and being a part of the USA Basketball program. The Olympics are incredible, no matter where it is, but to have the opportunity to compete on your own soil, that’s simply remarkable.”
October 9: Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, a deal between Spoelstra and USA Basketball has not yet been finalized, but Miami’s longtime coach is the frontrunner for the job to succeed Steve Kerr.
As Reynolds writes, Spoelstra was an assistant on Kerr’s staff at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Americans finished in fourth place at the World Cup, but won their fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.
Assuming Spoelstra finalizes a contract with USA Basketball, he would lead the U.S. at the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Reynolds notes.
After Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the Spurs in the spring, Spoelstra became the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA by a significant margin. The 54-year-old is entering his 18th season as head coach of the Heat, compiling a 787-572 regular season record (.579 win percentage) and 110-83 mark in the playoffs (.570).
Spoelstra has led Miami to six NBA Finals appearances during his time at the helm, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.
Spoelstra has been widely viewed as one of the top coaches in the league for years, so the news isn’t surprising. Still, it’s a significant accomplishment — Spoelstra told The Associated Press after last year’s Olympics that he “would be honored” to be the top coach of the men’s national team.
And-Ones: Pierce, Mosley, Daigneault, NBA Europe, Project B
Former Celtics star Paul Pierce was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of driving under the influence after he was found asleep behind the wheel on U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles, per an Associated Press report.
California Highway Patrol officers, who were responding to the scene of an unrelated car crash in the area, saw Pierce’s Range Rover nearby after they reopened the four affected highway lanes, according to a press release. Pierce was asleep and showed “signs of alcohol impairment,” prompting the officers to conduct a DUI investigation and arrest him on a misdemeanor charge.
Pierce, a 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who won a title with Boston in 2008, has been out of the NBA since 2017, but has worked in broadcasting roles for ESPN and Fox Sports since then.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- While nothing has been set in stone yet, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault are two names to watch as potential candidates for Team USA’s coaching staff when Erik Spoelstra takes over coaching duties, sources tell Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
- The EuroLeague, the NBA, and FIBA met again this week as the NBA and FIBA continue to explore the potential creation of a European league. In the wake of Wednesday’s meeting, the EuroLeague released a statement that thanked the NBA for “constructive dialogue” but said the proposal for collaboration the EuroLeague presented at the previous meeting has yet to receive “any meaningful response.” According to Alessandro Luigi Maggi of Sportando (Twitter link), the NBA views the model proposed by the EuroLeague as unsustainable.
- While Maverick Carter is no longer part of the proposed basketball league known as “Project B,” other organizers and investors are moving forward with plans for the global league, according to Sam Amick, Mike Vorkunov, and Vardon of The Athletic, who share the latest details. Project B co-founder Grady Burnett tells The Athletic that the goal is to launch a women’s basketball league next fall, with the goal of setting up a men’s league as well. “We’re going to focus on the women’s side at this point,” he said. “I think it’s natural to assume that we will do other things after that.”
Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Kerr, Podziemski, Horford
Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency saga was finally resolved on September 30, when the 23-year-old forward re-signed with the Warriors on a two-year, $46.8MM deal. Despite the lengthy negotiations and a contract that could make him a prime trade candidate, Kuminga tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he’s “at peace” with his situation and doesn’t feel any anxiety about the future.
“I don’t think about things like that. I let the day just tell us what’s going to happen,” Kuminga said. “But when it comes to future stuff and things like that, no. I don’t worry about things like that. I just try to get better. You never know with this life. It’s the NBA. One day you’re going to be here. One day you’re going to be somewhere else.
“The biggest thing about it is just to work and just get better every day and be a winner. No matter where I’ll be, no matter if I’m going to be here or they might ship me somewhere else. I just want to get to wherever I’ll get, or be here and just be involved and win and impact right away. That is my biggest concern. I’m at that point now where I’ve got a couple years in now. So, I know what’s right and what is not right.”
Kuminga acknowledged some frustration with the way his role has fluctuated during his time with Golden State and said he doesn’t plan to bring the topic up with head coach Steve Kerr. For his part, Kerr still believes Kuminga can be an important piece for the Warriors, according to Spears.
“It’s been an interesting fit,” Kerr told Andscape. “He’s made it pretty clear that he wants the ball and an opportunity that a lot of his cohorts get and people that were drafted near him. And we weren’t able to offer that. We were a championship team. We won the title his rookie year (2021/22) and have been in the mix the last few years. So, it’s been tough. I respect the fact that he is competing and fighting in a set of circumstances that maybe isn’t ideal for him. But the thing I keep telling him is he can play a role for us, absolutely, with his size, speed and athleticism.
“He can play an important role on a very good team. He just turned 23 (on Monday). He has plenty of basketball ahead. One day, hopefully, he will look back on this as a valuable time in his career. But I know he’s frustrated. He’s made it very clear publicly. I don’t mind that, but I want him to embrace the idea that he can be a part of something special.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- As he enters his third season, guard Brandin Podziemski hopes to take major strides in multiple aspects of his game, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. In order to do so, Podziemski knows he’ll have to do a better job of regulating his emotions. “There’s a next step in evolving emotionally, and as a leader,” Podziemski told The Athletic. “Having confidence from your teammates is one thing, especially the vets, but them trusting you in big moments that could define their career. Could add another piece to their career. For them to have trust in you is a different thing, and you got to earn that over time, and I think that’s a goal of mine going into this season.”
- Veteran center Al Horford has quickly developed impressive chemistry with two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Friedell adds in another story. “It’s a level of awareness that I’ve never really had to think about before,” Horford said of playing with Curry. “But when I’m on the floor with him, the whole mindset is trying to make the game easier for him. And for me, that is either getting him the ball, or setting a good screen, or doing anything that I can to make sure that our offense moves and flows. He’s such a smart player that it’s easy to play off of him. And sometimes he’ll kind of tell you what to do. He passed me that ball, but I knew that he was gonna cut, so I guess that’s the unspoken (chemistry) he’s talking about right there. He expected me to pass the ball and I did.”
- Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team. Kerr believes USA Basketball made a great choice, per Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points (Twitter video link; hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “Spo’s an incredible, phenomenal coach. Watching him the last two summers, getting to know him up close… Spo was the perfect choice.”
Brazil Wins FIBA AmeriCup 2025
In a Sunday night final in which both teams struggled to score, Brazil beat Argentina by a final score of 55-47 to win the gold medal at AmeriCup 2025 in Nicaragua, according to FIBA.
Brazil’s 55 points marked the lowest ever by a champion, per the press release, while the 102 combined points between the two sides were the fewest in any AmeriCup game.
It was a rematch of the 2022 final, with the Brazilian national team avenging its loss and dethroning Argentina to win its fifth AmeriCup championship (first since 2009). Argentina claimed the silver medal as the runner-up.
Brazilian point guard Yago Santos, who competes professionally in the EuroLeague with Crvena Zvezda, was named MVP of the event after averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 assists (against only 1.8 turnovers) and 3.3 rebounds on .485/.487/.880 shooting in six appearances (27.6 minutes per game).
After recording game highs of 25 points and 12 assists in Brazil’s semifinal comeback against Team USA, Santos finished the final with game highs of 14 points and five assists.
The All-Star Five was comprised of Santos, Bruno Caboclo (Brazil), Juan Fernandez (Argentina), Javonte Smart (United States) and Kyshawn George (Canada). Caboclo and Smart are former NBA players, while George — who was making his senior national team debut — is entering his second season with the Wizards.
Prior to the final, the United States and Canada competed in the third-place game. It was another rematch, with the same result as three years ago: the U.S. defeated Canada to win bronze. Team USA was led by 21 points apiece from Smart and Tyler Cavanaugh.
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico) headlined the All-Star Five second team, with Norchad Omier (Nicaragua), Georginho De Paula (Brazil), José Vildoza (Argentina) and Mfiondu Kabengele (Canada) rounding out the group.
Omier is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavaliers after going undrafted in June, while Kabengele spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Boston in 2022/23. Alvarado was injured during Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal loss.