Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Butler, Herro, Stevens

December 21st, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat dropped a close game to Oklahoma City on Friday, but the toughest part of the night for Bam Adebayo came in the locker room, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami’s center had to get seven stitches above his left eye after being struck in the face early in the third quarter. He was able to return to the game a few minutes later, but he didn’t enjoy the medical procedure.

“I’m one of those people, I don’t really like needles,” Adebayo said. “So it’s kind of rough for me in the beginning. But if you love the game enough and obviously I do, and I love being out there with my teammates, you go through stuff like that.”

Adebayo remained effective even after the treatment, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a block in 36 minutes. The Heat outscored the Thunder by five points while he was in the game, and his determination to return inspired his teammates.

“That’s what makes Bam Bam,” Tyler Herro said. “He’s able to impact the game in so many ways. Then he gets hurt or gets his eye split open, and he’s able to get back here and get stitches and jump right back in the game. It shows how much he loves the game. He wants to be out there to help us win. That’s what you want out of your captain.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Jimmy Butler sat out tonight’s game at Orlando after leaving Friday’s contest midway through the first quarter with a stomach illness, Chiang adds. It’s the sixth missed game of the season for Butler, who has been the subject of recent trade speculation. “We got to figure this thing out,” Adebayo said of playing without Butler. “You can’t harp on who’s in, who’s out. It’s about going out there and trying to get the W.”
Herro is playing well enough to merit All-Star consideration, but actually being selected for the event will be difficult, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Herro is averaging 24.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, which are all career highs, but he faces some strong competition to land an Eastern Conference backcourt spot. “I would love to be an All-Star,” he said, “but there’s a lot of good guards in the East when you think about it. So it’ll be tough.”
Considering their lack of depth at point guard, the Heat should consider locking up Isaiah Stevens before he gets signed by another team, Winderman adds in a mailbag column. Winderman suggests promoting Dru Smith to a standard contract and giving his two-way slot to Stevens, who is currently with Miami’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Heat have a roster opening that must be filled by December 29.

Southeast Notes: Hunter, Young, Williams, Butler, Jaquez

December 21st, 2024 at 8:19am CST by Tristan Tucker

De’Andre Hunter is playing like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, providing the Hawks with a scoring punch off the bench, Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Through 17 outings, Hunter’s 19.8 points per game and 45.3% shooting from beyond the arc are both career highs.

“He’s definitely in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, especially if you keep winning and doing the things we’ve been doing,” guard Trae Young said. “Because there’s not a guy come on the bench doing what he’s doing right now and being aggressive and scoring and efficiency and things like that. He’s really bought into it, and it’s made our team a lot better.”

The former No. 4 overall pick out of Virginia was an effective starter after being selected in 2019, averaging 14.3 PPG in 263 games (237 starts). After missing the first 11 games this year, the Hawks elected to bring him off the bench instead of starting him, and he’s thrived in the new role.

“We all know De’Andre can play,” center Onyeka Okongwu said. “He’s been able to play. He’s always been a scorer, defender. He’s finally healthy. Nothing he’s doing is really surprising to me. I’m glad he’s having the year he’s having right now. He deserves it the most.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Young is averaging career lows of 39.0% shooting from the field and 32.0% from three, but Williams writes in another story that the three-time All-Star is focused on making an all-around impact to win games rather than dwelling on his shooting percentages. “My percentages aren’t the way they’ve been, but I’m taking different types of shots, too,” Young said, noting that he has no qualms about taking low-percentage shots at the end of quarters or as the shot clock expires. “I’m obviously getting guys involved, and that’s my main priority, and obviously, the defense is the first priority.” As Williams notes, the Hawks star is leading the NBA in assists per game this season with 12.2 per contest.
Since their starting center returned from injury on Dec. 3, the Hornets continue to take a conservative approach with Mark Williams, including having him not play in back-to-backs. Williams understands the vision, but is eager to resume his normal playing schdule, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. “Just overall, as a leader of the team and one of the leaders of the organization, you have to understand what is your vision, what is your bigger picture? And as bad as you want to win games, we also want to make sure that we are putting our players in the best position possible to have great careers,” coach Charles Lee said of Williams.
Heat star Jimmy Butler exited in the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Thunder after turning his ankle and didn’t return. However, as noted by ESPN, he was ruled out for the rest of the night due to an illness, not his ankle injury. There was no word of the ankle in the team’s announcement. It’s not yet clear how much time Butler, involved in trade rumors this season, will miss due to either ailment.
With Butler ruled out, second-year Heat wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. started the second half and played 30 minutes, his third-most in a game this season. Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel speculates whether Jaquez could serve as Butler’s replacement in the starting small forward role if the latter is moved via trade.

Southeast Notes: Heat Picks, Jovic, Banchero, Harris, Valanciunas

December 19th, 2024 at 7:59pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat have just one first-round pick available to trade unconditionally, with two others having been traded away to acquire Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The only picks Miami can trade unconditionally are their 2030 or 2031 picks, but not both due to the Stepien Rule.

This complicates matters for the Heat as they approach what could be an eventful deadline, given Butler’s uncertain future with the team. The Heat don’t generally look to trade stars for draft picks, but acquiring win-now players in a deal that sends Butler away might be more difficult without many tradable picks.

Draft picks matter in the trade landscape that saw the Knicks surrender five first-rounders for Mikal Bridges this year and the Timberwolves give up four in exchange for Rudy Gobert in 2022. The Heat could, of course, recoup picks in a potential Butler trade, but Miami hasn’t traded a player for a pick (without giving one up) since 2009.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Heat forward Nikola Jovic sprained his ankle after rejoining the rotation on Dec. 12 and was sidelined for Monday’s game against Detroit. However, as Chiang writes in another story, it doesn’t appear Jovic will miss much time with the injury, as he’s listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Thunder.
Magic star Paolo Banchero has missed 23 games with a torn abdominal muscle and he’s continuing to progress, but hasn’t yet been able to participate in contact drills thus far, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “His spirits have been great,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He understands that it is a process, and does he want to be on the court? Absolutely. … He’s done a great job of responding [to] that, to staying engaged, to communicating, being in and communicating in film sessions, all of those little things that he’s able to do, that he can control, he’s doing a great job of it.” According to Beede, Banchero has been able to do ball-handling and jogging at his own pace.
After being upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against the Thunder earlier today, Magic guard Gary Harris ended up missing the matchup, Beede writes in the same story. However, Harris’ return to the floor appears imminent. He hasn’t played since November 25 and is averaging 4.1 points per game in 17 outings this season.
The Wizards‘ front office continues to emphasize its primary goal of player development this season. That includes playing rookies heavy minutes while some veterans are coming off the bench. However, the Wizards were upfront with center Jonas Valanciunas this summer about their plans before he agreed to a three-year contract with the team, according to The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar. “I know what’s going on. I know we have a bright future in front of us, so we got to keep following the plan, keep working, keep grinding, keep getting better,” Valanciunas said. “I’m [an] older guy, but in this environment I got to be young.” According to Shankar, other veterans like Marvin Bagley III are also on board with the plan.

Heat Notes: Smith, Butler, Expectations

December 18th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Dru Smith, who is on a two-way contract, has become a key rotation player over the past six games in part due to his impressive defense, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat have been substantially better defensively when Smith has been on the court compared to when he’s not.

“I’m trying to bring as much energy as I can on the defensive end, be disruptive and just try to make inspiring plays on the defensive end,” said Smith, who turns 27 on Dec. 30. “And also just take open shots when they’re there. I want to try to do a better job of getting guys easier looks on the offensive end, getting Bam [Adebayo] some easy baskets in pick-and-rolls, things like that. But mainly when I check in, just trying to breathe life into everybody and bring good energy and try to turn a couple games around.”

As Chiang observes, Smith’s traditional statistics over the six-game stretch have been solid if unspectacular, with the third-year guard averaging 7.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG and 2.0 SPG on .485/.529/.750 shooting in 25.3 MPG. But Smith, who is a candidate to be promoted to a standard contract, has drawn praise from his All-Star teammates and his head coach for his heady play.

“When you find guys that just do winning things on both ends of the court over and over and over — that can be consistent to that — that’s a superpower in this league,” Spoelstra said of Smith. “Everybody is searching for that, but he’s kind of the glue that fits, and he can make any unit work — the second unit, the starters. So that’s that thing I say, make me watch, make me play you and then make me for sure not even think about putting somebody else in there.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

In an interview with Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, Smith admitted his NBA journey has been frustrating at times, particularly the 2022/23 campaign, when he was signed and waived multiple times while on two-way deals with Miami. “Yeah, no, there were plenty of days of frustration,” Smith said. “Just questioning, is this what I’m supposed to be doing? You feel like you’re chasing something that just keeps getting further away. But it was all worth it and just continue. But I’m still in the same position. I’m still here on a two-way, still trying to do the same thing. So, keeping that in mind at the same time, always trying to appreciate my opportunities that I get. I try to take advantage of them to the best of my ability.”
Appearing on NBA Today on Tuesday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of ESPN referred to Jimmy Butler‘s situation with the Heat as “fluid.” According to Charania, Miami doesn’t feel any urgency to move Butler, but the front office is still open to offers for the star forward, with the Suns and Warriors believed to be his top choices if he does switch teams before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Aside from Pelle Larsson and Tyler Herro, just about every other player on the Heat’s standard roster has fallen short of expectations this season, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who explains why that has been bad for the team’s on-court product and its ability to improve through trades.

Warriors Remain Atop 2024 NBA Franchise Valuations

December 18th, 2024 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2024 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $9.14 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $8 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $8.3 billion, while the Lakers come in at $8.07 billion, per Sportico. Only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys – at $10.3 billion – have a higher valuation than Golden State among North American sports teams, says Badenhausen.

While Sportico’s figures suggest the Warriors, Knicks, and Lakers are worth significantly more than the fourth-place team (the Nets at $5.7 billion), the average value of an NBA franchise is up to $4.6 billion, with no team worth less than $3 billion.

That average has increased by 15% since Sportico released its 2023 valuations last December and has nearly doubled since the site published its first NBA franchise valuations four years ago, when the average was $2.37 billion.

The NBA’s new $77 billion media rights deal and a 15% increase in team sponsorship are among the factors contributing to the rising valuations of the league’s franchises, according to Badenhausen, who notes that a post-COVID boom in concerts and other major events has been good news for team owners who also control their arenas.

NBA team owners operated 10 of the world’s 20 highest-grossing concert venues in 2024, with the Nets’ Barclays Center coming in at No. 1, says Badenhausen. The Nets’ valuation is up 43% this year, per Sportico, easily the largest year-over-year increase among the 30 NBA franchises.

When Forbes put out its NBA franchise valuations in October, it pegged the average value of a team at $4.4 billion. In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we begun highlighting Sportico’s projections as of 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But these projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2024:

Golden State Warriors: $9.14 billion
New York Knicks: $8.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $8.07 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $5.7 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $5.68 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.66 billion
Chicago Bulls: $5.56 billion
Miami Heat: $5 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.77 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.66 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.57 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.46 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4.32 billion
Sacramento Kings: $4.11 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $4.07 billion
Denver Nuggets: $4.06 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.98 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.95 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.91 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.79 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.74 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.67 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.6 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.55 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.46 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.45 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3.39 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $3.29 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $3.09 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $3.06 billion

As Badenhausen notes, Sportico’s projections are based on a control sale price, rather than limited stake purchases. No NBA franchise saw its majority control change hands in 2024, but that could change in 2025, with control of the Celtics up for sale.

According to Badenhausen, team executives and investors have predicted a sale price ranging from $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion for the Celtics. The final valuation will be determined by a number of factors, including how many bidders are on the mix, what percentage of the team they can buy, and whether current governor Wyc Grousbeck insists on remaining in that role until 2028, which he has indicated is his goal.

Heat Notes: Bryant, Spoelstra, 14th Roster Spot, Butler

December 16th, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Erik Spoelstra cited “flexibility” as one reason why the Heat decided to trade big man Thomas Bryant to the Pacers for a 2031 second-round pick swap, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The parting sounds quite amicable, with Spoelstra praising Bryant for staying upbeat amid a challenging individual season — he wasn’t a regular part of Miami’s rotation.

“We’re all big fans of TB,” Spoelstra said. “And what you have in this profession is your reputation, your character, obviously your talent. But when you make an impression on everybody here and everybody feels the same way, that’s a win. He deserves the opportunity to play.

“These are always thought decisions, especially when you make ’em during the season. But I think this is one of the cases where it makes sense for both parties. And because he was such a pro, we worked with TB and his agent to make this happen.”

Here’s more from Miami:

After trading Bryant, the Heat have just 13 players on standard contracts (they had only been carrying 14 instead of the maximum 15 due tax concerns). As of Sunday, they have 14 days to fill the 14th spot — they’re expected to take the full two weeks to make that decision. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes a look at the many implications of the open 14th roster spot, including the players who could be positively impacted.
The Heat are listening to trade offers for Jimmy Butler. He’s reportedly contemplating a future outside of Miami, with several reports indicating he plans to decline his player option for next season to hit free agency in the offseason. The Heat could trade Butler, but should they? Winderman considers that question in a subscriber-only story.
In case you missed it, we passed along more Heat notes yesterday, plus several notes and rumors involving Butler over the past few days.

Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Bryant, Richardson, Larsson

December 15th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although the Heat are reportedly open to trade offers for six-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler ahead of the February 6 deadline, The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter link) argues that pushing any decision on a move to the offseason could be the best way for the club to extract maximum value.

Butler, 35, has a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 with Miami. Even in his 14th season and with plenty of playoff mileage, the 6’7″ forward is still a lethal player on both ends of the hardwood. He has helped lead Miami to a 13-10 record on the season.

Through 18 healthy contests, the five-time All-NBA honoree is averaging 18.6 points per game on .550/.360/.778 shooting splits, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. If he can avoid major injury, Butler figures to remain firmly in the All-Star and All-NBA conversation this season, regardless of which team is paying him.

There’s more out of Miami:

Just after being reinserted into the Heat’s rotation, third-year Miami forward Nikola Jovic suffered a left ankle sprain in a Saturday team practice, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time, if any, he is expected to miss. Through 15 games, including eight starts, the 6’10” big man is averaging 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals per night.
The Heat are expected to wait a full 14 days to add a 14th man to their roster following their trade of now-former reserve center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, Chiang reports in another piece. Remaining below 14 players for the maximum allowable two weeks will save the team some tax money at season’s end. Chiang notes that Miami may opt to upgrade one of its two-way players to a standard roster spot, with guard Dru Smith being the likeliest contender.
Heat swingman Josh Richardson missed the club’s latest practice due to his lingering left heel injury, while guard Pelle Larsson did limited work on the side, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Larsson is recuperating from a sprained ankle, which has kept him on the shelf since December 4. Richardson, 31, has appeared in a scant eight contests for Miami this season. He hasn’t played since mid-November.

Heat Trade Thomas Bryant To Pacers

December 15th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 15: The trade is official, the Pacers announced in a press release. Bryant is expected to be available for today’s game against New Orleans.

DECEMBER 13: The Heat have agreed to trade veteran center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

In exchange for Bryant, Miami will acquire the right to swap 2031 second-round picks with the Pacers, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The deal will have to wait until Sunday, as that’s when Bryant becomes trade-eligible.

As Chiang notes (Twitter links), by dumping Bryant’s salary, the Heat will soon have just 13 players on standard contracts and more financial flexibility to potentially convert a player on a two-way deal to a standard contract — this morning we identified Dru Smith as a possible candidate to be promoted.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears the Pacers discussed sending James Wiseman to the Heat in the deal, but he won’t be included in the final version (Twitter link). Wiseman is out for the season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon on opening night.

The Pacers won’t have to send out matching salary to acquire Bryant, since his contract can be taken on using the minimum-salary exception. Since Indiana has an open standard roster spot, the team also won’t need to waive anyone to add Bryant.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Heat will save $4.7MM toward their projected luxury tax payment by moving off Bryant’s $2,087,519 salary. They’ll also create a traded player exception worth the exact amount of Bryant’s outgoing contract. Miami will be approximately $3.7MM below the second tax apron once the deal is finalized, Marks adds.

Charania reported a few days ago that Indiana was “actively pursuing” a backup center in the wake of season-ending injuries to Wiseman and fellow big man Isaiah Jackson, who also suffered a torn Achilles tendon this fall. Jake Fischer confirmed that report today, with league sources indicating a deal would likely be completed shortly after Dec. 15, when many players around the NBA become eligible to be traded.

Assuming the trade is completed on Sunday, the Heat will have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th player to their standard roster. The club will also now have the ability to add a 15th man while staying below the second apron, if it so chooses.

Bryant, 27, is an eight-year veteran, having previously played for the Lakers, Wizards and Nuggets prior to joining Miami. He won a title with Denver in 2023, though his role was very limited. The big man played his college ball in Indiana with the Hoosiers from 2015-17.

After being in and out of Miami’s rotation in 2023/24, Bryant’s role fluctuated once again fluctuated this season. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game across 10 outings with the Heat this fall after re-signing on a one-year, minimum-salary deal over the offseason.

Bryant’s one-year deal with Miami would typically have given him the right to veto a trade, but he agreed to waive that right as part of his contract agreement.

Trade Rumors: Butler, Heat, Warriors, Porter, Vucevic

December 14th, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Although they haven’t received anything approaching a “serious offer” yet, the Heat have indeed shown a willingness to listen to inquiries on Jimmy Butler for the first time in his six seasons in Miami, league sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.

The Heat are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, but are still just 13-10 thus far in 2024/25. Aldridge says the organization is “sober” about the state of the current roster, noting the team made the play-in tournament each of the past two seasons, including a surprise run to the NBA Finals in 2023 after advancing to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

The two sides “seem destined” to part ways, according to Aldridge, who suggests Miami will likely prioritize a trade package centered around players rather than draft compensation, given the team’s “relentless” desire to contend for titles.

Aldridge says Butler’s preference would be to stay in Miami, but he wants a maximum-salary extension that Pat Riley has publicly said the team is in no rush to offer.

As Aldridge observes, in addition to listening to offers, the Heat are also likely trying to gauge what Butler’s free agent market could look like this summer, when he reportedly intends to decline his $52.4MM player option to hit free agency.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

NBA insider Marc Stein offers a similar report in his latest Substack column (subscription required), citing a “rising belief leaguewide” that Miami has become willing to part with Butler before the trade deadline. The majority of teams that Stein contacted believe Butler has started considering potential locations where he’d like to be traded, but one executive cautions that the Heat won’t move him without getting “fair value” in return. Stein adds that Miami officials aren’t concerned about losing Butler in free agency this summer if he’s not traded because he’ll be facing a limited market. Only the Nets currently have enough projected cap room for a maximum-salary offer.
Of the four teams considered to be favorable landing spots for Butler, only the Warriors are viewed as having enough interest to engage in “substantive” trade discussions, league insiders tell Stein. The Rockets and Mavericks haven’t displayed any “tangible” interest in pursuing Butler, according to Stein, while the Suns would have to include Bradley Beal, who holds a no-trade clause that discouraged the Heat from trying to trade for him in the summer of 2023.
As he previously noted in a podcast appearance this week, Stein hears that the Nuggets want to shake up their roster, and it appears Michael Porter Jr. would have to be included in any major deal. Stein wonders how much of a return Denver could get for Porter considering the limited market for New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram, who’s a similar player with better stats.
The Bulls are hoping to land a first-round pick in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic, Stein adds. Vucevic has increased his production in coach Billy Donovan’s new up-tempo offense, but Stein warns that the Bulls might have to be willing to take any Vucevic talks all the way to deadline day if they’re holding out for a first-rounder.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Rookies, Howard, Jovic, Stevens

December 14th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Tristan Tucker

Just one year after experiencing the worst season in franchise history (15-67), the Wizards are on pace for just 11 wins this year. At 3-20, they rank 30th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating, while their average point differential (-15.9) would be the worst in league history. While the Wizards were expected to lose more than they won this year as they continue to develop their core, it wasn’t supposed to look like this, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic write.

A little more than a year into their multi-stage rebuild, some Wizards officials believe their future franchise cornerstones are still playing in college or high school, according to Aldridge and Robbins. Officials didn’t think the team would start off worse than last season after adding veteran talent like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey over the summer, but both Brogdon and Kyle Kuzma have missed extensive time due to injuries, while Bey is expected to miss most or all of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.

“I try to come into seasons with not too much of an expectation, because you just never know how things can go,” Kuzma said. “I probably thought we could struggle, but never to the extent that we are in the present.”

The injuries – along with the departures of some of last season’s rotation fixtures – thrust rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George into the spotlight early and often. While those three have been bright spots, Aldridge and Robbins note that they’ve each still struggled at times.

“We are immersed in a very difficult stretch right now,” general manager Will Dawkins said. “But we remain committed to the long-term sustainability of the organization. Our staff and players have continued to work, and are growing. We will continue to stack the positive developmental gains and, at the end of the season, put proper perspective on the totality of the year. Don’t worry about the whole thing right now; at the end of the year, let’s look up and see what we accomplished. They’re getting better, and they’re still working, and that’s the main thing. What we signed up for is hard, and we know it.”

Head coach Brian Keefe endured a similar situation with the Thunder in 2008/09 as a player development coach. That team opened the season 3-29 before winning 20 of its final 50 games. According to Aldridge and Robbins, Keefe has done a good job teaching the young talent, but the club has to do more to not surrender big runs in games.

“It’s being addressed, I can tell you that,” a team source said. “It’ll look different.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Getting used to the NBA’s grueling schedule is the biggest adjustment Sarr has had to make in the first part of his young career, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes in a piece reflecting on the progress the Wizards‘ rookies have made so far. Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his age-19 season.
Last year’s No. 11 overall pick Jett Howard is continuing to earn more minutes for the Magic while holding his own on the defensive end, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Howard is averaging 4.2 points per game in 25 contests this season after making just 18 appearances last year.
After falling out of the rotation in November, the Heat‘s Nikola Jovic worked behind the scenes to regain the trust of the coaching staff, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He had an impressive night on Thursday, contributing 14 points and four rebounds to help Miami beat Toronto. “If you’re not playing, how do you win the day? At least you have a staff that’s looking and valuing pre-practice, film sessions, practice, shootarounds, walkthroughs and that’s how you can earn trust,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But then you also stay ready, so that when you get your opportunity that you can make the most of it and then you can impact winning.“
After trading Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, the Heat will have two open standard roster spots. They’ll have two weeks after that trade is officially finalized to fill at least one of those openings, and as we outlined on Friday, Dru Smith being converted to a standard deal is one avenue the team may explore. If that occurs, Isaiah Stevens could be a natural replacement for Smith’s two-way spot, suggests Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Stevens impressed in summer league and the preseason and is averaging 13.8 PPG and a G League-leading 10.8 APG for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.