Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Butler, Kuzma, Young, Nance Jr.

November 11th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jimmy Butler will miss his second straight game and the Heat‘s NBA Cup opener in Detroit on Tuesday, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets.

Butler, who has not appeared in more than 65 regular season games in any of the last six seasons due to a variety of injuries, is dealing with an ankle sprain. The star swingman has a $52.4MM player option after this season and Miami’s front office was reluctant to discuss a maximum-salary extension over the summer due to his injury history.

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Kyle Kuzma is back in action on Monday after missing the last five games with a groin strain, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Kuzma had been averaging 17 points on 32.7% shooting through three games prior to the injury. The Wizards have lost their four games without him.
Trae Young has been playing more off the ball to make the Hawks’ offense less predictable, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “When I am off the ball, guys are worried about me and they’re connected to me and on my body,” Young said. “So it allows teammates to have a lot of space to go and create for themselves and others, too.” Now it’s up to his teammates to make it work. “We’re not always waiting for Trae to create for everyone, but to learn to create for each other,” Bogdan Bogdanović said. “So he’s going to continue to do what he does the best. But, we need to come together and increase that level of creation as a team.“ Young is listed as out for Tuesday’s game against Boston due to right Achilles tendinitis, Brad Rowland tweets.
Larry Nance Jr. could be an attractive trade candidate, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic tweets. The veteran forward has been a valuable reserve for the Hawks after being included in the blockbuster trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans. Nance, playing on his fifth team, has an $11MM expiring contract.

Jimmy Butler To Miss First Game With Sprained Ankle

November 9th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Minnesota after leaving Friday’s contest in the first quarter with a sprained right ankle, relays Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. It will be the first missed game of the season for Butler, who has accepted the challenge of trying to be available more often during the regular season. It’s also another obstacle for a 3-5 Miami team that’s already dealing with adversity. “This group has got to figure it out,” Duncan Robinson said. “We got some good stretches defensively. You’ve got to learn how to win. You’ve got guys that have done it before. It’s just not going to come automatically.”

Heat Notes: Ware, Butler, Larsson, Rotation, Herro

November 9th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

Heat No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware got his first meaningful action on Wednesday against Phoenix. He was the second-string center for the first time in his rookie campaign, impressing his teammates in 13 minutes of play, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

“I think he did great,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said. “Jumping up there, contesting shots, rebounding, he made a three, made a little hook. The more plays, the more reps that he gets, the more comfortable he’s going to get and he’s going to be able to pick his spots a lot better on the floor. That only comes with time and reps.”

The Indiana product is averaging 2.3 points in just 6.0 minutes per game in four appearances this fall. His role is likely to gradually increase as the season goes on.

“He’s been really progressing quickly behind the scenes,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Wednesday. “He kept himself ready. I thought his minutes were very good. I thought they were encouraging.”

Ware again played ahead of Thomas Bryant in Friday’s loss, but he committed two early fouls, resulting in Bryant seeing more minutes. When Kevin Love returns to the rotation, Ware could be moved back to the end of the rotation, but he’s thankful for getting the chance to contribute early.

“It’s satisfying,” Ware said. “I guess you could say it’s more a dream come true because you put in the work to be able to perform at your best. That’s always good to me.”

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Butler exited the team’s Friday matchup with the Nuggets due to a sprained ankle and was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest, Chiang reports. With the team at 3-5, the Heat are now facing the possibility of being without Butler for a handful of games. The star swingman missed two games with a sprained ankle last season and he did stay in the game immediately after sustaining this injury, so it seems unlikely to result in an extended absence.
Rookie second-round pick Pelle Larsson started the second half in place of Butler. It’s the fourth straight game Larsson has received double-digit minutes, Chiang relays. The Arizona product is averaging 6.6 points this season while making 64.7% of his shots and 45.5% of his three-pointers.
Amid speculation that Haywood Highsmith could replace Nikola Jovic in the starting lineup, the Wheeling Jesuit alum again started the third quarter over Jovic, Chiang details in the same piece. However, Jovic played more than the five minutes he did in Wednesday’s contest, finishing Friday’s game with 19 minutes played. “[Jovic] knows the deal,” Spoelstra said. “Look, I’m not going to change the standards. He knows what the deal is. It has to be a level of energy and effort, make an impact. It’s not just him. That’s an easy target. Look the game gets in a double-digit game, you’re grasping for whatever. And at that point, I have to make decisions. If something is not working, I’m paid to make decisions and go to something else.“
If the Heat make rotation changes, subbing in Highsmith for Jovic would make some level of sense, opines Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel. Winderman also writes that he’d put Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup over Terry Rozier, allowing Rozier to serve as a spark off the bench and the second unit to consist of Love, Jaime Jaquez, Larsson and Alec Burks.
Herro has served as the cornerstone of consistency for the Heat this season, Winderman writes in a separate piece. With Butler and Adebayo’s offensive production fluctuating in the early part of the season, Herro’s helped the team keep games close by averaging 22.9 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field and 45.1% from three. “He’s been really focused on that, committed to being efficient,” Spoelstra said. “His profile has been great. He’s got great confidence. But the last couple years, his game has really grown, and now it’s just taking that next step of efficiency, reading defenders, and making the right play over and over and over.“

Southeast Notes: Highsmith, Ware, Risacher, Skyhawks, Sarr

November 7th, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat‘s starting lineup of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic and Bam Adebayo is being outscored by 16.6 points per 100 possessions through seven games this season. With the team struggling in third quarters, coach Erik Spoelstra made the decision to sub in Haywood Highsmith for Jovic to open the second half against Phoenix on Wednesday, as noted by Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“[Highsmith] had given us good minutes in that first half, and we were looking to do something just to change the energy of these third quarters. It had nothing to do with Niko,” Spoelstra said of the change.

Highsmith went on to score 19 points off the bench while Jovic only played five minutes for the game. Despite Highsmith’s success, Spoelstra didn’t indicate whether it would be a permanent change moving forward, instead noting the fluidity of the lineup from game to game.

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised,” Jovic said. “Lately, the first unit has been struggling a little bit and I guess coach was trying to find the right matchups. [Highsmith] did a good job against KD in the first half. Coach told me before we went out that he’s going to play him and just stay ready.”

Jovic has started all seven of the Heat’s games to begin the year and has averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per contest. Highsmith is averaging just 6.4 MPG and has received a pair of DNP-CDs thus far. Highsmith re-signed with the Heat on a two-year, $10.8MM deal this summer despite drawing interest from other teams.

“I’m, in a sense, used to this,” Highsmith said. “Some games, I might not be in the rotation or I might be in the rotation. I’m always going to be ready no matter what.”

The Heat next play on Friday night against Denver. The starting power forward position will be something to monitor for Miami moving forward.

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The starting four spot wasn’t the only Heat lineup change, as rookie center Kel’el Ware earned rotation minutes over Thomas Bryant for the first time this season, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel observes. Ware played over 13 minutes and recorded seven points, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Bryant had played every game for the Heat before Wednesday’s outing, averaging 4.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG.
Hawks No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher had the best game of his young career on Wednesday, recording career highs of 33 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks, as noted by ESPN. Risacher’s big game puts him right back into consideration for Rookie of the Year in the early weeks of the season, as he maintained the confidence to keep shooting despite entering the game making just 32.9% of his field goal attempts thus far. That confidence paid off with a 61.1% shooting night on Wednesday. “[Head coach Quin Snyder] basically tells me to shoot the f—ing ball,” this year’s No. 1 pick said. “That’s not just from him. That’s from everybody on the coaching staff and my teammates. It helps with my confidence.“
The Hawks‘ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, announced its opening night roster, Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Former NBA players Tony Bradley and Kevon Harris help make up the roster, while two-way players Dominick Barlow, Seth Lundy and Keaton Wallace will likely spend time with the Skyhawks. No. 43 overall pick Nikola Djurisic, who suffered a foot injury and is rehabbing, is on the roster and will continue to develop and recover.
According to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network, Wizards No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr is off to one of the best shot-blocking starts ever for a first-year player. Sarr became the first rookie since 1993 to have multiple blocks in each of his first six NBA games. The center is averaging 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per night and has recorded 11 total blocks in his last three outings.

Largest Trade Exceptions Available This Season

November 6th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Ahead of the NBA’s 2025 trade deadline, it’s worth keeping in mind which teams hold traded player exceptions that could come in handy to grease the wheels on an in-season deal.

As we explain in our glossary, a traded player exception allows a team to take on salary in a trade without sending out any salary in return. The amount of the exception (plus $250K for non-apron teams) is the amount of salary the team is permitted to take back without salary-matching – either in a single deal or in multiple trades – for one year.

For instance, a team with a $10MM trade exception could acquire a player earning $4MM and a second player earning $6MM without having to worry about sending out any outgoing salary.

In recent years, sizable traded player exceptions have served as wild cards that helped accommodate both pre-deadline and offseason deals. For example, after creating a $9.5MM trade exception when they sent Royce O’Neale to the Suns ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, the Nets used that TPE to acquire Ziaire Williams and a future draft pick in an offseason trade that allowed Memphis to shed some salary.

Many trade exceptions expire without being used, but as our tracker shows, there are several sizable ones available this season that could be useful when trade season begins in earnest.

Here are the 15 biggest trade exceptions around the NBA for now, along with their expiry dates in parentheses:

Atlanta Hawks: $25,266,266 (7/7/25)
Brooklyn Nets: $23,300,000 (7/7/25)
Chicago Bulls: $17,506,232 (7/8/25)
Dallas Mavericks: $16,193,183 (7/7/25)
Memphis Grizzlies: $12,600,000 (2/3/25)
Washington Wizards: $12,402,000 (2/10/25)
New Orleans Pelicans: $9,900,000 (7/7/25)
Minnesota Timberwolves: $8,780,488 (7/7/25)
Portland Trail Blazers: $6,875,000 (7/7/25)
Miami Heat: $6,477,319 (1/23/25)
Sacramento Kings: $6,341,464 (6/30/25)
Memphis Grizzlies: $6,133,005 (7/21/25)
Sacramento Kings: $5,893,768 (7/8/25)
New Orleans Pelicans: $5,722,116 (1/17/25)
Denver Nuggets: $5,250,000 (7/7/25)

A number of these trade exceptions are more likely to be used next offseason, when teams could have more cap flexibility, than during the current season, when so many clubs are within spitting distance of the luxury tax line or a hard cap.

For example, using even a small portion of that $25MM+ exception during the season would push the Hawks‘ team salary into tax territory, but with several contracts coming off their books next summer, they’d be in a better position to take on a big salary at that time.

The exceptions that expire before next offseason are the ones to watch more closely during the season. That $12MM+ Wizards TPE is especially intriguing, since Washington is one of the few teams with plenty of breathing room below the tax threshold. They could use nearly all of that exception at the deadline and still avoid becoming a taxpayer.

The two TPEs listed in italics can’t be used at all, since the Heat are currently operating over the first tax apron, while the Timberwolves are over the second apron. Apron teams are prohibited from using trade exceptions that were generated during the prior season (like Miami’s) or that were created by sending out a player via sign-and-trade (like Minnesota’s).

It’s worth noting that some of these exceptions may be used in a deal that could otherwise be completed using salary matching. For example, a team with a $12MM trade exception that swaps one $10MM player for another could use the exception to take on the incoming player and create a new $10MM exception using the outgoing player.

Given tax and apron considerations, we may see some deals along those lines during the season, since using a TPE in that manner would allow a team to essentially roll it over for another year.

Heat Notes: Love, Jaquez, Third Quarters, Rotation, Larsson, Ware

November 5th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Love won’t make his season debut on Wednesday. The veteran power forward has already been ruled out by the Heat for their road game in Phoenix due to “return to competition reconditioning,” the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang tweets.

Love recently returned to the team after missing the first few weeks due to personal reasons.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. will also miss Wednesday’s contest due to a stomach illness. Jaquez didn’t travel to Phoenix but is expected to rejoin the group at some point during the team’s six-game trip, Chiang adds in a separate tweet. Love did make the trip to Phoenix and is expected to make his season debut during the road swing.

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The team has a third-quarter problem and might need to tweak the lineup to fix it, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Replacing Nikola Jovic with Jaquez or Haywood Highsmith might be the simplest way to address the problem, according to Jackson, who notes that Miami has outscored opponents by 17 points in the first quarter, 25 points in the second quarter and 17 in the fourth but has been outscored by 52 in the third. The Heat are the NBA’s lowest-scoring team in the third quarter.
Despite the absences of Love and Jaquez on Monday, coach Erik Spoelstra went 11 deep into his bench during the first quarter alone, Chiang writes. Highsmith and rookie Pelle Larsson were the first two players off the bench, followed by Alec Burks, Thomas Bryant, Josh Richardson and Duncan Robinson.
Larsson continues to look like one of the steals of the draft. The No. 44 overall pick had 13 points, two rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes on Monday, Chiang adds. “He is a two way player,” Spoelstra said. “Even though he’s a rookie by NBA standards, he has a great deal of competitive experience. He’s savvy, has the toughness we like, can guard multiple positions.”
The Heat’s first-rounder, Kel’el Ware, has been forced to take a wait-and-see approach. He has only made two brief appearances off the bench. “I can’t control what the Coach does,” Ware told Chiang. “So whenever coach Spo decides to put me in, I’ll be ready.”

Bucks Rumors: Antetokounmpo, Early Struggles, Beauchamp

November 4th, 2024 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are off to a 1-5 start this season after falling to the Cavaliers at home on Saturday for their fifth straight loss, but the “league-wide lusting” for Giannis Antetokounmpo had begun even before Milwaukee stumbled out of the gate, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

As Stein explains, outside interest in Antetokounmpo – and optimism that he could eventually become available – stems from two key factors. The first is the Bucks’ salary cap and roster situation, since the club is operating over the second tax apron with an aging core and limited trade assets.

The second factor, Stein says, is an interview that Antetokounmpo gave to Tania Gaguli of The New York Times in August 2023. In that conversation, which took place before the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard, the star forward expressed a desire to remain in Milwaukee for the rest of his career only if he continues to believe the team is capable of winning another title.

While there has been no indication that Giannis has lost faith in the current iteration of the Bucks, the team isn’t in a great spot, coming off two straight first-round exits and having posted a sub-.500 regular season record (18-24) so far under head coach Doc Rivers. Things won’t get any easier on Monday night with another game against the Cavaliers on tap, this time in Cleveland, though Antetokounmpo was encouraged by what he saw as forward progress in Saturday’s one-point loss.

“I think we are headed towards the right direction,” he said, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Now, that doesn’t mean we’re going to go to a five-game winning streak or 10-game winning streak, but I know that we are playing better and we trust another.”

Here’s more on the struggling Bucks:

In the event that Antetokounmpo becomes available via trade, a “credible” list of potential suitors would likely start with the Warriors, Heat, Nets, and Knicks, Stein states in his Substack story. While New York looks like a somewhat improbable suitor based on its current roster and draft assets, Stein says he’s heard “more than one rival team” wonder if having a star like Karl-Anthony Towns available to put in a future offer for Giannis was one of the reasons why the Knicks were willing to pull the trigger on that preseason deal with Minnesota. I’m a little skeptical that Towns is the sort of the player the Bucks would target if they ever seriously consider trading Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks and MarJon Beauchamp‘s representatives at Klutch Sports are working together to try to find a new home for the third-year forward, league sources tell Stein. Beauchamp, the No. 24 pick in the 2022 draft, has yet to emerge as a rotation player and recently had his fourth-year option for 2025/26 option declined, putting him on track to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2025. As long as they continue to operate above the second apron, the Bucks wouldn’t be able to aggregate the 24-year-old’s salary ($2,733,720) with another player’s salary for matching purposes in a bigger deal.
Beauchamp spoke to Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel on Saturday about his reaction to the Bucks declining his option. “I needed that to kind of put a fire under me,” he said. “So, I know who I am though and I know what (kind of) basketball player I am so I’m not really phased on that. I know that my work will always show and as long as I believe in myself, I’m not really worried about that. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, you know? I’m still worried about right now and controlling what I can control.”

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Richardson, Lillard, Love, Robinson

November 3rd, 2024 at 8:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bam Adebayo erupted offensively during the Heat‘s game against Washington in Mexico City on Saturday. Adebayo poured in 32 points after averaging only 11 points in the first four games. Adebayo said his teammates were determined to get him the ball, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“My teammates got me going from the jump,” Adebayo said. “We’re pros, man. Once we see the ball go in a couple times, it becomes like an ocean. Then you just get in a flow and you just get locked in, and it just feels like the ball is going to go in every time for you.”

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Josh Richardson played 16 minutes in his season debut on Saturday and didn’t score. Richardson, who has been battling shoulder, heel and calf injuries, had one assist and a rebound. “Great to be back out there. Lot of rust to knock off, but I’m grateful!” Richardson tweeted.
Could the Heat make another run at Damian Lillard, as they did in the summer of 2023? Ira Winderman of the Miami Herald believes that could happen if Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade. Winderman also anticipates the price tag for Lillard would be reduced, compared to the package Portland was seeking last year, given the guard’s age and contract.
Kevin Love could make his season debut on Monday. The veteran forward is listed as available after missing the first five games due to personal reasons, Winderman tweets. Duncan Robinson, who missed the game in Mexico City for personal reasons, will also be available for Miami’s contest against Sacramento.

Hard Caps Loom As Potential Obstacles For At Least Three NBA Teams

November 2nd, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Over half of the NBA's 30 teams face some sort of hard cap for the rest of the 2024/25 league year. A total of 14 clubs are hard-capped at the first tax apron ($178,132,000) as a result of moves they made on the trade market or in free agency, while three more are hard-capped at the second tax apron ($188,931,000).

Those teams won't be permitted to surpass their respective hard caps for any reason for the rest of '24/25, and it's entirely possible - likely, actually - that more clubs will join them on that list as they finalize in-season signings and trades in the coming months. Just a couple weeks ago, the Grizzlies became the 17th team to get hard-capped when they used a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Scotty Pippen Jr.

[RELATED: How NBA Teams Become Hard-Capped]

However, in most cases, a hard cap doesn't actually serve as a material obstacle for a team. For instance, the Hornets are currently hard-capped at the first apron, but their team salary for apron purposes is more than $16MM below that threshold.

While the Hornets could take on some additional salary in a pre-deadline trade, it's extremely hard to imagine a scenario in which they surpass the luxury tax line ($170,814,000), let alone approach their $178MM+ hard cap. Certainly, Charlotte's front office should be aware of that hard cap over the course of the season, but it shouldn't be a front-of-mind concern that would prevent the team from pulling the trigger on any moves it realistically wants to make.

Not every team can afford to approach its hard cap like the Hornets though. For a handful of clubs, the hard cap will be a day-to-day consideration that affects a team's ability to sign a free agent, make a trade, or even carry a full 15-man roster.

Let's take a closer look at which teams have to be most aware of their hard caps over the course of the 2024/25 league year.

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Heat Notes: Rotation, Smith, Adebayo, Butler, Jaquez

November 2nd, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat are fluctuating between a nine- and 10-man rotation to start the season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson and Thomas Bryant have been the biggest fixtures in the second unit. Beyond those three, Haywood Highsmith, Alec Burks and two-way player Dru Smith are next up in the rotation, with their playing time varying from game to game.

Smith, in particular, stood out in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks. Even before the game was out of reach, he played over Highsmith and Burks (who each received DNPs). Smith recorded two points, four rebounds and three blocks in 16 minutes.

“I thought he was really good in the first half,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Smith playing over Highsmith and Burks. “Some of that defensive pressure and the spark, that kind of shifted momentum and that made those minutes, not just Dru but that second unit. But that didn’t necessarily happen in the second half with that unit.”

Smith played among the second unit often in the preseason. His role may change when Josh Richardson is healthy for the Heat, but they’ve also clearly been impressed by the guard, who has spent most of his professional career in their development system since going undrafted in 2021. He’s a candidate to be converted to a standard deal at some point in the season.

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Despite an offseason push to run a more efficient offense after finishing in the bottom 10 in offensive rating the past two seasons, the Heat are struggling again in the early going, Chiang writes. It’s early and the Heat have only played four games, but Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler haven’t been offenesive sparks. Neither player is averaging more than 16.8 points per game and their efficiency is largely down. Adebayo signed a three-year max extension this offseason, while Butler will reportedly play out this year of his deal before opting out to enter free agency in 2025. The Heat know they need to get their stars more involved. “We just got to know where the ball got to go. We got to find our guys, put them in a spot to be successful,” Butler said. “I think we got to be better at that. Seeing the mismatches, knowing when somebody ain’t have the ball for a minute and give it to them and let them attack.”
Being healthier than last season has provided Miami with its own set of unique challenges, Chiang writes in a separate post. Tyler Herro and 2024 trade deadline acquisition Terry Rozier are still learning to play together. “We have the benefit now of having everybody healthy and ready to go,” Spoelstra said. “These are good challenges to have is to figure out how to be aggressive. Everybody wants to make it work. If you have more weapons, sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get on the same page. But we will, guys have great intentions.“
As the Heat prepare to tip off in Mexico City, they have a player with ties to Mexico who’s taking it all in. Even after just one season, Jaquez has established himself as a star in Mexico, Chiang writes in another piece. “I think my ultimate goal is to share the game I love with people around the world,” the Mexican-American forward said. “I know it speaks loud to people knowing that I have Mexican heritage and to be able to play down there in front of all those fans, especially those young kids. It’s going to be inspiring for them just to be able to see that. Hopefully we get a new generation, a new wave of great Mexican, Latino basketball players who want to follow this and pursue it as their passion.” According to Chiang, Jaquez hasn’t decided if he’ll represent USA Basketball or the Mexican national team moving forward.