The Heat have been active in the buyout market in past years and they could fill their open roster spot will a veteran in the coming weeks, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Miami could look to add a power forward if Markieff Morris remains out or wait to see if another rotation player gets injured. Winderman doesn’t expect the Heat to fill the spot with a long-term prospect as they did with Kendrick Nunn three years ago or Omer Yurtseven last season, since they’re focused on winning a championship this season.
We have more info on the Southeast Division:
- Daniel Gafford has long-term security after signing an extension that runs through the 2025/26 season. However, the Wizards big man had to be patient to regain a starting role, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Following a bout with COVID, he replaced Thomas Bryant in the starting five on Friday and produced 17 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes. “There was a lot of frustration, but at the end of the day, I wanted to be a good teammate. I didn’t want to wear my feelings on my sleeves,” Gafford said. “There was times where I did, but at the end of the day, I can’t bring that negative energy around the team. So I apologized to the team for that, the times that I did do it.”
- Markelle Fultz made his season debut tonight. It’s the end of a long hard road of rehab for the Magic guard, who tore his ACL last season. “It’s been a long time coming,” Fultz told Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s been a long time of just all the hard work I put in. All those tough days, I did it for this moment right here, just to be able to go out there and be able to compete. Just happy. Not many words I can express it.”
- Though Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t appear to be close to making his Wizards debut, coach Wes Unseld Jr. said they’re not thinking about shutting him down for the season, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. “You hope that at some point you don’t see the effects they are concerned with and we can kind of expedite the return. But until that point, we’re going to treat it day-to-day and hope that he responds well,” Unseld said. Porzingis has already been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Detroit due to knee soreness.
Markelle played at a All-Star level tonight. His decision making & his spin move were equally tight all night & he was homicide in the mid-range. Orlando has an extremely exciting young backcourt no doubt. Now they just need JI back & they’ll be cookin with grease
That game was on my early watch schedule as well. Nice debut , looked crisp
To Bamba or not to Bamba is their big Q this summer, I’m torn as the C market is going to be overly saturated the next 2 years providing some values with teams that have open cap like they will have
I’d move on from Bamba if I’m Orlando. They got Wendell as their starting 5 for the foreseeable future & they’ll be able to pay a guy like Bobby Portis to upgrade from Bamba
My guess is Detroit once again get the first overall pick and Orlando gets the second and with Jabari Smith off the board they take Chet Holmgren. Which leads them to letting Bamba walk.
Still think they are overloaded with point guards and lack shooter at the 2 spot.
I’d flip Suggs, Ross and the 31st pick for Eric Gordon, KPJ and the 19th pick (Nets).
They then also draft Kendall Brown.
Orlando then line up Cole KPJ F.Wagner Isaacs Carter and off the bench Fultz Gordon Brown Okeke and Chet. Plus have a bunch of cap space with Gary Harris, Bamba and Robin Lopez gone.
I’d go with Paolo over Chet if I’m Orlando no doubt. They need an elite scorer & Paolo fits that more than Chet or even Jabari does. Bobby Portis should be their #1 target in free agency as a complement to Wendell in the pivot. Bamba not panning out is even more reason for them to avoid Chet tbh. Chet is def more skilled than Bamba but they’re extremely similar guys & Paolo is to perfect of a fit to pass up. Paolo would be their 3 for the next decade. He pairs well with JI or Franz at the forward & 20yrs later would give the Magic alot of what they expected when they signed Grant Hill in free agency
Portis will ink with Mil…he stuck there this long (and cheap) to get early bird rights
You think Paolo at the 3 with Isaacs?
Thought Wagner was playing really well
Not a fan of that trade either, especially from Orlando’s pov. 1st off it seems you see KPJ as a 2guard but he’s as much of a pg as Suggs if not moreso. He’s been Houston’s starting pg all season long. Trading for him doesn’t solve your perceived logjam at pg. Which btw I disagree that having all those talented guards is a problem. I wouldn’t look to trade Suggs at all if I’m Orlando & if I did trade him it would most likely be for a top5 pick in this upcoming draft. Markelle & Cole are a really potent starting backcourt to have next season & Suggs would be a perfect 3rd guard, especially if he improves the way I’m sure he will in his 2nd season. RJ may get moved but me personally I would be extremely hesitant to do that as well. They have the cap space & the draft capital to be able to improve their team without giving up any of their young backcourt talent. So why would they, especially to bring back yet another talented, mercurial young pg
I definitely see KPJ as a 2.
He played all of college as a 2, was drafted as a 2, traded to Houston as a 2 and since drafting Jalen Green he’s become a PG.
If you watch him play he looks best when he’s not trying to create for others and instead just get a bucket himself. He can create for others and will have good assists numbers but he looks best creating for himself.
I also think that’s why he would be a good fit in Orlando with Cole. Both score first guards but both also capable of creating for others. I could see them both averaging like 18-6 each. Whereas Suggs looks like a traditional point guard and I think on a new team would do terrific. I just think on the Magic there are to many point guards (Cole, Suggs, Fultz, Hampton) and not enough scorers.
I think your comments on Chet are fair tho. He definitely has similarities win Bamba in the fact both are really highly skilled but need work polishing their games and bulking out their frames. Bamba took a lot of time to get him to where he is now and I think they wouldn’t want to go through all that again with Chet. But as the same time Jabari and Paolo both project to be 4’s and that position is Isaacs. You’ve then got a bunch of shooting guards in Ivey, Sharpe, Mathurin etc available from 4-8. Trading down and taking a SG wouldn’t be a bad option if it can get them a future first.