- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Victor Oladipo will back up Kyle Lowry at point guard for the Heat. Miami is listing Oladipo as questionable to make his season debut on Monday against Houston, but the expectation is that he’ll play. The team used him at point guard when it acquired him from the Rockets last season.
Victor Oladipo could make his season debut Monday night and Heat players are excited about what he can contribute, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo hasn’t played since reinjuring the quadriceps tendon in his right knee shortly after being acquired in a trade last season. Coach Erik Spoelstra said he’ll have to get final approval from trainers before deciding whether to use Oladipo on Monday, but added that “he’s close.”
“He looks great,” Caleb Martin said of Oladipo, who has been practicing with the G League team and working out with reserves and assistant coaches. “He’s going to add a huge boost to us. Adding a player of his caliber to our team is always going to be a positive. He’s too good. He’s going to find his way. We’re all going to adjust to him and figure out how we look with him in it. He will find his way. We will adjust to him. He can’t do anything but make us a lot better. That’s the scary thing about it.”
Keeping Oladipo beyond this season could be difficult, Jackson notes. The Heat will own his Bird rights after giving him a one-year, minimum-salary contract this season, but they may not have much to offer if they’re focused on staying out of luxury tax territory. Jackson states that if they re-sign Martin to a deal in the $8MM range and keep the rest of the roster intact, that would only leave about $4-$5MM for Oladipo.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Kristaps Porzingis could make his debut with the Wizards today, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Porzingis, who has been sidelined with knee soreness, was a full participant in practice Saturday for the first time since last month’s trade and will be evaluated before the game to make sure he’s ready to play, Hughes adds.
- Executives and agents that Hughes has talked to believe Bradley Beal would definitely accept a maximum-salary offer from the Wizards this summer (video link). Hughes notes that Beal can make about $60MM more in a new five-year deal with Washington than he could by accepting a four-year contract with another team. Beal indicated this week that he’s leaning toward re-signing with the Wizards.
- Appearing on the QC Hornets’ Nest podcast, Montrezl Harrell said he understands that being traded is part of the business of the NBA. The Hornets center was acquired from the Wizards at the deadline, marking the third trade of his career and the second in six months.
- Sixers superstar James Harden won’t play on Saturday against the Heat, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Harden will sit as part of his scheduled left hamstring management. Philadelphia is 4-0 in the games he’s played, which includes a 125-119 win over Cleveland on Friday.
- Heat guard Tyler Herro has been surging since the All-Star break, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Herro has averaged 25.8 points in his last five games, working to attack more than he was before the break. “I think people know I’m a shooter. I shoot the ball well,” Herro said. “But I think my best thing is off the dribble, getting in the paint, attacking, getting to the mid-range, getting to the rim. I think that’s what I do best. I think I’m hard to stay in front of when you’re playing the shot and then my handle gets me to where I want to go.”
Victor Oladipo is expected to make his season debut for the Heat against Houston on Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Oladipo has been rehabbing from quad tendon surgery and has only played four games with Miami since being acquired last March from the Rockets. He recently participated in three practices with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Oladipo, who will likely play backup at point guard behind Kyle Lowry, was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal last offseason and will re-enter the free agent market this summer.
Oladipo played 33 games last season with Indiana, Houston and Miami, averaging 19.8 points on 41% shooting. His last healthy season was the 2017/18 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals in 75 games (34.0 MPG). He also shot 47.7% from the floor and 37.1% from deep that season.
- Heat guard Victor Oladipo has returned to the team after taking part in three practices this week with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat still haven’t provided an update on Oladipo’s potential season debut, but Chiang confirms that the club is hoping he’ll be able to play within the next couple weeks, as ESPN reported over the weekend.
Nets star Kevin Durant is expected to return to action on Thursday after being sidelined for the team’s last 21 games due to a knee injury. As Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets, Durant isn’t listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Brooklyn vs. the Heat.
Durant was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral in his left knee on January 16. At the time, an ESPN report stated that team officials were optimistic the former MVP would be able to get back on the court in about four-to-six weeks. The Nets played it safe with their leading scorer — Thursday will represent the seven-week mark since that diagnosis.
In 36 games (36.5 MPG) so far this season, Durant is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with a shooting line of .520/.372/.894.
His return will be significant for a Nets team that only has Kyrie Irving available on a part-time basis due to his vaccination status and is still waiting for three-time All-Star Ben Simmons to make his Brooklyn debut. The club slumped badly with Durant out of action, winning just five of its last 21 games and slipping from the No. 2 seed in the East to No. 8.
Simmons is reportedly being considered “week to week,” and Irving is still waiting for some good news regarding the vaccine mandate that applies to New York City’s private sector. The Nets are hopeful that the roster will be at full strength before the postseason begins in mid-April. Of course, as things stand, Brooklyn will have to win a play-in game to even earn a playoff berth.
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.
- The potential returns of Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris offer intrigue for the Heat, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Oladipo hasn’t played this season, while Morris hasn’t played in over three months. Miami owns the best record in the East (40-21) despite their absences. “I just love to see everybody try to get healthy and do what they love to do, what they’ve been doing their entire life,” Jimmy Butler said of the duo. “The fact that they’ve been out for a little bit, but still are coming in smiling and working, I think that’s the most important thing. Yeah, they want to get back. Yeah, we want them back. But in due time, they will be back and we’ll be even better.”
FEBRUARY 26: The Heat have officially signed Highsmith to a second 10-day contract, the team announced (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 25: Forward Haywood Highsmith will sign another 10-day contract with the Heat, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Highsmith signed his first standard 10-day contract on February 15. That contract was extended by one day due to the All-Star break and will expire after tonight’s game against the Knicks.
The Heat will not be able to offer Highsmith another 10-day after the next one expires.
Highsmith had an earlier 10-day stint with Miami under the hardship exception in late December and early January. Prior to Friday’s game, he had appeared in six games with Miami this season, averaging 3.7 PPG in 11.8 MPG.
Highsmith had a brief stint with the Sixers in 2018/19, appearing in five games for the club on a two-way contract. The 25-year-old also spent the 2020/21 season in Germany, but has otherwise played mostly for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, since going pro in ’18. He has appeared in 17 games with the Blue Coats this season, averaging 13.6 PPG on 39% shooting from three-point range.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo is hoping to make his season debut within the next two weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oladipo has been rehabbing from quad tendon surgery and has only played four games with Miami since being acquired 11 months ago.
With Oladipo’s season debut inching closer, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines how the veteran guard could fit in the Heat’s rotation. Oladipo will likely play backup point guard behind Kyle Lowry. The Heat could also finish games with him, sporting a defensive-minded lineup of Lowry, Oladipo, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo.
Oladipo played 33 games last season with Indiana, Houston and Miami, averaging 19.8 points on 41% shooting. His last healthy season was the 2017/18 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals per game. He also shot 48% from the floor and 37% from deep that season.
Here are some other notes from the East:
- Nets superstar Kevin Durant (sprained MCL) is also moving closer to a return, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Every day closer,” head coach Steve Nash said. “We’ll see. I expect in the next week he’ll be back for sure. It could be quick; it could be the whole week barring any setbacks.” While Durant is returning soon, Ben Simmons‘ timetable remains unclear. “He’s not gone to high intensity yet,” Nash said. “Just ramping him up still.”
- Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington poses five questions for the Wizards now that the All-Star break has passed. Among the topics Hughes addresses is Kristaps Porzingis‘ potential role, specifically how much he’ll play. The 26-year-old has only appeared in 34 games this season due to injuries.
- Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report conducted a Q&A with Bulls star Zach LaVine, covering his season, team and ambitions. LaVine has averaged 24.5 points per game and will become a free agent this summer. “For me, it’s not even about my contract [situation]”, he said. “I’m a competitor. I want to go to the playoffs and play on the big stage. Contract, everything, that all comes. But I look at it day by day. You can’t get to April in a day. You’re gonna have to play and compete each and every day to get there, and then once the playoffs come, we got to go do our thing. You know I’m really excited. I’m really excited to be on that stage, because I haven’t been there yet.”