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Heat, Raptors May Be Frontrunners For Giannis Antetokounmpo

September 4th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

With the Bucks in a 2-0 hole against Miami, there may be a lot more at stake than just winning a playoff series. Several suitors have their eyes on Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Vincent G0odwill of Yahoo Sports, and Miami is making a strong bid by winning the first two games.

The Heat and Raptors are considered the frontrunners to eventually land Antetokounmpo, with one source telling Goodwill it’s an “open secret” on the Disney World campus. The Bucks star is headed for free agency in 2021 if he doesn’t agree to a new deal with Milwaukee. General manager Jon Horst has said the team plans to offer a supermax deal to the reigning MVP, but Antetokounmpo’s interest in staying with the Bucks could be tied to their playoff success.

Although Antetokounmpo has put up impressive numbers in the first two games against Miami, averaging 24.5 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, the Heat defense designed by coach Eric Spoelstra has made him work for everything. Goodwill notes that Milwaukee has looked off-balance so far, with Miami dictating the style and pace of play.

“This is what great players do, present challenges,” Spoelstra said of facing Antetokounmpo. “You want it to be easy? It’s not gonna be easy. He’s not gonna stop. He’s incredibly gifted and aggressive and he’s gonna put you in compromising positions.”

Goodwill suggests Antetokounmpo might benefit from playing for an elite coach like Spoelstra, just as LeBron James did at a similar stage of his career. James was already a dominant player when he came to Miami 10 years ago, but Spoelstra was able to challenge him to improve and led him to his first two NBA titles.

Antetokounmpo is the cornerstone of what Milwaukee been building for several years, and the decision on his next contract will determine the future of the franchise. The whispers about his departure will only get louder if the Bucks don’t find a way to get past the Heat.

Ja Morant Named NBA Rookie Of The Year

September 3rd, 2020 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the 2019/20 season, the league announced today in a press release. Morant was a near-unanimous choice, receiving 99 out of 100 possible first-place votes.

Heat guard Kendrick Nunn finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, receiving 56 second-place votes and 36 third-place votes. Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who only appeared in 19 games prior to the NBA’s shutdown in March, received the final first-place vote and finished third.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Morant had an outstanding season in Memphis, averaging 17.8 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 3.9 RPG to go along with a .477/.335/.776 shooting line in 67 games (31.0 MPG).

He was unable to lead the Grizzlies to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference this summer, as Memphis lost the play-in game last month to the Trail Blazers. However, voting was based on games completed as of March 11, and despite the disappointing finish to the season, Morant and the Grizzlies significantly outperformed their expectations for 2019/20.

Nunn, an undrafted free agent, averaged 15.3 PPG and 3.3 APG in 67 games (29.3 MPG) as the Heat’s starting point guard this season.

Williamson would have been the frontrunner to win the Rookie of the Year award if a knee injury hadn’t sidelined him for much of the season — he recorded 22.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.1 APG in just 24 games (27.8 MPG). His limited playing time created a dilemma for voters. Despite receiving one first-place vote, last year’s No. 1 overall pick was also left off 38 of 100 total three-man ballots.

Here are the full Rookie of the Year voting results:

Ja Morant, Grizzlies (498 points)
Kendrick Nunn, Heat (204)
Zion Williamson, Pelicans (140)
Brandon Clarke, Grizzlies (50)
Coby White, Bulls (3)
Eric Paschall, Warriors (2)
Terence Davis, Raptors (2)
RJ Barrett, Knicks (1)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2020 Offseason Choices; Rise Of Robinson; Butler Loving Life On Heat

September 2nd, 2020 at 5:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Heat have a number of free agents and may need to make some tough choices this summer, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Veteran starters Goran Dragic, 34, and Jae Crowder, 30, will be free agents this offseason. Bench big man Kelly Olynyk has a $12.2MM player option for 2020/21 that could clog up the team’s cap this summer.

The Heat will look to build on an exciting 2019/20 campaign that sees them currently up 1-0 on the top Eastern Conference seed, the Bucks, in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Heat wing sniper Duncan Robinson has risen through the ranks, from an undistinguished high school basketball career to a little-noticed college tenure with Division III school Williams College to becoming a starter on an upstart playoff Miami squad in his second NBA season. Ramone Shelbourne of ESPN details the forward’s rise. “It’s my job to make shots,” Robinson said. “But the big shift is that I understand it’s actually my job to take these shots.”
The Heat have given assistant coach Dan Craig permission to interview for the Bulls‘ open head coaching position, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a separate story. The 38-year-old Craig has worked with the Heat organization in various capacities for 17 years. He has been an assistant coach for the past four years.
Five-time Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler, coming off a playoff career-high 40-point night against the Bucks, feels “welcomed” in Miami after his oft-discussed exits from several prior NBA stops, as we detailed in a previous story.

Jimmy Butler: “I Couldn’t Be In A Happier Place”

September 2nd, 2020 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler has heard himself described as a bad teammate and a coach’s nightmare in the past few years as he traveled from from Chicago to Minnesota to Philadelphia. But in a wide-ranging interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Butler says Miami is the perfect place for him — both from a fit standpoint and due to a shared commitment to winning.

Butler’s acerbic style wore thin in his other NBA stops, but his extreme training regimen has been a seamless fit with the Heat. Amick notes that they are the only team at the Disney World complex that hasn’t skipped a day of practice and they regularly use the entire three-hour window that’s allotted to them.

“Here (with the Heat), I’m wanted man,” Butler said. “And that’s all you ever want as a human being, as a basketball player, as anything is to feel wanted. I’m wanted. I’m welcomed here. And I couldn’t be in a happier place, or around better guys.”

Butler touches on several other subjects during the interview:

On previous clashes with teammates, coaches and management:

“If you’re not there, and you don’t know what’s really going on. You can only go by what you read or what somebody else says happened. I’m not one to always just tell you what happened, because I don’t give a damn what you think anyways, regardless. If me working hard makes people feel a certain way about how I go about things, I wasn’t meant to be there. Like here, I work incredibly hard. And everybody knows, so I don’t have to say it.”

On rumors that former Sixers coach Brett Brown didn’t want the team to re-sign Butler last summer:

“I don’t even think about what could have happened with Brett Brown. What could have happened. … I don’t, because if I get too lost in that I’m not doing my due diligence for these guys. … I couldn’t care less how anybody labels me. Just know that I do everything in my power to win. That’s what brings me the most joy, is that no matter what you think, or no matter what you might say, you’re never going to be able to say that I’m not a winner. I may not have won ‘it,’ but you’re not going to say that I was a loser, that I played a losing style of basketball. You’ll never say that.”

On Sixers center Joel Embiid tweeting “IF” on Monday, which was believed to be a reference to what the team might have accomplished if Butler had stayed:

“That’s my guy. Outside of basketball, I love that man to death. He knows that. I tell him every opportunity I get, and I appreciate him for making me a better player, a better leader, better at understanding so many different things. I talk to him all the time, and I tell him, ‘I wish you were still in the playoffs, because you deserve a championship.’ Because he works. He works at it, and that’s just my guy. Yeah, I saw it, and I know that he still wanted me to be on his team. And I still wanted to be teammates with him. Let’s not get that misunderstood. But here, with these guys, I’m not trading that for the world either.”

On the conference semifinal matchup with Milwaukee and Butler’s declaration that the Heat came to Orlando to win an NBA title:

“We’re in the same place. We haven’t done anything. We won a game. For us, that’s what we’re supposed to do. For us, we’re supposed to win in four. It may not be — everybody else may not think that, but for us, we’re in it to win it, man. We work too hard. Like, I can only keep saying that. We’re studying film like there’s no tomorrow. To me, we were built for this. We can do this.”

Butler Has Fit In Seamlessly With Franchise

September 1st, 2020 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jimmy Butler has fit in perfectly with the Heat’s culture, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. The Bulls and Timberwolves traded Butler away and the 76ers didn’t make him a priority in free agency. However, Miami has been a better spot for the sometimes abrasive swingman, since the front office and coaching staff welcomes a measure of friction, believing it can be a positive in the long run. It leads to more focus, camaraderie and trust, Windhorst adds.

Bulls Begin Interviewing Head Coaching Candidates

September 1st, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls‘ search for a new head coach is underway, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the team has received permission to speak to a number of candidates and has begun conducting interviews.

Several candidates identified by Wojnarowski have been previously reported as potential targets for Chicago. That group includes former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, Sixers assistant Ime Udoka, Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas, and Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool.

In addition to those candidates, Wojnarowski reports that the Bulls have also been granted permission to talk to Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley and Heat assistant Dan Craig.

Finally, current Bulls assistants Chris Fleming and Roy Rogers – holdovers from Jim Boylen‘s staff who remain under contract – may receive consideration for the top job, according to Wojnarowski. K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago indicates that Fleming could have a role on the new staff if he isn’t promoted, since he has previously worked with Bulls executive VP Arturas Karnisovas in Denver and there’s a “trust factor” between the two men.

Following Boylen’s dismissal, Karnisovas suggested that Chicago is seeking a head coach who “puts the relationship with players first” and is “a good communicator.” The Bulls, who appear to be conducting a wide-ranging search, could be competing with the Pacers, Sixers, Nets, and Pelicans for certain candidates, since all of those clubs are also in the market for new head coaches.

While Karnisovas has said there’s no set timeline for finalizing a new hire, it will be interesting to see whether Chicago tries to have a new head coach in place for its organized offseason team activities, which are scheduled to take place from September 14 to October 6.

Brandon Ingram Wins Most Improved Player Award

August 31st, 2020 at 6:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Brandon Ingram has been named the league’s Most Improved Player, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets.

The Pelicans forward collected 42 first-place votes and 326 total points to edge Heat center Bam Adebayo, who picked up 38 first-place votes and 295 points. Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (12 first-place votes, 101 points) finished a distant third. A global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters voted on the award.

The seeding games in Orlando were not considered when the voting was conducted.

From the beginning of the season through the stoppage of play on March 11, Ingram averaged 24.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 4.3 APG in 34.3 MPG in 56 games. He was one of seven players to average at least 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals this season.

He will be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Ingram made 137 3-pointers in games played through March 11, which is more than he recorded in his first three seasons combined (127).

Ingram, who turns 23 on Sept. 2, was selected as a reserve for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in his first season with New Orleans after being included in the blockbuster, multi-team deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers. Ingram averaged 18.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 3.0 APG in 33.8 MPG in 52 games with the Lakers last season.

The Raptors’ Pascal Siakam won the award last year and finished seventh in voting this season. The full voting results can be found right here.

Poll: Who Will Make Eastern Conference Finals?

August 30th, 2020 at 6:00pm CST by JD Shaw

With the Celtics and Raptors officially kicking off one half of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday, it’s time to consider which two teams are most likely to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals next round.

The other half of the semis feature a much-anticipated series between the Heat and Bucks, with Game 1 scheduled to take place on Monday.

All four teams accrued impressive records during the regular season (Bucks at 56-17, Raptors at 53-19, Celtics at 48-24, and Heat at 44-29), and each have unquestionably earned the right to compete for a spot in the next round. Despite Miami finishing 12 games behind Milwaukee this season, the team is known for slowing down opposing stars and utilizing strategies such as zone defense when needed.

The Heat thrive on three-point shooting and are widely recognized as one of the top perimeter teams in the league behind the likes of Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and others. Therein lies a weakness for Milwaukee, which prefers to pack the interior while allowing a high rate of attempts from behind the arc.

Nevertheless, a clear talent disparity exists between the Bucks and Heat, with Milwaukee having the Defensive Player of the Year and perennial Most Valuable Player candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The club also has a second All-Star in Khris Middleton, who averaged a career-high 20.9 points per game on 50% shooting from the floor and 42% from deep this season.

As for the Celtics and Raptors, Boston managed to take Game 1 behind Kemba Walker‘s 18 points and 10 assists — his first career playoff double-double — and Jayson Tatum‘s 21 points. The team played without Gordon Hayward (right ankle sprain), who could return later in the series.

Toronto possesses a unique starting backcourt comprising of two smaller guards (Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet), both of whom are electric offensively and pesky on defense. However, it remains to be seen how successful the team could be in the playoffs with that undersized backcourt. The Raptors were able to force 22 turnovers on Sunday, but the team shot just 31-of-84 from the field (36.9%) and 10-of-40 from deep (25%).

What do you think? Who do you believe will reach the Eastern Conference Finals next round? Do you think the Raptors will return for a second consecutive year, or do you think the Celtics will make it for the first time since losing a seven-game series to Cleveland in 2018? Do the Heat have what it takes to defeat the star-studded Bucks, or will Milwaukee be too much to handle in a playoff series?

Vote in our poll, then take to the comments section below to voice your opinion!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Crowder May Get Short-Term Offer; Silva Injured

August 30th, 2020 at 12:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jae Crowder has been a valuable addition for the Heat, but management will be cautious about making a long-term investment, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami may be planning to maximize cap room for a star-filled free agency market in 2021, and the front office learned from overvaluing players such as Tyler Johnson, James Johnson and Dion Waiters. Winderman believes Crowder might have to accept a large one-year contract if he wants to remain in Miami.
Heat forward Chris Silva has a stress fracture in his left pubic bone and there’s no timetable for his return, the team announced in an email. Silva, who started the season on a two-way contract, appeared in 44 games but didn’t play in the first-round series against Indiana.

Injury Updates: Butler, Westbrook, Lowry, Beverley

August 29th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have a week-long break after sweeping the Pacers in the first round, and the time off has given two players a chance to overcome injuries, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jimmy Butler, who played Game 4 against Indiana with a strained left shoulder, and Jae Crowder, who has been dealing with a sprained left ankle, were both able to practice today.

“We had a couple of really good days of work and nobody was in a mood to work on Wednesday night or Thursday,” said coach Erik Spoelstra, who now has a fully healthy roster. “And that was the reason for this pause. We’ve been able to get a couple good days of work (Friday and Saturday). We’ll watch the (Bucks-Magic) game this afternoon and see what happens. Either way, our guys will be ready.”

There’s more injury news around the league:

Russell Westbrook will make his playoff debut for the Rockets today, but his minutes will be restricted, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Coach Mike D’Antoni said Westbrook, who has been sidelined since Aug. 11 with a strained right quadriceps, will be limited to 25-28 minutes in Game 5.
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Sunday’s opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Lowry sprained his left ankle in the final game of the Nets series when he stepped on Chris Chiozza‘s foot. He was able to practice today, and Toronto coach Nick Nurse said he “looked OK.”
Clippers guard Patrick Beverley has been moved from doubtful to questionable for Sunday’s Game 6 against Dallas, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Beverley hasn’t played since the series opener because of a strained left calf.
Nuggets guard Gary Harris is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 6 against Utah, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Harris is dealing with a strained right hip and hasn’t been able to play since the season restarted.