Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Herro, Rozier, Miller, Mexico City

November 9th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat guard Tyler Herro expects to miss “probably a couple weeks” after spraining his right ankle in Wednesday’s game at Memphis, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro landed on Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s foot after shooting a floater in the first quarter. He fell to the court in pain, then hobbled to the locker room without putting any weight on the ankle.

“It was something I felt right when it happened,” Herro said. “I felt it and I kind of knew mentally. I heard some crunches and cracks in my ankle. I’m like, ‘Yeah, that will be it.’ I actually told the bench, ‘I’m done. I can’t keep going.’ It’s unfortunate, but I’m just going to continue to work hard. I’ve been through this injury stuff before and I’m just going to keep working.”

X-rays were negative, but Herro returned to Miami this morning for an MRI with the team’s medical staff, Chiang adds. He was averaging 25.3 PPG coming into Wednesday, and an extended absence would create a major challenge for a team that already has the fifth-worst offensive rating in the league.

Duncan Robinson started the second half with Herro unavailable, and Dru Smith played nearly 15 minutes off the bench. Chiang notes that Kyle Lowry took on a larger role, posting season highs with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

“It’s a process at this point,” Bam Adebayo said. “We’ll get him back when we get him back. The biggest thing for him is getting healthy and being able to stay at that high level he’s been at it.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets guard Terry Rozier doesn’t have a timetable to return from the left adductor strain he suffered Saturday night, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Addressing the media for the first time since the injury, Rozier said it happened on a routine play. “It was just going downhill,” said Rozier, who has already been ruled out for Friday’s game. “I think just trying to do an in-and-out. I’ve watched the play a lot of times and I think I just dragged my foot, and it kind of tweaked in the groin area. So, it kind of strained it and that’s what happened. But I’ve never had an injury like that before, so that’s why I kind of reacted like that. But I’ll be fine.”
With Rozier sidelined, the Hornets have inserted Brandon Miller into their starting lineup, Boone adds. The No. 2 overall pick has gotten off to a strong start and is among the rookie leaders in points, rebounds, assists and minutes per game. “He’s doing good,” Rozier said. “He’s just getting his feet wet. He’s one of those guys that just gets better day-by-day, like really huge too. So, I’m happy to see his growth … I think we all are. I’m happy he’s in that position to start.”
Mexico City will host tonight’s game between the Magic and the Hawks, shining a spotlight on a location that could be considered for the NBA’s next round of expansion, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Injury Notes: Davis, Hayes, Jones, Herro, C. Thomas

November 8th, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Rory Maher

After previously expressing optimism that he wouldn’t miss additional time with the injury, Lakers big man Anthony Davis was ruled out of Wednesday’s game vs. Houston due to left hip spasms, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.

The Lakers were also without reserve center Jaxson Hayes, who is dealing with a left ankle sprain, McMenamin adds.

Davis initially sustained the injury on Monday against Miami, exiting the game in the third quarter. Sources tell McMenamin the Lakers are hopeful Davis will be back in action for Friday’s matchup in Phoenix.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Pelicans were extremely shorthanded on Wednesday, with multiple rotation players sidelined for various reasons. A third starter — wing Herbert Jones — was ruled out ahead of the matchup vs. Minnesota due to a right fibula contusion, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. With so many players injured, all three of the team’s two-way players (Matt Ryan, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dereon Seabron) received first-quarter minutes, with Robinson-Earl getting a starting nod, Guillory adds (via Twitter). Robinson-Earl just signed his two-way deal with the Pelicans last week.
Heat guard Tyler Herro is off to a strong start in 2023/24, but unfortunately he sustained a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game vs. Memphis and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter). Bally Sports Heat has the video (Twitter link), with Herro landing on Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s foot following a floater in the lane. Herro was unable to put weight on his leg after the injury and hopped to the locker room.
Another player off to a terrific start this season is Nets guard Cam Thomas. Unfortunately, he suffered a left ankle sprain on Wednesday vs. the Clippers and missed the remainder of the game, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links), who adds that Thomas will undergo an MRI on Thursday. The 2021 first-round pick rolled his ankle after stepping on P.J. Tucker‘s foot (Twitter video link via Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily).

Heat Hire Udonis Haslem As VP Of Basketball Development

November 7th, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Udonis Haslem, who spent 20 years with the Heat as a player, is officially back with the franchise — this time in a front office role. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, Miami has hired Haslem as the club’s vice president of basketball development.

As Reynolds details, Haslem’s duties will include working with the coaching staff, mentoring players with the Heat and the Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami’s G League affiliate), and representing the franchise in the community and in business endeavors.

Haslem has spent some time at Heat practices in recent weeks, with a report ahead of opening night indicating that he was expected to receive a formal front office title soon.

During his final years as a player, Haslem repeatedly said that he didn’t have much interest in coaching but that he would like to have a post-retirement role with the Heat in the front office or as a minority stakeholder. While an ownership shares hasn’t materialized so far, Haslem’s new position will keep him involved in the organization for the foreseeable future.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets, Haslem is the latest in a long line of former Heat players to work for the team after retiring. He joins Alonzo Mourning, Shane Battier, Caron Butler, Malik Allen, Wayne Ellington, Glen Rice, and Chris Quinn in that group.

LeBron: Came To Miami To Win Titles

November 6th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James, whose Lakers played against Miami on Monday, spoke at length about his time with the Heat. James indicated he had a singular purpose when he bolted his hometown team to play there, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I came here for one reason and for one reason only, to win championships. That was my only goal,” he said. “That’s the only reason that I teamed up with (Dwyane Wade) and (Chris) Bosh. Because I felt like I couldn’t do it in Cleveland. So I had an opportunity to be a free agent, I did what I thought was best not only for my career but for me at that point in time.”

L.A. Notes: Harden, Clippers, Hayes, Prince, Vincent, Lakers

November 5th, 2023 at 5:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Harden will be on some sort of minutes restriction in his Clippers debut on Monday against the Knicks, Adam Zagoria relays in a NJ.com story.

“There will probably be something,” coach Tyronn Lue said of limiting Harden’s minutes. “We don’t want to just jump right into it and play him crazy minutes, so we’ll just talk to the medical staff and just see what’s best.”

Harden will also have to adjust to being off the ball on a majority of possessions when he’s sharing the backcourt with Russell Westbrook.

“That’s what we talked about the last two or three days, is just when they’re on the floor together, just making sure James is off the ball and let Russ be more of the point guard,” Lue said.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

Jaxson Hayes is listed as questionable for the Lakers’ road game against the Heat on Monday due to a sprained left ankle, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Jarred Vanderbilt are already listed as out due to a variety of injuries. However, Taurean Prince is not on the injury report after missing the last two games due to a knee injury.
Vincent won’t be able to play against his former team because of a knee injury, but he indicated he wanted to return to Miami during free agency. Vincent’s stock rose during the postseason, putting him out of the Heat‘s price range, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think I had a good playoff run, and I think that changed my value,” Vincent said. “I think once that changed, it just became more difficult. I think Miami wanted me to be there. I think I was naturally looking to return to the team I just had a Finals run with and the team I had been with for the last three or four seasons. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out. But my value had changed.” Vincent joined the Lakers on a three-year, $33MM deal.
The Lakers have been outscored 117-54 in second-chance points through six games and coach Darvin Ham says it’s simply a matter of effort and positioning, Price writes. “You can’t scheme rebounding,” Ham said. “You’ve got to want to get the ball. Plain and simple. The shot goes up, if your opponent is in your area, you’ve got to get hits, put bodies on bodies and be the most aggressive one to the ball. That’s it. There’s no play I can draw up to get more rebounds.”

Heat Notes: Highsmith, Herro, Love, Vincent

November 4th, 2023 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Haywood Highsmith made his first start of the season Friday night as coach Erik Spoelstra continues to experiment with forwards to fit alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in the Heat’s frontcourt, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson notes that Highsmith is the fifth player to fill that role in Miami’s last 11 meaningful games, with Kevin Love, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez also getting opportunities as starters.

Highsmith scored 10 points and stood out defensively on Friday as the Heat outscored the Wizards by 10 points in his 22 minutes on the court. He told Jackson that he’s determined to become a rotation player in his third season with Miami.

“Now that I’m here, I’m here to stay and trying to be an NBA player for a long, long time,” Highsmith said. “Trying to get more minutes and create a role for myself in this league and putting everyone on notice that I’m here to stay.”

There’s more from Miami:

Tyler Herro has shown improvement on defense this season, Jackson adds. In four games guarding Mikal Bridges, Cade Cunningham, Jordan Poole and Cam Thomas, Herro has held them to a combined 8-of-22 from the field. “I’m not a bad defender,” Herro said. “I’m trying to tell you guys that. If you watch the game, I’m decent. I am getting better. I was our best defender at Kentucky. … I have speed and quickness. I can read plays before they happen.”
Love didn’t play at all Friday, but his role on the team won’t diminish, Jackson states in a separate story. Spoelstra indicated to reporters that the lineup change may be temporary and emphasized that he wasn’t blaming Love for the team’s 1-4 start. “I hated having to make that move because Kevin brings so much from a connection and spirit and leadership standpoint,” Spoelstra said. “This is just a move for now. K-Love is going to have a role for us. It’s just for right now, just to stabilize, a move I felt was best for the time being. And we’ll see what happens. I will continue to evaluate until we get our game to whatever we need to get it to.”
Gabe Vincent expected to re-sign with the Heat after last season’s run to the NBA Finals, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. However, the three-year, $33MM offer he received from the Lakers was too good to turn down. “I had an opportunity to perform the way I did in the playoffs, and I think that changed drastically what my offseason looked like,” Vincent said.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

November 4th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters. The Grizzlies have been granted an extra roster spot after moving Ja Morant to the suspended list, so let’s call it 541.

Of those 541 potential roster spots, 527 are currently occupied, leaving just 14 open roster spots around the NBA. Four of those open roster spots belong to two teams, while 10 other clubs have one opening apiece.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]

Here’s the full breakdown:

Two open standard roster spots

Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers

As we’ve previously discussed, teams can only carry two open spots on their standard rosters for up to 14 days at a time, so the Warriors and Clippers will each have to add a 14th man soon.

That deadline is coming up very soon for the Warriors, who have had two open roster spots since the start of the season on October 24. The Clippers, who just dipped to 13 players following their two trades on Thursday, will have a little more time to decide on their next roster move.

I wouldn’t expect either team to be in any rush to add a 15th man, since both clubs are well above the luxury tax line.

One open standard roster spot

Boston Celtics
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers

Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Lakers, Heat, and Pelicans are all over the tax line, while the Bulls, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves don’t have much breathing room below it. Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but they’ll be in no rush to do so yet.

The Pistons are well below the tax, however, while the Trail Blazers have more than enough flexibility to sign a 15th man without getting too close to tax territory. Both teams should be on the lookout for players who would make good candidates to fill those openings.

One open two-way roster spot

Phoenix Suns

It’s no coincidence that Phoenix, the only NBA team without a G League affiliate of its own, is also the only club carrying just a pair of two-way players instead of three.

With no NBAGL team where they can send players for developmental purposes, the Suns will be less motivated to carry a full complement of two-way players, since it’s unlikely they’ll need three of them to regularly contribute at the NBA level unless their standard roster is beset by injuries.

Sixers Notes: Trade Targets, Harden, Maxey, Embiid, Harris, Martin

November 2nd, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors forward OG Anunoby is a player to watch as the Sixers try to remake their roster following the James Harden trade, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says in a conversation with Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Scotto states that Nick Nurse is a huge fan of Anunoby after coaching him in Toronto, and he would be a good fit with the current roster on both offense and defense. Scotto also points out that the Sixers would have plenty of cap room to re-sign Anunoby when he becomes a free agent next summer.

Sources tell Scotto that Philadelphia may eye a few other trade targets such as Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic. He hears the Sixers aren’t interested in pursuing Karl-Anthony Towns to play alongside Joel Embiid because he hasn’t meshed well with Rudy Gobert on the Timberwolves. Bulls swingman DeMar DeRozan would provide scoring punch, but he also brings spacing issues to the offense. Scotto doesn’t believe Philadelphia currently has interest in either Raptors forward Pascal Siakam or Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant.

Pompey doesn’t see another ball-dominant scorer as an ideal fit because of Tyrese Maxey‘s strong play to open the season. Anunoby’s defense and Bogdanovic’s outside shooting would be more valuable, according to Pompey, and they’re likely to cost less than some of the other hypothetical targets.

Scotto and Pompey offer more on the Sixers:

The Clippers‘ offer that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey accepted for James Harden was the only legitimate one he received, according to Pompey. He speculates that the organization wanted to unload Harden before he was reintroduced to the team and possibly caused a distraction, and there was concern that L.A.’s interest in Harden might lessen if the team got off to a strong start. Scotto hears that the Knicks called about Harden but never made a serious offer, while the Heat weren’t involved at all.
The Sixers believe it will take a max contract to keep Maxey in free agency next summer, Scotto hears. The fourth-year guard has excelled as the leader of the offense with Harden sidelined, but Scotto believes the organization has to determine whether he’s best suited as a point guard or shooting guard.
Embiid is “monitoring the situation” to see if Morey can build a legitimate contender before making any decisions about his future, Pompey states. The Sixers are currently optimistic about keeping him happy, but Pompey warns that another early playoff exit could prompt him to ask for a trade during the offseason.
The Sixers will be interested in re-signing Tobias Harris, but they can’t give him close to a max contract because of how much they’ll have to pay Maxey and possibly others, Pompey adds. He points out that Philadelphia has Harris’ Bird rights, which will help with his next contract but would eat into the club’s cap room.
Sources tell Scotto that the Sixers are “intrigued” with Kenyon Martin Jr., who was part of the return from the Clippers in the Harden deal, and may consider re-signing him next summer if he plays well.

Heat Notes: Slow Start, Injuries, Adebayo, Tournament

November 2nd, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

After reaching the NBA Finals last season, the Heat have stumbled out of the gate, dropping four of their first five games. The team let an opportunity slip away Wednesday night, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, squandering a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter in a home loss to the Nets, who were playing without three starters.

Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler combined for 71 points, but Miami only got 34 more from the other six players that coach Erik Spoelstra used. The Heat committed a season-high 18 turnovers, which led to 25 points for Brooklyn. At 1-4, the team is off to its worst start in 15 years, and the players are hoping to get control of the situation before it becomes urgent.

“We don’t want to dig this hole too deep,” Adebayo said. “So that’s the concern because the season starts going like this, then obviously you get to the (trade) deadline and you don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s the concern because we got a great group of guys, we just got to figure it out.”

There’s more from Miami:

Haywood Highsmith was able to play Wednesday after missing the first four games with a knee issue, but injuries continue to be a problem, Chiang adds. Caleb Martin sat out his fourth straight game with pain in his left knee and Kevin Love missed the contest with a left shoulder contusion as the Heat haven’t had a fully healthy rotation yet this season. “I’m not going to talk about anybody’s injuries anymore,” Spoelstra told reporters before Wednesday’s game. “If anybody is hurt, if they’re not available, all they have to do is focus on being available. That’s it. I’m not talking about any injuries or who’s in or who’s out. I know who’s playing tonight. That’s all I’m focused on.”
Udonis Haslem spent the past few seasons preparing Adebayo for the responsibilities of taking over as team captain before passing along that title when he retired, Chiang states in another story. “I think the only change is it’s official,” Adebayo said. “It was kind of like unwritten. Now it’s stamped. It comes with a whole bunch of responsibility, but also a great amount of opportunity. The biggest thing for me as a captain is being able to lead this team and get us over this hump and get us to a championship.”
Friday’s game against the Wizards will mark the start of the in-season tournament, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Nikola Jovic has played in similar events in Europe, and he hopes it eventually produces the same atmosphere in the NBA. “Those are really big,” Jovic said. “People really compete for that. It means a lot. But this is a little different. I hope it’s going to translate here. The only thing is, it’s going to feel like a regular season game, it’s just going to have a different court and it’s going to be called something different.”

Southeast Notes: Butler, Richardson, Anthony, Magic, Hornets

October 31st, 2023 at 10:32pm CST by Rory Maher

After an injury-riddled 2022/23 season that surprisingly saw Miami reach the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the East, the Heat once again have dealt with several injuries to start ’23/24, with starters and rotation players missing time. That has played a factor in the team’s 1-3 start, which includes three consecutive road losses, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes.

According to Chiang, Jimmy Butler — who already missed a game due to rest — is the latest player to pop up on the injury report, having been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with Brooklyn due to right knee tendinitis. While there’s optimism the injury isn’t serious, it’s still a bit concerning that Butler is less than 100%, particularly since that knee has given him problems over the past few seasons, Chiang reports (via Twitter).

After three home games this week, the Heat will play nine of their following ten games on the road, and they are fully aware that this is a key stretch of the schedule, despite being very early in the season.

“This is an important week for us coming up at home,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have a lot of work to do. We’ve had a lot of moving parts early on in the season. That’s not an excuse. We need to just have a productive week. We have three games at home and we have some time with shootarounds, practices. We just need to move the needle this week.”

Here’s more from the Southeast:

One bit of good news for the Heat is that Josh Richardson was able to make his season debut in Monday’s loss at Milwaukee, notching six points, three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes. He says he’s still working his way back into shape after his preseason was cut short due to a foot injury. “Hopefully I can bring something positive to their mix, just a little ball-handling, a little pace,” Richardson said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Defensively, I think I can do some things for us. But it’s really about getting my feet wet, because I really didn’t have a preseason. So just trying to get back into the swing of things.”
Magic guard Cole Anthony, who signed a three-year, $39MM rookie scale extension before the season started, recently had an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that covers a number of topics, including his new deal, how he’s been able to improve throughout his career, and the team’s goals.
Speaking to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, head coach Jamahl Mosley credited the Magic‘s depth and health for the team’s 2-1 start. “It helps out so much because someone’s number can always be called,” Mosley said. “The work that our coaches put in with these guys is so detailed and they’ll be ready no matter when their number is called.” As Beede notes, instead of going with set rotations, Mosley has improvised and gone with who has been playing the best from game-to-game.
With the NFL’s Panthers struggling, the Hornets have a chance to become Charlotte’s premier sports team, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. However, that will only transpire if the Hornets — who are currently mired in the NBA’s longest playoff drought — can show fans they’re worth following, Boone opines.