Heat Rumors

And-Ones: Offseason Moves, Coach Contracts, Kerr, Hawaii

August 24th, 2023 at 10:02pm CST by Rory Maher

In a three-part series for The Athletic, David Aldridge ranks the teams that he believes improved the most and least this offseason. Aldridge’s most improved team is unsurprisingly the Spurs, who won the draft lottery and selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama. The Cavaliers and Suns rank Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

In the middle section, Aldridge has the Jazz at No. 11, the Pistons at No. 15, and the Warriors at No. 20. He gives the Trail Blazers an incomplete, since there’s no way to fairly evaluate their offseason until the Damian Lillard situation is resolved.

At the bottom end, the defending-champion Nuggets are No. 29 on Aldridge’s list after losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency; the No. 28 team is the Raptors, who lost Fred VanVleet to Houston.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The contracts signed by Monty Williams and Gregg Popovich will be used as benchmarks by top NBA coaches going forward. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, a trio of accomplished head coaches — Steve Kerr (Warriors), Erik Spoelstra (Heat) and Tyronn Lue (Clippers), all of whom are members of Team USA — could be the primary beneficiaries of those deals. Kerr and Spoelstra are entering the final year of their respective contracts, while Lue has two years left on his deal, Windhorst notes.
Kerr has purchased a minority stake in European football (soccer) club Real Mallorca, according to Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez of ESPN. Kerr said he was offered the opportunity by longtime friend Andy Kohlberg, who is the team’s president and recently became majority owner, per ESPN. “Andy Kohlberg and I have been friends for many years,” Kerr said. “We were together this summer. He told me there was a shift in the ownership group and he offered me the chance to be part of the new investment group. I was so excited, having been in Mallorca last summer watching a game, following the team and becoming a fan. It was a really exciting opportunity and I jumped at it.” Mallorca competes in La Liga, Spain’s top league.
The Jazz and Clippers will be playing their first preseason game in Hawaii on October 8, with all proceeds going to the wildfire relief effort, Ryan Kostecka writes for Utah’s team website.

Damian Lillard Confirms Trade Request, Yearns For Title

August 24th, 2023 at 12:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Damian Lillard confirms he has asked to be traded but avoided questions regarding the Trail Blazers and its management team in an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.

Loyal to the organization since he entered the league in 2012, Lillard finally grew weary of the franchise’s direction and requested a trade, which became public on July 1. Shortly thereafter, Lillard’s desire to be traded to the Heat became general knowledge.

“I can say that there was [a trade request] and I would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers,” he told Spears.

Lillard hoped that the Blazers would add several impactful veterans to the bench, according to Spears. Lillard’s request came at the start of free agency, after Portland had declined offers for the No. 3 pick in the draft and used it on Scoot Henderson, another point guard.

Lillard wouldn’t budge when asked what motivated him to be dealt.

“I’m not going to speak on the Blazers. It’s lot of love and respect, but I won’t speak on the Blazers,” Lillard said.

It remains to be seen what Lillard would do if he’s not traded before training camp. The guard’s friends and confidants have advised him to sit back and let the process play out.

“The best word of advice is just that, ‘Everything will come to pass,’” Lillard said. “When you in a little bit of a storm, a lot is going on and you’re being talked about, you get a little bit antsy and you feel like you got to react to stuff sometimes, but I know me. I know the type of principle I stand on. I know that I’ve been solid in everything that I’ve done every step of the way.”

The NBA fined James Harden $100K this week for “indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.” Lillard hasn’t gone that far, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement gives the league the latitude to fine a player up to $150K for making a trade request public.

Of course, that would be a proverbial drop in the bucket for a player who will make $45.64MM next season and nearly $48.8MM in 2024/25 before his two-year, $121.8MM extension kicks in.

What’s paramount for Lillard at this stage of his career is to get a ring.

“I would say the desire for that now is as high as it’s probably going to be. That’s literally the thing at the top of my list,” he said about winning a title. “When I wake up and I got to get up and go do what I got to do, I got to train, I got to make time for my kids, I still got to lift, I got to do all these things and I got to make sure that training and the preparation is still my priority. Even with being a father of three now, not one, and having all these other responsibilities, you need something that you feel pretty strong about to stay committed the way I’ve been committed. It’s as high as it’s going to get. That’s ultimately what I want to experience and that’s what I want to get done.”

NBA Teams With Fewest Players On Guaranteed Contracts

August 23rd, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As of Wednesday, 11 of the NBA’s 30 teams are carrying at least 15 players on guaranteed contracts and are unlikely to have many additional offseason acquisitions in store. Another 11 teams are carrying either 13 or 14 players on guaranteed deals.

As our roster counts page shows, that leaves eight clubs carrying 12 or fewer players on fully guaranteed deals. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all eight of those teams will sign free agents to guaranteed contracts before the regular season begins, but it’s worth checking in on them to take a closer look at their roster situations.

Boston Celtics

The only team with just 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Celtics are also carrying Dalano Banton and Luke Kornet on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Banton and Kornet seem like good bets to make the 15-man regular season roster, but Boston would still have to add a 14th man for opening night.

Based on recent reports, it sounds like the Celtics are eyeing forwards and wings for that 14th spot, with T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens, and Louis King among the free agents working out for the club.

Charlotte Hornets

Although they only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Hornets have no shortage of candidates for their final two or three roster spots. P.J. Washington is a restricted free agent and still seems more likely to return than to head elsewhere — he would take the 13th slot.

Charlotte also has Frank Ntilikina, Kobi Simmons, and JT Thor on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed salaries, with Theo Maledon still a two-way restricted free agent. So even if No. 31 overall pick James Nnaji becomes a draft-and-stash player and doesn’t sign an NBA contract immediately, the Hornets have plenty of options to fill out their roster without making outside additions.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have 12 guaranteed contracts on their books, with Sam Merrill on a non-guaranteed minimum deal as their 13th man. Cleveland is a safe bet to make at least one more free agent addition — the club is said to be on the lookout for solid veteran depth, without a specific position in mind. The Cavs will likely wait out the market and see which of the top remaining free agents are willing to accept minimum-salary offers.

Houston Rockets

Although the Rockets only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, Aaron Holiday – whose partial guarantee exceeds $1MM – will likely make the roster as a 13th man. Houston still has a good deal of room to maneuver below the luxury tax line and could easily add two more players without any financial concerns.

Perhaps one of the team’s four Exhibit 10 players or three two-way players will earn a promotion with a strong preseason, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on the Rockets to see if they have one more move up their sleeves in free agency or on the trade market.

Miami Heat

The Heat have a full 21-man offseason roster, but only 12 of those players have guaranteed standard contracts.

Orlando Robinson, who has a small partial guarantee, should make the 15-man roster, and two-way player Jamal Cain is a candidate to be converted to a standard deal, but Miami has more ambitious targets in mind. If the Heat make a trade for Damian Lillard, they’ll likely send out more players than they take back and could fill out their roster with veteran free agents.

New York Knicks

Even with Jericho Sims‘ salary for 2023/24 now fully guaranteed, the Knicks have just 12 players on guaranteed contracts. Isaiah Roby, DaQuan Jeffries, and Duane Washington are in the mix for 15-man roster spots on their non-guaranteed deals.

New York also has a pair of two-way players – Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler – with multiple years of NBA experience, so they may be candidates for promotions. The Knicks are likely keeping their options open for possible Evan Fournier trades too, recognizing that they could potentially use his pseudo-expiring $18.9MM contract to take back two or three players in a trade.

Portland Trail Blazers

Like the Heat, the Trail Blazers are in a bit of a holding pattern while they wait to see how the Lillard situation plays out. For now, they have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, with Moses Brown on a partially guaranteed deal. But if they end up acquiring, say, three players in exchange for Lillard, their projected 15-man roster will fill up in a hurry.

Utah Jazz

Of all the teams listed in this article, the Jazz may have the fewest roster decisions to make before the season. In addition to their 12 players on guaranteed salaries, they’re carrying Kris Dunn, Omer Yurtseven, and Luka Samanic on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts. Utah may simply hang onto those three players and set its 15-man regular season roster without any further tweaks.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Lillard, Harden

August 22nd, 2023 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat center Bam Adebayo isn’t a fan of the widespread practice of resting players in an effort to keep them fresh. Appearing on the “To Inspire” podcast, Adebayo revealed he’s no fan of load management (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). He believes it’s unfair to fans who pay to see their favorite players.

“A lot of guys sitting, like load management, that kind of bothers me in a sense. You have a lot of kids and parents who want to see you play,” he said. “You have kids who probably come from the inner city, and their parents make a way to put them all the way up in the stands, and then for you to find out you’re not playing. And it’s because you feel like ‘I gotta load manage and be ready for this.’ I remember as a kid, I would’ve gave my last dollar and my foot to go see Kobe Bryant play. I know if I felt like that it’s a lot of other kids that felt like that.”

We have more on the Heat:

Trade talks with the Trail Blazers in a potential Damian Lillard blockbuster should heat up as training camp approaches, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald opines. That’s the expectation from those close to the situation with the belief Portland would like to avoid the messy situation of having their longtime franchise player at camp when he’d rather be elsewhere. If the Heat are the only team making a serious offer for Lillard, then the Blazers may have more urgency to get something done.
Would James Harden be a fall-back option for the Heat if they don’t get Lillard? Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doubts it, believing a ball-dominant player like Harden would be a bad fit with Miami. Harden could ease the scoring burden, giving Jimmy Butler more time to rest up for the playoffs, but the Heat’s offer for the Sixers guard would be significantly lower than the package they’d be willing to part with to get Lillard.
Don’t expect Lillard to make any public comments about his trade request, given how the league fined Harden $100K for going public about his discontent with the Sixers, Winderman writes in a separate story.

International Notes: Serbia, Bahamas, Gordon, Croatia

August 22nd, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Serbian national team has officially announced its 12-man roster for the 2023 World Cup, which tips off on Friday (Twitter link). The Serbians are missing star center Nikola Jokic, along with accomplished veteran guard Vasilije Micic, who made the move from the EuroLeague to the NBA this offseason.

However, the squad still features multiple current and former NBA players, starting with Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. Heat forward Nikola Jovic, Sixers big man Filip Petrusev, and former Grizzlies guard Marko Guduric are among the notable players representing Serbia at this year’s World Cup.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

The Bahmas defeated Argentina on Sunday in the final of an Olympic pre-qualifying tournament, with Suns guard Eric Gordon scoring a game-high 27 points, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Following the Bahamian victory, former NBA forward Andres Nocioni – who won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2004 – questioned whether it was fair for FIBA to allow Gordon to suit up for the Bahamas despite representing Team USA earlier in his international career (Twitter link). “Let’s not lose the essence of international competitions,” Nocioni added in a follow-up tweet.
A Croatian team led by Warriors forward Dario Saric and Clippers center Ivica Zubac scored an upset victory over Alperen Sengun and Turkey in the final of another Olympic pre-qualifying tournament on Sunday, as Eurohoops details. Croatia, the Bahamas, Cameroon, Poland, and Bahrain won this month’s pre-qualifying tournament to secure spots in next year’s Olympic qualifiers.
Vangelis Papadimitriou of Eurohoops highlights a handful of non-U.S. NBA players who could be difference-makers in this year’s World Cup, including Canadian forward RJ Barrett and Dominican big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Southeast Notes: Poole, Howard, Wood, Hawks

August 19th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Andre Iguodala reveals that he told Jordan Poole he’ll have to become a leader after being traded to the Wizards, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. With the Warriors, Poole could lean on a veteran core consisting of Iguodala, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. He won’t have that in Washington, but Iguodala said Poole is beginning to take on that role.

“He’s already starting to make the right strides,” Iguodala said. “I’ve heard about what he’s been doing with his teammates. The other day, I was asking him about his teammates, and he knew everything about every one of them. And I’m like ‘OK, now we starting off on the right path.’ He brought them all out to L.A. He did! He’s leading.”

Iguodala defended Poole’s final year with the Warriors, which was marked by turmoil leading back to Green’s punch during training camp. Iguodala says Poole continues to improve and should put up even bigger numbers now that he has his “own team.”

“He averaged 20 (points per game) last year, on a bad year. He’s going to get to the line. He’s the only one who got to the line for us last year consistently,” Iguodala said. “People act like he had a bad year. I’m like, ‘OK, a bad year? Y’all blamed him for the year we had last year and he averaged 20.’ (He will average) 25-plus, easy.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After taking some time off following Summer League, Magic rookie Jett Howard is “back in the lab” and getting ready for his rookie season, Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes in a subscriber-only piece. Howard has also been watching new teammate Paolo Banchero with Team USA and trying to learn from his approach to the game. “Just how to be useful in any position that they put you in,” Howard said. “He’s like a Swiss Army knife. That holds value itself. He can guard the 1 through 5 and we look up to that.”
The Heat don’t appear to have any interest in Christian Wood, even at the veteran’s minimum, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel states in a mailbag column. There may not be consistent minutes for Wood considering the other players in Miami’s front court, and Winderman doesn’t believe the team wants to hand out another guaranteed contract given the uncertainty over Damian Lillard.
Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle looks at how Grant Liffmann was able to rise from a Warriors post-game TV host to a vice president’s role with the Hawks.

Four Candidates To Be Promoted From Camp Contracts

August 19th, 2023 at 9:10am CST by Tristan Tucker

Although the NBA added an additional two-way contract for every team for the 2023/24 season, teams haven’t been quick to sign players to such contracts. Only 11 of the league’s 30 teams have three players signed to two-way deals and several haven’t begun adding players to Exhibit 10 contracts.

The start of training camp is still several weeks away, so teams have plenty of time to add players to two-way and Exhibit 10 deals. However, many teams use training camp as an audition of sorts for players to earn two-way or even standard contract spots. Not earning a spot isn’t the end of the line for these players. If players signed to camp deals are waived before the ’23/24 starts, they’ll could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with their club’s G League affiliate.

Here are four players who have a chance to be promoted from their current Exhibit 10 contracts and onto a team’s two-way slot or standard deal.

Landers Nolley II

The Pelicans did well after the draft to reach agreements to add players on camp contracts. Nolley, Tevian Jones, Liam Robbins and Trey Jemison make up New Orleans’ reported camp deals. Any one of those players could end up on a list such as this as some of the more accomplished collegiate players who went undrafted in the 2023 draft.

Of course, Nolley may not end up on the Pels’ final camp roster, but if his reported deal is finalized, he makes perfect sense as a developmental piece for New Orleans. Nolley is a protoypical 3-and-D player, having averaged 16.8 points last season for Cincinnati while shooting 41.7% from deep.

Nolley played for New Orleans’ Summer League team this year, averaging 8.0 points and shooting 50% from deep on 4.0 attempts across five games. At 6’7″, Nolley is a good bet to at least stick around the NBA’s radar for a few seasons. The Pelicans have two open two-way contract spots, with Dereon Seabron occupying the other.

Matthew Mayer

Mayer impressed with the Rockets in Summer League, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in four appearances. His showing earned him an Exhibit 10 deal with Houston, who has plenty of remaining flexibility on its training camp roster despite having three players signed to two-way deals.

Like Nolley, Mayer fits what teams look for in terms of positional archeypes, and Mayer’s ability to stretch the floor at 6’9″ is likely to be a coveted as a developmental piece. Mayer hit 33% of his 6.2 3-point attempts in college last year with Illinois and 43.5% of his 5.8 attempts from downtown in Summer League.

The Rockets have Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins signed to two-way contracts at the moment, two players who impressed en route to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ 2022/23 G League Finals appearance. Additionally, Jermaine Samuels currently occupies the Rockets’ third two-way roster spot. However, the Rockets have two open standard spots and could move players around, which would give Mayer a realistic shot at making their roster.

Duane Washington Jr.

Of the four players listed here, Washington is the one with the most NBA experience to his name. He has 79 NBA appearances and 10 starts to his name before his third season in the league. Washington has been on both two-way and standard contracts across his two years, playing with Indiana and Phoenix before ending up with the Knicks. Washington has averaged 9.1 points on 37.1% shooting from deep for his career.

It’s a bit surprising that Washington hasn’t caught on with a roster for the long haul with his extensive game experience and impressive counting stats. The Knicks signed Washington to a two-way deal in February but he never made an appearance with them. During the team’s roster shuffling this offseason, New York waived Washington from his two-way pact before re-adding him on a camp deal.

However, the Knicks have three players signed to two-way deals already, Nathan Knight, Dylan Windler and Jaylen Martin, the latter of which is signed for two years. It’s not impossible that New York waives or signs one of those players to their 15-man roster, but it will be an uphill battle for Washington to make New York’s roster. Look for other teams to either claim Washington or sign him at a later date.

Cole Swider

A Heat player was bound to end up on this list given their resume of turning camp guys, like Max Strus once was, into rotation NBA players. The Heat signed a bevy of players to camp contracts last week, including Justin Champagnie and Alondes Williams, two players with NBA experience, but Swider seems the most likely to make the jump to Miami’s season roster.

Swider wasn’t the most prolific collegiate player and didn’t appear on many public big boards, so it was a bit surprising to see him ink a two-year, two-way deal with the Lakers last year. However, he answered any questions in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 15.9 points and hitting 43.6% of his 7.6 deep-ball attempts in the regular season. Despite this, the Lakers waived Swider earlier this offseason.

The Heat two key sharpshooters this offseason in Strus and Gabe Vincent, while Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, three of the team’s best shooters, have been involved in heavy speculation regarding a potential Damian Lillard trade. In any case, Miami could help replenish its stash of 3-point shooters by keeping Swider around on either a two-way or standard deal. The Heat already have three players signed to two-way deals, but they have just 13 players on standard contracts and have the flexibility to keep Swider around if they choose.

Of course, other players not listed here will likely be promoted at some point onto a team’s active roster. Additionally, players not yet signed to a team’s camp contract could also end up on a two-way or standard deal. This is just speculation, but I believe players like David Duke Jr., Trevor Keels, Louis King, Tyrese Martin, Skylar Mays and Xavier Moon, to name a few, did enough either last season in the G League or during Summer League to earn a look from a team on a camp deal.

Erik Spoelstra Discusses Heat’s Roster, Offseason Moves

August 18th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a sense that the Heat‘s offseason remains unfinished, with the Damian Lillard saga unresolved and Miami still looking like the overwhelming favorite to trade for the Trail Blazers star sooner or later.

However, speaking to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link), head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested that he’d be happy to head into the 2023/24 season with his current roster, noting that the team “had most of our work done” by the time he reported to Team USA for the summer.

“We’re bringing back the majority of our players and that’s a luxury in this league,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “Things are so transient, things are moving fast. It seems like it’s moving faster now than even four, five, six years ago.

“We feel great about our group. We made some nice additions, we feel. Josh Richardson, getting another family member back into our program. Thomas Bryant, who we’ve been a big fan of. And [Jaime] Jaquez as our draft pick. We’re excited. He’s a guy you can plug and play right now. He’s a little bit older and he has a great deal of experience. So we’re adding those guys to our mix and bringing everybody back. Tyler [Herro] is healthy, Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo], that’s a great core. So we’re excited about it.”

Spoelstra obviously can’t publicly discuss the possibility of adding Lillard and is unlikely to be directly involved in trade negotiations for the star guard, which will be handled by the front office. So the fact that he’s speaking positively about his current group is no surprise.

Still, Spoelstra is putting a positive spin on what has been an up-and-down offseason so far for the Heat. While Miami did well to get Richardson and Bryant on minimum-salary deals, the team lost two key rotation players – Gabe Vincent and Max Strus – in free agency. The Heat should be competitive again with no additional roster changes, but acquiring Lillard would almost certainly increase the club’s ceiling.

NBA Roster Situations To Watch

August 17th, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

NBA training camps are still several weeks away, but rosters for many teams are starting to take shape. Teams like the Pacers, for example, don’t have much work to do in the way of setting their regular season roster. Indiana already has 15 players signed to standard contracts and three more on two-way pacts. Other teams, however, have much more work left to be done.

For most teams, it’s simply a matter of deciding which players are attending an organization’s camp roster or are getting a two-way contract. The Suns, for example, have 15 players signed to standard deals (two of which are not fully guaranteed) but have one open two-way roster spot.

We previously took a look at some teams that are facing roster crunches in late July. Here are other teams who have roster battles worth monitoring and either have to, or seem likely to, make moves to their standard contracts, in the coming weeks:

Dallas Mavericks

While their roster does abide by offseason roster limits — 15 players signed to standard contracts (Derrick Jones Jr.‘s signing is not yet official but is included here) and three signed to two-way deals — the Mavericks still appear likely to make another roster move before the season.

Of course, this is all speculation, but Marc Stein at Substack reported that Dallas is likely to offload JaVale McGee before the start of the regular season. Such a move hasn’t happened yet, so it’s possible he may stick around. However, McGee didn’t pan out last year after signing a three-year, $17.2MM deal in 2022. With Dallas bringing in Richaun Holmes and Dereck Lively II this offseason, it appears there won’t be any playing time available for McGee anyway.

Miami Heat

Like the Mavericks, the Heat have a full offseason roster of 21 players signed to their team. Unlike the Mavericks, however, the Heat don’t follow the NBA’s rules for a regular season roster. Miami has just 13 players signed to standard deals, three two-way contract players and five others signed to training camp contracts.

As The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes, the Heat still need to add at least one standard contract player to its 15-man roster. Starting this season, teams can have fewer than 14 standard contract players for no more than 28 total days or 14 consecutive days at a time.

The Heat could always look to promote one of their two-way players, such as Jamal Cain, who reportedly sought a standard contract before re-upping his two-way pact with Miami. Cole Swider, who just signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Heat, is also reportedly going to be given a chance to compete for a standard deal. They could also look to add a player outside their system, like Christian Wood or Kelly Oubre.

Chiang also notes that the Heat could make changes to their two-way deals. Dru Smith and Jamaree Bouyea currently accompany Cain on two-way contracts. Barry Jackson reported that Summer League standout Chase Audige agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with another team (Twitter link), but it’s possible they look to bring him back on a two-way at a later time.

Toronto Raptors

Barring a Pascal Siakam trade, Toronto’s roster looks relatively set. However, a classic roster battle is set to take place between Jeff Dowtin and Garrett Temple. Dowtin spent last season with the Raptors, impressing in stints and averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 assists. The organization signed him to a non-guaranteed deal that becomes guaranteed for $900K if he’s included on the opening day roster.

Temple, a 13-year NBA veteran, signed with the Raptors this summer. Temple averaged 4.3 points across two seasons with the Pelicans. His one-year, minimum-salary deal is fully guaranteed.

There’s always a chance that the Raptors make an additional move outside of those two, but Dowtin and Temple appear to be the most likely to duke it out for a spot on the 15-man roster as of now.

Others

Several other NBA teams have standard roster moves yet to make. The Rockets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics are among the teams who have 13 or fewer players signed to standard deals.

Houston signed several players to their training camp roster and could be auditioning some for standard spots. Jeenathan Williams, in particular, impressed in limited time with the Blazers last year after averaging 10.6 points in five games.

There’s tons of uncertainty left with the Blazers due to the situation with Damian Lillard. It appears as of now that Portland is keeping its options open in case the team takes in more players than it sends out in a Lillard deal. If Lillard isn’t traded before the season begins, players like Justise Winslow, Kevin Knox and Skylar Mays, who all spent time in Portland last year, could make some amount of sense.

Golden State has a number of different directions it could go in. There are seemingly no reports regarding what the team plans to do with Anthony Lamb, whom Steve Kerr played 19.3 minutes per game. Andre Iguodala hasn’t officially announced his retirement, so it’s technically possible he returns, though that seems unlikely at this point. Lester Quinones or another training camp player could impress enough to earn a standard spot. The Warriors also continue to work out several veterans, including Glenn Robinson III.

The Lakers’ interest in adding another big man to their roster, such as Wood, is no secret. It seems likely that the Lakers will go in this direction sometime before the season. Wood was recently reported to be waiting on a resolution on the Lillard situation before deciding his next steps.

Cleveland is a curious case. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that the Cavaliers could swoop in on P.J. Washington like they did with Lauri Markkanen two summers ago. It’s also possible they promote a two-way player to a standard deal or bring in a different veteran.

Stein reports the Celtics are interested in re-signing Blake Griffin, which would give Boston 14 players on standard deals. Griffin is Boston’s only remaining free agent after Mfiondu Kabengele signed in Greece.

As mentioned, there are also several teams who have more than 15 players signed to standard deals. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Wizards, Spurs and Thunder are among those teams.

Heat Notes: Lillard, Blazers, Adebayo, Wade, Roster

August 17th, 2023 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Maher

As of earlier this week, the Trail Blazers still hadn’t shown any interest in trading Damian Lillard to the Heat, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Jackson’s report isn’t surprising, particularly during one of the slowest periods of the league year. Perhaps Portland will be more motivated to entertain Lillard deals once we get closer to training camp, considering his presence would almost certainly cause a media circus.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Center Bam Adebayo, who has been named to the All-Defensive Second Team each of the past four seasons, reiterated his desire to win Defensive Player of the Year in an interview with Playmaker (YouTube link). “It takes a will, it takes an effort, a sacrifice, I mean just a mentality to really put your body on the line to really go through that,” Adebayo said. The 26-year-old has discussed the award multiple times in the past.
In a subscriber-only mailbag for The South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman wonders if Miami will eventually try to bring Dwyane Wade back into the fold in an official capacity. The Heat legend, who was a 13-time All-Star and three-time champion with the team, was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he currently owns a minority stake in the Jazz.
After a series of minor transactions last week, the Heat have now reached the offseason maximum of 21 players on the roster. However, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, despite the roster being full at the moment, there is still plenty of uncertainty about which players will be on the roster going forward due to the Lillard situation.

Load More Posts