Alec Burks

Heat Notes: Butler, Rozier, Jaquez, Richardson, Ware, Burks, Herro

November 23rd, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After a four-game absence due to an ankle sprain, Heat star Jimmy Butler had his best game of the fall in his return to action on Monday, registering season highs in points (30) and rebounds (10) as Miami outscored Philadelphia by 29 points in his 34 minutes of action.

However, Butler may not get an opportunity to build on that momentum when the team resumes its schedule on Sunday vs. Dallas following a five-day layoff. The veteran forward is listed as questionable to play vs. the Mavericks due to an illness, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

While Butler’s status is up in the air, there’s good news elsewhere on the Heat’s injury report, according to Chiang, who says Terry Rozier (right foot discomfort) and Jaime Jaquez (sprained right ankle) are both expected to play on Sunday. Rozier is listed as probable, while Jaquez is considered available. Josh Richardson, who missed Thursday’s practice due to heel pain, isn’t on the injury report either and should be good to go.

Here’s more out of Miami:

Should the Heat regret drafting Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft, given that Jared McCain (No. 16) and Dalton Knecht (No. 17) have been the most impressive rookies in the NBA so far this season? Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel considers that question, explaining the thinking behind Miami’s selection of Ware. It’s possible the decision to pick Ware will become a draft-day regret reminiscent of when the Heat took Precious Achiuwa a spot ahead of Tyrese Maxey in 2020, Winderman acknowledges. However, he stresses that it’s far too early to pass judgment on the 20-year-old center, who has logged just 48 minutes across eight outings.
Alec Burks, who is on his eighth NBA team, has seen his role fluctuate frequently in recent seasons, so he was unfazed by sitting out for five games in a row and then playing nearly 19 minutes in Monday’s win over the Sixers, as Winderman details for The Sun Sentinel. Burks was a plus-27 with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists in his return to the rotation. “He’s such a great example for young players coming in to always be ready, to be prepared, to understand what the system is and understand how you can bring value,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then not get caught up in all the emotional wild swings of maybe your playing time isn’t going exactly how you want it, or when you’re not getting the offensive opportunities you want. … He’s a pro’s pro. And that gets thrown around often, but when you actually experience it and see it, you really appreciate it.”
Tyler Herro‘s 24.2 points and 5.2 assists per game are career highs. Perhaps more importantly, so are his 48.6% field goal percentage and 45.2% three-point percentage, which are both way above his career rates. Herro’s scoring efficiency has been “a really big thing” for him and the Heat, according to Spoelstra. “You always want to get to a place like this as a player where you’re playing such efficient basketball that there’s an economy of energy that’s happening at the same time,” the Heat head coach said, per Chiang. “He’s not forcing it, he’s not like over-expending energy to do it. He’s just reading the game, reading defenses. He has a confidence level that continues to grow each year, so he knows what he can do, he knows how he can help us.”

Heat Notes: Lineups, Rozier, Robinson, Herro, Tax, Defense

November 21st, 2024 at 7:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Injuries have forced the Heat to switch up their starting lineup in recent weeks, but it may have been time for a change anyways, as Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald observes that Miami’s season-opening lineup has the worst net rating of any group that has played at least 90 minutes together this season.

The Heat moved Nikola Jovic to the bench earlier this month and Terry Rozier missed Monday’s game against the Sixers due to a foot injury. That prompted coach Erik Spoelstra to start Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo, a lineup that holds some serious intrigue for continued use, Chiang writes.

“If you look at the core four and then you add [Highsmith] — he’s been with us since the post-COVID year — those are our most experienced guys in our program,” Spoelstra said. “So they understand exactly what we’re trying to get to. Even though we’ve made some adjustments, they know what our core tenets are.”

While those five players have been playing together for several seasons, that specific lineup had only played two minutes this season until Monday. They didn’t play together at all last year, as several members of Miami’s core dealt with injuries. Despite not having much time on the court together, being around each other during the offseason and practices over the years adds up.

“I mean, there’s a lot of continuity there,” Robinson said. “I guess you say we’ve only played together for [a few] minutes. But I’ve logged a lot of hours with JB, I’ve logged a lot of hours with Bam, H, Tyler. We’ve just been on the court a bunch together — practice, games, walkthroughs, everything. So there’s a lot of familiarity there, regardless of the fact that we’ve only played [a few minutes together]. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have that continuity and that connection.”

The Heat may replace Robinson with Rozier when the latter returns from injury but – pending the results of more time spent on the court for this group – they could also opt to move Rozier to the bench. Miami traded a first round pick and Kyle Lowry for Rozier last season.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The two-man duo of Herro and Robinson has been one of the more impressive units for Miami, Chiang writes in the same piece. Herro is shooting 45.2% from three on 9.7 attempts per game while Robinson is shooting 36.6% on 6.8 attempts. Lineups featuring the duo boast an offensive rating of 124.3, which would rank first in the NBA. “I think at this point, they both understand how they can confuse defenses and they’re finding a sense of joy in playing off each other,” Spoelstra said. “… I think they’ve really embraced that. They’ve both grown with their skill set, both grown with their ability to do it as a screener or as a ball-handler or just moving constantly.” Robinson holds an early termination option worth $19.89MM after this season while Herro is under contract for two more seasons after this one.
The Heat are on track to pay $26.9MM in tax penalties if they don’t trim their payroll before the end of the season, Chiang writes in a separate story. Eric Woolworth, the president of business operations for Miami, recently offered thoughts on the team’s situation on Chris O’Gorman’s “Questions for Cancer Research” podcast (YouTube link). “Nobody wants to pay a luxury tax,” Woolworth said. “Increasingly, it’s super punitive. … Certain teams never pay the tax; they just won’t. I respect that. It’s harder to win if you have that mentality, but I understand either because of market size or philosophy. There are certain teams who don’t seem to mind paying it and are consistently above the tax level and some of those teams have won a lot. And there are teams like us who are sort of opportunistic. … It’s a strategic strike kind of mentality and that’s the way we’ve approached it, and pretty successfully, with three championships and seven Finals appearances. If that’s what it takes to win at any given time, we will go for it. If we can get out [of the tax] and still compete for championships, that’s even better.” Chiang’s sources indicate the Heat are open to making trades at or before the deadline if they can improve the roster.
Alec Burks, Kevin Love and Dru Smith have been among the players leading the charge for Miami’s defensive improvement in the early part of the season, James Jackson of The Athletic writes. Smith, on a two-way deal, has played strong defense without fouling, while Love’s rebounding has helped the Heat improve in that category.

Heat Notes: Love, Jaquez, Third Quarters, Rotation, Larsson, Ware

November 5th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Love won’t make his season debut on Wednesday. The veteran power forward has already been ruled out by the Heat for their road game in Phoenix due to “return to competition reconditioning,” the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang tweets.

Love recently returned to the team after missing the first few weeks due to personal reasons.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. will also miss Wednesday’s contest due to a stomach illness. Jaquez didn’t travel to Phoenix but is expected to rejoin the group at some point during the team’s six-game trip, Chiang adds in a separate tweet. Love did make the trip to Phoenix and is expected to make his season debut during the road swing.

Here’s more on the Heat:

The team has a third-quarter problem and might need to tweak the lineup to fix it, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Replacing Nikola Jovic with Jaquez or Haywood Highsmith might be the simplest way to address the problem, according to Jackson, who notes that Miami has outscored opponents by 17 points in the first quarter, 25 points in the second quarter and 17 in the fourth but has been outscored by 52 in the third. The Heat are the NBA’s lowest-scoring team in the third quarter.
Despite the absences of Love and Jaquez on Monday, coach Erik Spoelstra went 11 deep into his bench during the first quarter alone, Chiang writes. Highsmith and rookie Pelle Larsson were the first two players off the bench, followed by Alec Burks, Thomas Bryant, Josh Richardson and Duncan Robinson.
Larsson continues to look like one of the steals of the draft. The No. 44 overall pick had 13 points, two rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes on Monday, Chiang adds. “He is a two way player,” Spoelstra said. “Even though he’s a rookie by NBA standards, he has a great deal of competitive experience. He’s savvy, has the toughness we like, can guard multiple positions.”
The Heat’s first-rounder, Kel’el Ware, has been forced to take a wait-and-see approach. He has only made two brief appearances off the bench. “I can’t control what the Coach does,” Ware told Chiang. “So whenever coach Spo decides to put me in, I’ll be ready.”

Heat Notes: Herro, Haslem, Burks, Adebayo, Richardson, Skyforce

October 30th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Udonis Haslem, who holds a position with the Heat as their vice president of basketball development, said in an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today in May that he believes Tyler Herro should come off the bench for the club, then reiterated that point in a September interview. Speaking to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Herro admitted that he spoke to Haslem about those comments.

“We had a conversation about it,” Herro said. “It was a friendly conversation. I told him my concerns about why I didn’t think he should have said that. He explained why he thought he should have said that. At the end of the day, it’s basketball. Our relationship is bigger than basketball. If he thinks I should start, that’s cool. If he thinks I should come off the bench, that’s his opinion. Everyone has their own. It’s cool. It’s really no big deal.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t taken Haslem’s advice this fall, having made Herro part of his starting lineup for each of the Heat’s first three games. Asked if he’s happy to still be a starter, Herro expressed appreciation for Spoelstra’s decision, as Jackson relays.

“I was hoping to be a starter, so yeah,” he said. “I thought I should start. I don’t think it’s even really a conversation anymore. It’s a narrative people create around me. I’m a starter in the NBA. I’m a team guy. I would love to come off the bench if that’s what was needed. But I’m a starter. It doesn’t take away from anything else that I bring, which is I’m a great teammate. I love seeing other guys have success.”

Here’s more on the Heat ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. New York:

It’s unclear how much offseason addition Alec Burks, who was a DNP-CD in the Heat’s first game last Wednesday, will play this season, but Spoelstra likes having the veteran swingman around. Miami’s head coach called Burks “such a pro” after he made three 3-pointers in 25 minutes off the bench on Saturday vs. Charlotte. “You hear that term tossed around so much in our league, but he is a pro’s pro,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “He’s professional, he’s ready, he stays prepared, he’s smart, he knows how to fit in and he’s got a great skill set, too. “He can knock down open shots. He gets to open gaps. But he also can handle the ball. So he can be a secondary handler for you. And he’s big, so defensively he fits into the things that we do.”
Honored this week with a statue outside Kaseya Center, former Heat guard Dwyane Wade made it clear that he continues to view Bam Adebayo as the next long-time face of the franchise and a torch-bearer for “Heat culture,” writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
After recovering from shoulder and heel injuries, Heat guard Josh Richardson was active on Monday for the first time this season, but didn’t see any action. Now he’s back on the injury report, according to Chiang, who tweets that the Heat are listing Richardson as questionable due to a left calf strain.
The Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, officially announced a training camp roster that includes former first-round pick Nassir Little and nine-year NBA veteran Tony Snell.

Southeast Notes: Daniels, Banchero, Burks, Salaun

October 20th, 2024 at 10:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks guard Dyson Daniels welcomed a fresh start to his NBA career after being traded from New Orleans this summer, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Daniels was selected with the eighth pick in the 2022 draft, but he wasn’t satisfied with the progress he made during his two seasons with the Pelicans.

“I think I feel like in New Orleans, I was kind of bottled up a little bit, and it was hard to try to find myself and find whatever I wanted to do,” Daniels said. “I was so focused on basketball, making sure I’m there every time, I’m giving 100% that I was, I was kind of tense and not relaxed. It was always stressful. So just to be able to get out of there, have a new beginning in Atlanta, new team. I love the coaching staff. Love everyone here. Great city, great food, great people here. So, I’ve really enjoyed the move so far.”

Daniels mainly came off the bench in New Orleans, but he started all four preseason games he played with the Hawks and appears to be a good fit alongside Trae Young. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists and connected at 38.1% from three-point range after shooting just 31.2% from beyond the arc with the Pelicans. Although it was an encouraging performance, Daniels is happy that the preseason is finally over.

“I’m ready for the season, now,” he said. “I hate the build-up. I hate preseason. I hate all that stuff. I just like playing games. So I’m ready to step foot on the floor and have an impact, be out there picking up full-court defense, playing off Trae, knocking down shots, getting to the rim, just being that kind of that all guy. Trae’s gonna get a lot of attention. So it’s about running the ball, making the right reads, right decisions coming up, slipping out screens, setting good screens. But I’m just looking forward to playing a basketball game, so it’s gonna be fun.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Coming off an All-Star season, Magic forward Paolo Banchero might be ready to reach new heights, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Head coach Jamahl Mosley talked about the “poise” that Banchero has displayed since camp opened, and the third-year forward agreed he’s approaching the game differently. “It’s just a certain level of comfort,” Banchero said. “After my second year, especially playing in the playoffs, it just showed me a different way that I can be effective. Combining my first two seasons and just looking back, watching so much tape over the summer, I played a lot on the ball my first two years and I learned that if I’m able to mix up playing on and off the ball — screening, flashing, posting up and just trying to not just give the defense one dose of something, just try to mix it up, pick my spots, and be a little more strategic with my approach — it makes the game a little easier.”
Changing teams is a routine experience for veteran swingman Alec Burks, who joined his eighth NBA club when he signed with the Heat this summer, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Winderman adds that Burks became a priority for Miami after losing Caleb Martin in free agency. “The way they develop their guys, no matter their age, no matter the years, they just make everybody better,” Burks said in explaining why he joined the Heat. “I think that’s what I’ve learned so far, is their development of any type of player.”
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer examines rookie Tidjane Salaun‘s chances of earning a spot in the Hornets‘ rotation.

Heat GM Discusses Free Agency, Bryant, Roster, Burks, Butler

July 15th, 2024 at 8:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have been relatively quiet this offseason, other than re-signing some of their own free agents. That’s by necessity, rather than by design, general manager Andy Elisburg told the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang and other media members.

The Heat’s in-season trade with the Hornets for Terry Rozier, in which they dealt Kyle Lowry‘s $29.7MM expiring contract and a future first-rounder, essentially eliminated any salary cap flexibility. That transaction put them above the first apron this summer, limiting them to the $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum contracts to offer outside free agents.

“The focus was going to be a little bit more on the draft opportunities and then maybe some other smaller opportunities,” Elisburg said. “Either A, retaining our own free agents, or B, the minimums or some small exception transactions. So that’s how I think we went into the summer with we’re more focused on these types of transactions, maybe not as much on these others, because we’re less likely to be able to do those kinds of transactions.”

Miami wound up re-signing Haywood Highsmith and Kevin Love via Bird and Early Bird rights, respectively, and getting Thomas Bryant back on a minimum deal. The only outside free agent signed was guard Alec Burks, who took the veteran’s minimum.

Here’s more from Elisburg’s media session:

Bryant only appeared in 38 games last season but the Heat wanted depth in the middle despite drafting another big man Kel’el Ware. “Thomas filled that space of having another center onto the roster,” Elisburg said. “You’re having to balance your various needs of the roster.”
The Heat have a 14-man roster and don’t plan on adding a 15th man, at least not until January when a prorated signing would still keep them below the second tax apron. Miami does not want to exceed that apron. “I think we don’t want to have our hands tied,” Elisburg said. “I think we want to still be flexible, so if there’s an opportunity to make an improvement to the team, so you have a little bit more flexibility to do that. I think there are some teams who are over the second apron who feel that their team is in a place to be able to do that.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley have expressed a fondness for Burks over the years and were glad to get him at a reduced price. “It was always in my group of players in that list that came through,” Elisburg said. “So it’s been for a number of years having that conversion. So when the opportunity came this year that he was willing to come to us and willing to come to us at a minimum, we could finally get Alec Burks here.”
In a separate interview with Sirius XM, Elisburg addressed Jimmy Butler‘s contract situation. Butler is eligible to sign a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113MM but Butler intends to play this upcoming season without signing an extension in hopes of getting a max contract next summer. He would decline his $52.4MM option for the 2025/26 season and become a free agent to make that happen. “As Pat said at his press conference, it doesn’t have to be something you do now,” Elisburg said. “You have an opportunity to do this all year long, so there’s an opportunity to do it at some point in time. And there’s an opportunity if he becomes a free agent next year to sit down and do a contract at that point in time. So there’s always an opportunity to do it.” Riley expressed concerns with Butler’s injury issues during his postseason press conference.

Heat Notes: Rozier, Highsmith, Martin, Roster, Burks

July 9th, 2024 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran Heat guard Terry Rozier, who missed the team’s final four regular season games and five playoff contests in the spring due to a neck injury, revealed on Tuesday that he was cleared to resume full basketball activities a couple weeks ago and has been doing on-court workouts, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Rozier said it was difficult not to be able to contribute to the team during its biggest games of the year after arriving in Miami in a midseason trade

“Obviously we all know why I came here, to be a big help for the playoffs and just to try to get this team some life,” Rozier said. “It just sucks that I couldn’t play in the most important part of the season, and I had to watch the guys that I go to war with. So it was tough. … It was just nonstop thinking about me just wishing I was out there with my guys. That’s why I’m glad that I’m cleared and everything else will take care of itself when the time comes.”

Rozier had to wear a neck brace while he recovered from the injury, but he made it clear on Tuesday that he never felt as if his career might be in jeopardy due to the ailment. The 30-year-old also indicated that he fully believes the Heat are capable of improving on last season’s result (46-36; No. 8 seed) even without any significant changes to the roster.

“I think the fans are bored right now, and they want to put as many scenarios as they can for us,” Rozier said. “But at the end of the day, we want to run it back with our same team, and we want to show the fans what we can bring to Miami. Obviously last year was tough on us, all of it as a whole. But we’re looking to get out there and impact, and make an impact all together.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

After officially re-signing with the Heat on Monday, Haywood Highsmith admitted that his first real foray into free agency was an “up-and-down roller coaster,” but said he was “really satisfied” with the two-year, $11MM contract he received from Miami, according to Chiang.
Asked about reports that he turned down a four-year, $58MM extension from the Heat prior to free agency, Caleb Martin explained why he passed on Miami’s offer and ultimately settled for a more modest free agent deal from the Sixers. “Just certain things didn’t work. There’s a lot of things behind the scenes that went on, but ultimately, there was a lot in making that decision and there’s a lot that contributed to how everything went, but past is past,” Martin said (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “Can’t do nothing about that and like I said, I’m looking forward to being here and being a part of Philly and try to bring everything I can in order to try to win a championship so that’s my main focus now.” Martin’s offer from the Heat would’ve required him to pick up his $7.1MM player option for 2024/25, so he’ll at least earn a higher first-year salary in Philadelphia than he would’ve if he’d opted in.
Examining the Heat’s financial situation, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sentinel lays out why the roster is essentially set for the season unless they make a trade, since signing another free agent currently isn’t a viable option for the team.
Veteran guard Alec Burks will be earning a minimum salary for just the second time in his NBA career in 2024/25, but he feels good about ending up in Miami, as Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel. “The Heat Culture from afar, then I talked to (head coach Erik Spoelstra), made my decision,” Burks said when asked about choosing to sign with the Heat. “We had a great conversation. I think that’s the real reason I picked the team.”

Heat Sign Alec Burks To One-Year Deal

July 4th, 2024 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

July 4: Burks’ minimum-salary contract is now official, the Heat announced in a press release.

July 3: The Heat have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent guard Alec Burks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). It’ll be a minimum-salary deal, confirms Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Burks, who will turn 33 later this month, is a 13-year veteran who has played for seven teams since entering the NBA in 2011, including both the Pistons and the Knicks in 2023/24.

The former 12th overall pick had a solid first half in Detroit, averaging 12.6 points per game with a .401 3PT% for the league’s worst teams. However, he struggled after being sent to New York in a deadline deal, scoring just 6.5 PPG and making 30.1% of his three-pointers in 23 regular season games down the stretch.

Burks has a solid track record as a scorer and shooter (.383 career 3PT%) and finished the year strong this spring, reclaiming a spot in a banged-up Knicks’ rotation during the Eastern Conference semifinals. In New York’s last five playoff games vs. the Pacers, he averaged 17.8 PPG on .510/.429/.844 shooting.

There should be minutes available in Miami for Burks, who will be tasked with helping to fill the holes created in the rotation if Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith don’t return to the team.

Burks projects to be the 13th player on a standard guaranteed contract with the Heat. That total doesn’t include Orlando Robinson, whose 2024/25 salary is non-guaranteed and whose hold on a 15-man roster spot appears tenuous.

Rockets Rumors: Clingan, Sheppard, No. 3 Pick, Smart, More

June 20th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have UConn center Donovan Clingan and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at the top of their board heading into next week’s draft, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston controls the No. 3 overall pick.

According to Iko, Clingan seems to have the edge over Sheppard, but it’s not a sure thing the 7’2″ big man will be available with the third pick. ESPN recently reported that while Zaccharie Risacher remains the favorite to go No. 1 to the Hawks, Atlanta is also high on Clingan, who may be Risacher’s top competition. Ken Seguira of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also heard the Hawks are high on Clingan.

The Rockets already have Alperen Sengun at center and he shares an agent with Clingan, Iko writes. Those factors — plus the trade deadline addition of Steven Adams — would seemingly work against Houston selecting Clingan, and the team has been unable to get him in for a private workout to this point. Sheppard, meanwhile, will visit the Rockets this week, sources tell Iko.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently suggested Houston might not have much leverage if they decide to trade the No. 3 selection due to a perception that there’s a minimal difference in value between that pick and those later in the lottery. However, Iko has heard differently, writing that there’s “rapidly growing interest” from rival teams in Clingan and Sheppard. Those teams may also be motivated to move up ahead of the Spurs, who control the Nos. 4 and 8 picks.

While several teams have shown interest in the third pick, team and league sources tell Iko the Hornets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers have been “the most vocal” in their pursuit of the selection, with Memphis and Charlotte particularly “aggressive.”

Iko hears all three clubs are fans of both Clingan and Sheppard. The Hornets control the 6th and 42nd overall picks; the Grizzlies control Nos. 9, 39 and 57; and the Blazers control Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40.

Here are some more Rockets rumors, all from Iko:

In an ideal situation, Houston would prefer to use the No. 3 pick as part of a package to acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell, but there hasn’t been much league-wide “activity or movement” when it comes to stars this offseason, according to Iko. The Pelicans are rumored to have floated a proposal of Brandon Ingram for Sengun, but Houston has “no interest” in that deal, team sources tell Iko. Iko also hears New Orleans discussed Ingram with the Sixers.
If the Rockets can’t land a star and still decide to move the third pick, Iko wonders if a Grizzlies offer centered around Marcus Smart and the ninth pick could make sense for both sides. According to Iko’s sources, GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of Smart, who played under Udoka in Boston. In a move-back scenario, Houston might be interested in selecting Tennesee forward Dalton Knecht, says Iko.
Houston also controls a second-round pick (No. 44) in the upcoming draft. San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Colorado’s KJ Simpson, UCLA’s Adem Bona and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro are among the prospects who have been discussed at that spot, though Iko acknowledges some of those players might get drafted before then. Clemson forward/center PJ Hall, Texas forward Dylan Disu, St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and Washington State forward Jaylen Wells are among the players who will work out for Houston this week, Iko reports.
For free agency, Iko hears the Rockets have placed a high priority on adding shooting, but the team is only interested in two-way contributors — Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey are names to watch. Bey, however, will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a qualifying offer, which complicates matters (he’s also recovering from a torn ACL). A source close to Eric Gordon tells Iko that the veteran guard is “50-50” on exercising his player option to remain with the Suns, but the longtime former Rocket is also open to a reunion with Houston. The Rockets will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to dangle in free agency, Iko notes.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Offseason Storylines, Report Card, Rose, More

May 25th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

At the center of the Knicks‘ offseason plans is the complicated future of forward Julius Randle. On one hand, the talented forward made his third All-Star appearance in the last four seasons and helped power New York to one of the best months in franchise history during a 12-2 January. On the other, he suffered an injury at the end of January and didn’t play a single second the rest of the season as New York pushed Indiana to seven games in the conference semifinals.

As the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy writes, it isn’t impossible to come up with a theoretical trade package in the Knicks’ well-publicized pursuit of another star that precludes Randle. However, both Bondy and The Athletic’s Fred Katz note that including Randle in such talks could be New York’s best way to adding star power.

The Knicks aren’t trying to trade Randle, at least not yet, according to Katz. However, his eligibility for an extension (which begins Aug. 3) complicates factors. If the Knicks decide to go the route of maintaining continuity, Randle can sign for as much as $181.5MM across four years. Thankfully for the Knicks, Randle’s extension eligibility beginning in early August works in their favor, Katz explains — August is late enough in the offseason to recognize the team’s potential (or lack thereof) to acquire another star in 2024, but it’s also early enough to keep him available by the time the Feb. 2025 trade deadline rolls around, as players are ineligible to be traded for six months after extension.

With an expensive roster on the horizon, the Knicks have soul searching to do this offseason, Katz writes. If they feel they’re contenders in August, they’ll likely lock everyone up. If they don’t, it will accelerate the timeline of any difficult decision, assuming those decisions aren’t made even earlier this upcoming offseason.

We have more Knicks notes:

The Knicks also have a decision to make on forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who was acquired via trade at the 2024 deadline but saw his production drop upon his arrival in New York. Bogdanovic, who ended the season injured, has only $2MM guaranteed if he’s released by June 28. If he isn’t, his guarantee increases to $19MM. As Katz writes in the same piece, what New York does with Bogdanovic could be telling for the rest of the offseason. If they keep him past June 28, it could signal a trade for a star, as his mid-sized salary would be useful for matching purposes. Katz speculates the Knicks could look to try and come to an agreement with Bogdanovic and postpone his trigger date until July.
Other offseason storylines outside of OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein‘s futures include whether the Knicks should move their Nos. 24 and 25 picks in the 2024 draft and the futures of free agents Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa. Regarding the latter point, Katz writes Burks could command more than the minimum in unrestricted free agency, which would make it difficult to justify keeping a player who had an inconsistent second tenure with the team but who caught fire to end the year. As for Achiuwa, his restricted free agency gives New York more options, such as a potential sign-and-trade to another team.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart had the best seasons of any Knicks players, according to Bondy in his end-of-season report card (subscriber link). Brunson’s stardom and Hart’s role as the do-it-all glue guy earned them the top spots. Jericho Sims, who didn’t play consistent minutes even after New York’s roster was banged up, earned Bondy’s lowest grade. However, Bondy reports that opposing teams have expressed interest in trading for the 25-year-old big if he becomes available.
Knicks president Leon Rose declined to hold an end-of-season press conference, according to Katz (Twitter link). Katz points out that no Knicks official has spoken to media on the record since 2021 and Rose hasn’t done an individual press conference since taking over in 2020.
After seven straight seasons of failing to reach 40 wins from 2013-20, the Knicks are a respectable and strong team in the East’s hierarchy. Howard Beck of The Ringer takes a look back at how Rose helped morph the Knicks into what they are today and how it began with not trading for Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, whose arrival might have inhibited Brunson’s ability to break out on this scale.

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