Haywood Highsmith

Eastern Notes: Ball, Mobley, Heat, K. Johnson

December 9th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

There was some skepticism coming into the season about whether Lonzo Ball would be healthy enough to play – and what sort of impact he’d have – for the Bulls after being sidelined due to knee issues for two-and-a-half years. Ball has only appeared in eight of 25 games, but his multi-week absence was the result of a new wrist injury rather than his surgically repaired knee, which the Bulls guard says has held up just fine so far, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays.

“To be honest, I’m a lot better than I thought I was going to be, early on for sure,” Ball said, referring to both his knee and his defense. “There’s still some mishaps, definitely on the ball sometimes. But for the most part I feel comfortable out there. I feel like I haven’t really missed a beat, so I just try and give good minutes when I’m out there.”

As Cowley writes, the positive effect that Ball has on Chicago’s lineup has been apparent even in his limited playing time. The club has a +6.5 net rating in his 134 minutes on the court; the team’s net rating is just -5.4 in the 1,066 minutes he hasn’t played. That’s easily the biggest on/off-court disparity among Bulls players who have logged at least 100 minutes.

According to head coach Billy Donovan, Ball’s minutes restriction was recently increased to 20 minutes per game (Twitter link via Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune). As long as he remains healthy, that limit should continue to increase.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The ankle injury Evan Mobley suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Heat isn’t considered serious, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required), who notes that the Cavaliers big man told reporters after the game he was “good.” The Cavs play just one game in the next week, giving Mobley some time to heal, which is good news, since it was evident in the second half on Sunday how much they need him on defense. “He is one of the top five defensive players in the league,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “You lose a guy like that and we had to play some small ball with Dean (Wade) at the five. He was fine, but they just took it to us. We had some spurts because of our talent. But not good enough.”
Sunday’s game was another good one for the Heat‘s current starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Haywood Highsmith. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes, substituting Robinson and Highsmith in place of Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic has made a huge different for the team — the new-look starting five has a net rating of +20.8 in 118 minutes together, whereas the old group was -20.8 in 91 minutes. “We got a lot of firepower,” Herro said of the current starting five. “Duncan brings a different element to the lineup. He’s able to create so many different advantages, which has opened up the court for me, Bam and Jimmy. Having Haywood out there as a defensive presence, you don’t have to put me or Duncan on one of the best players. It makes sense.”
It was an eventful week for Heat two-way rookie Keshad Johnson, who made his NBA debut last Monday and was named the G League Player of the Week last Tuesday, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. While Johnson has only made two brief appearances for Miami at the NBA level, the team loves the way the forward has impacted winning with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to Erik Spoelstra. “He’s done some dynamic things in terms of his scoring, getting to the rim, his three-point spacing has improved,” the Heat coach said. “Defensively, he’s played a lot of dynamic small ball five. He’s been able to switch and guard different kinds of guys. All of that has been good for his development.”

Florida Notes: Highsmith, Rozier, Magic, Carter

November 17th, 2024 at 4:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat forward Haywood Highsmith is embracing his role as a utility player for Miami, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Highsmith has been elevated in the club’s hierarchy thanks in part to the free agent exit of now-Sixers wing Caleb Martin this summer. After Martin’s departure, the Heat pivoted to re-signing their other top free agent, Highsmith, on a two-year, $10.8MM deal.

“I can’t say enough about H,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But the tough thing about this league is you have somebody like H, who has really played at an exceptionally high level in that role as a defender, as an impact role player that fills in all the intangibles for your team. But if he’s not scoring big numbers, nobody is really going to pay attention, nobody is going to notice, nobody is going to write articles about him.”

Playing mostly off the Heat’s bench, the 6’7″ swingman is averaging a career-high 8.6 points on .625/.417/.636 shooting splits, along with 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per night.

There’s more out of the Sunshine State:

Heat starting point guard Terry Rozier has struggled mightily thus far this season. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders if a transition to Miami’s bench would put him in a better position to be effective. The 30-year-old is averaging 13.3 points per game on .385/.358/.880 shooting splits, his lowest output since 2018/19.
Even without All-Star power forward Paolo Banchero, the Magic posted a 5-0 record during a recent homestand. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel unpacks what went right during that undefeated run, singling out frontcourt standouts Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, the club’s defense, and its ability to clean the glass.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley stated on Sunday that starting center Wendell Carter, who’s been out for the past seven games with left foot plantar fasciitis, continues to improve. “He’s doing better,” Mosley said after today’s practice, Beede reports (Twitter link). In his six healthy games this season, the 25-year-old is averaging 8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per bout.

Heat Notes: Ware, Butler, Larsson, Rotation, Herro

November 9th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

Heat No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware got his first meaningful action on Wednesday against Phoenix. He was the second-string center for the first time in his rookie campaign, impressing his teammates in 13 minutes of play, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

“I think he did great,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said. “Jumping up there, contesting shots, rebounding, he made a three, made a little hook. The more plays, the more reps that he gets, the more comfortable he’s going to get and he’s going to be able to pick his spots a lot better on the floor. That only comes with time and reps.”

The Indiana product is averaging 2.3 points in just 6.0 minutes per game in four appearances this fall. His role is likely to gradually increase as the season goes on.

“He’s been really progressing quickly behind the scenes,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Wednesday. “He kept himself ready. I thought his minutes were very good. I thought they were encouraging.”

Ware again played ahead of Thomas Bryant in Friday’s loss, but he committed two early fouls, resulting in Bryant seeing more minutes. When Kevin Love returns to the rotation, Ware could be moved back to the end of the rotation, but he’s thankful for getting the chance to contribute early.

“It’s satisfying,” Ware said. “I guess you could say it’s more a dream come true because you put in the work to be able to perform at your best. That’s always good to me.”

We have more from the Heat:

Butler exited the team’s Friday matchup with the Nuggets due to a sprained ankle and was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest, Chiang reports. With the team at 3-5, the Heat are now facing the possibility of being without Butler for a handful of games. The star swingman missed two games with a sprained ankle last season and he did stay in the game immediately after sustaining this injury, so it seems unlikely to result in an extended absence.
Rookie second-round pick Pelle Larsson started the second half in place of Butler. It’s the fourth straight game Larsson has received double-digit minutes, Chiang relays. The Arizona product is averaging 6.6 points this season while making 64.7% of his shots and 45.5% of his three-pointers.
Amid speculation that Haywood Highsmith could replace Nikola Jovic in the starting lineup, the Wheeling Jesuit alum again started the third quarter over Jovic, Chiang details in the same piece. However, Jovic played more than the five minutes he did in Wednesday’s contest, finishing Friday’s game with 19 minutes played. “[Jovic] knows the deal,” Spoelstra said. “Look, I’m not going to change the standards. He knows what the deal is. It has to be a level of energy and effort, make an impact. It’s not just him. That’s an easy target. Look the game gets in a double-digit game, you’re grasping for whatever. And at that point, I have to make decisions. If something is not working, I’m paid to make decisions and go to something else.“
If the Heat make rotation changes, subbing in Highsmith for Jovic would make some level of sense, opines Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel. Winderman also writes that he’d put Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup over Terry Rozier, allowing Rozier to serve as a spark off the bench and the second unit to consist of Love, Jaime Jaquez, Larsson and Alec Burks.
Herro has served as the cornerstone of consistency for the Heat this season, Winderman writes in a separate piece. With Butler and Adebayo’s offensive production fluctuating in the early part of the season, Herro’s helped the team keep games close by averaging 22.9 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field and 45.1% from three. “He’s been really focused on that, committed to being efficient,” Spoelstra said. “His profile has been great. He’s got great confidence. But the last couple years, his game has really grown, and now it’s just taking that next step of efficiency, reading defenders, and making the right play over and over and over.“

Southeast Notes: Highsmith, Ware, Risacher, Skyhawks, Sarr

November 7th, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat‘s starting lineup of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic and Bam Adebayo is being outscored by 16.6 points per 100 possessions through seven games this season. With the team struggling in third quarters, coach Erik Spoelstra made the decision to sub in Haywood Highsmith for Jovic to open the second half against Phoenix on Wednesday, as noted by Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“[Highsmith] had given us good minutes in that first half, and we were looking to do something just to change the energy of these third quarters. It had nothing to do with Niko,” Spoelstra said of the change.

Highsmith went on to score 19 points off the bench while Jovic only played five minutes for the game. Despite Highsmith’s success, Spoelstra didn’t indicate whether it would be a permanent change moving forward, instead noting the fluidity of the lineup from game to game.

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised,” Jovic said. “Lately, the first unit has been struggling a little bit and I guess coach was trying to find the right matchups. [Highsmith] did a good job against KD in the first half. Coach told me before we went out that he’s going to play him and just stay ready.”

Jovic has started all seven of the Heat’s games to begin the year and has averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per contest. Highsmith is averaging just 6.4 MPG and has received a pair of DNP-CDs thus far. Highsmith re-signed with the Heat on a two-year, $10.8MM deal this summer despite drawing interest from other teams.

“I’m, in a sense, used to this,” Highsmith said. “Some games, I might not be in the rotation or I might be in the rotation. I’m always going to be ready no matter what.”

The Heat next play on Friday night against Denver. The starting power forward position will be something to monitor for Miami moving forward.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The starting four spot wasn’t the only Heat lineup change, as rookie center Kel’el Ware earned rotation minutes over Thomas Bryant for the first time this season, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel observes. Ware played over 13 minutes and recorded seven points, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Bryant had played every game for the Heat before Wednesday’s outing, averaging 4.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG.
Hawks No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher had the best game of his young career on Wednesday, recording career highs of 33 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks, as noted by ESPN. Risacher’s big game puts him right back into consideration for Rookie of the Year in the early weeks of the season, as he maintained the confidence to keep shooting despite entering the game making just 32.9% of his field goal attempts thus far. That confidence paid off with a 61.1% shooting night on Wednesday. “[Head coach Quin Snyder] basically tells me to shoot the f—ing ball,” this year’s No. 1 pick said. “That’s not just from him. That’s from everybody on the coaching staff and my teammates. It helps with my confidence.“
The Hawks‘ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, announced its opening night roster, Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Former NBA players Tony Bradley and Kevon Harris help make up the roster, while two-way players Dominick Barlow, Seth Lundy and Keaton Wallace will likely spend time with the Skyhawks. No. 43 overall pick Nikola Djurisic, who suffered a foot injury and is rehabbing, is on the roster and will continue to develop and recover.
According to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network, Wizards No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr is off to one of the best shot-blocking starts ever for a first-year player. Sarr became the first rookie since 1993 to have multiple blocks in each of his first six NBA games. The center is averaging 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per night and has recorded 11 total blocks in his last three outings.

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: 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 Re-Sign Haywood Highsmith

July 8th, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

5:25pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.

12:10pm: The Heat have agreed to re-sign free agent forward Haywood Highsmith, agent Jerry Dianis tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Highsmith will receive a two-year, $11MM deal to remain in Miami, per Wojnarowski. The full amount is guaranteed, with no team or player option on the second year, Woj adds (Twitter link).

“We’ve been consistent with Miami with how Haywood felt,” Dianis told Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). “And we felt he wanted to be in Miami. This deal memorializes that.”

Highsmith, who is 6’7″ with a seven-foot wingspan, earned a rotation role in Miami over the last two seasons due primarily due to his defense. However, he has gradually developed into more of a threat on the offensive end, having set new career highs in points per game (6.1), field-goal percentage (46.5%), and three-point percentage (39.6%) while averaging 20.7 minutes per contest across 66 games (26 starts) in 2023/24.

The No. 36 free agent on our top-50 list, Highsmith reportedly drew interest from rival suitors during free agency. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the Bucks and Suns – both of whom were limited to minimum-salary offers – were among the teams pursuing the 27-year-old, with Damian Lillard joining Milwaukee’s recruiting efforts.

However, Highsmith had spoken multiple times in the spring about his desire to remain in Miami. The Heat were limited in their ability to offer much more than the two-year, $11MM contract they put on the table due to their proximity to the second tax apron — and their desire to remain below that apron.

According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), the club projects to have about $1.5MM in breathing room below the second apron, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts. That suggests, barring additional roster moves, that the 15th roster spot may remain open entering the season.

Heat Notes: Love, Ware, Highsmith, Offseason

July 8th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love declined his $4MM player option for next season, but staying in Miami was always his first choice, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The veteran big man not only remained with the Heat, he was able to get the deal he wanted — $3.85MM for the upcoming season and $4.15MM for 2025/26 — signing shortly after free agency began on June 30.

“In every free agency, there’s always a chance to look around the league and see opportunity,” Love said. “But in my mind, in terms of how the team operates, who [coach Erik Spoelstra] is, who [team president Pat Riley] is, who [general manager Andy Elisburg] is, it really in the last year and a half has felt like home. It felt like we were always optimistic that we would be able to get this done, get an extra year and just be able to provide as much as I possibly can for the team. I’m very, very happy to be back.”

Love has become a fixture in Miami since joining the organization late in the 2022/23 season. He was inserted into the starting lineup and sparked the team’s surprising run to the NBA Finals, then moved into a reserve role last season, coming off the bench for 50 of the 55 games he played. Love, who turns 36 in September, believes he can remain productive and envisions spending more time at power forward alongside Bam Adebayo.

“Being able to play high-low or being able to space the floor while a traditional five operates in the paint is something that I can add high value to,” Love said. “So I think it’s something that’s there. I’m sure it’s something that we’ll toy with and see in training camp. But I think it could be something that could happen this year.”

There’s more on the Heat:

First-round pick Kel’el Ware put on a dominant performance Sunday in his second Summer League game with 26 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and a block, Chiang adds in a separate story. The 20-year-old center said he had to “get the jitters out” after his first contest, and he focused more on controlling the lane area than shooting three-pointers. “Right now, my shot is feeling a little short,” Ware said. “So I wanted to get to the basket more and just be more of a target in my presence, be more in the paint today. I felt like I did that a little bit.”
Several teams remain interested in Heat free agent Haywood Highsmith, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Although he doesn’t identify any of them, Scotto says that Highsmith is getting “recruitment pitches from Hall of Fame players and championship coaches.” Miami, which is $6.8MM away from the second apron, remains in talks with the 27-year-old forward, Scotto adds.
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald examines some of the criticism being leveled at Heat management in the midst of a disappointing offseason to determine what’s legitimate and what isn’t.

Southeast Notes: KCP, Fultz, Okeke, Ware, Highsmith, McGowens, Wizards

July 6th, 2024 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic‘s promising future played an important role in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s decision to join the team in free agency, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Caldwell-Pope won titles with the Nuggets in 2023 and the Lakers in 2020, and he likes his chances to pick up a third ring in Orlando.

“I’m always chasing the championship,” Caldwell-Pope said. “… Seeing their progress, they just made it to the playoffs, taking Cleveland to a Game 7. That was enough for me. They got a little bit of a taste of that pressure and what it takes to make it past the first round. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

Caldwell-Pope will become a veteran leader on a team that has amassed an impressive collection of young talent over the last few drafts. He’s looking forward to playing alongside Paolo Banchero, who became an All-Star in his second NBA season.

“His knowledge of the game,” Caldwell-Pope responded when asked what stands out about Banchero. “Him being patient in certain situations, making plays for his teammates to get his teammates involved. Being so much of a little bit of a leader that I’ve seen from him.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic renounced their free agent rights to Markelle Fultz and Chuma Okeke to clear up cap room for other moves, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Both players are still eligible to sign new contracts with Orlando.
The Heat want rookie center Kel’el Ware to gain weight before the start of the season, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). The first-round pick weighed in at 230 pounds when he arrived at Summer League camp, and he said the team would prefer him to be between 240 and 245.
Free agent forward Haywood Highsmith still has interest in returning to the Heat, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Sixers were considered a potential landing spot for Highsmith, Chiang adds, but that seems less likely after Philadelphia signed Caleb Martin.
Bryce McGowens, who was waived earlier today, will continue to be part of the Hornets‘ Summer League team, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Brown University assistant coach T.J. Sorrentine was thrilled to get the chance to join Brian Keefe‘s staff with the Wizards, relays Bill Koch of The Providence Journal. “My family was happy. I was in a great spot,” Sorrentine said. “But going through a day with coach Keefe and meeting with people, I left here and I called my wife (Emily) and I was like, ‘Man, it’s going to be really hard to come back to college.’ This was a unique opportunity. That’s when I knew it was time to go. I was ready. I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity.” Adam Caporn, director of development with the Nets’ coaching staff, has also accepted a job with Washington, according to NetsDaily (Twitter link). Caporn’s hiring had been anticipated.

FA/Trade Rumors: Sixers, Heat, DeRozan, Warriors, Markkanen, Lakers, More

July 3rd, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Signs are pointing toward Paul Reed being traded or waived rather than returning to the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that waiving Reed or using his pseudo-expiring $7.7MM contract as a trade chip would allow the team to maximize its cap room. Pompey adds that Philadelphia has had discussions with free agent forward Haywood Highsmith, while Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets that the 76ers have also “poked around” on Caleb Martin.

Although the Heat remain in the mix for both of their free agents and could technically make Martin and Highsmith big offers, they’ve told people they don’t intend to surpass the second tax apron due to the roster-building restrictions that second-apron teams face, says Jackson (Twitter link). That limits Miami’s ability to make a competitive offer to either player.

Despite the Heat’s financial restrictions, Jovan Buha of The Athletic has heard from league sources that Miami is viewed as the “slight” favorite to land DeMar DeRozan. The team doesn’t have the spending flexibility to make it work without additional moves, but DeRozan likes the idea of playing for the Heat and the two sides have remained in touch, tweets Jackson.

Here are a few more rumors and notes related to the trade and free agent markets:

The Warriors and Spurs are considered the most serious suitors for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link), who says Golden State has been the most aggressive team in its pursuit of Markkanen.
Appearing on SportsCenter on ESPN (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers aren’t interested in using their tradable draft picks just to move off contracts, but would be open to including draft assets for a quality player. However, they’re not pursuing a deal for a high-salary impact player, since they’re skeptical the three-star model is feasible under the new CBA, Wojnarowski explains.
While a report on Monday suggested the Nets are open to reuniting with Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that’s not expected to happen.
In an appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link), Sam Amick of The Athletic said that he’s skeptical the Kings will land Markkanen or Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, noting that Sacramento still appears to be taking a hard line in its desire to keep Keegan Murray off the table in trade talks. “I don’t know how long the list of guys is that they would give Keegan up for, but it’s not anybody currently available on the market,” Amick said.

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