Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Jaime Jaquez

Heat Notes: Butler, Jaquez, Adebayo, Herro, Wiggins, Ware

March 24th, 2025 at 8:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat plan to have a tribute video for Jimmy Butler when he returns to the Miami for the first time since he was traded to the Warriors on Tuesday. Butler says he’ll watch it but “it makes no difference.”

Butler’s ugly exit from Miami included a trade demand and three team-imposed suspensions and he’s still unhappy about the way the front office handled it, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.

“You can talk about it whenever we talk about it later on,” he said. “But I think the suspensions are more because they just didn’t want me to be around the team. It wasn’t anything I actually did because I didn’t do anything too drastic to deserve X amount of games being suspended. But it is what it is. Yeah, I got some bills. So what, it’s all taken care of.”

Butler added that he’s used to being portrayed as the “bad guy.”

“I’m always painted as the bad guy. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve always been the problem,” he said. “So we’ll take it. I don’t got nothing to say. I’m not mad at being the bad guy. It’s all the way that everything is portrayed. Some people talk to the media, some people don’t. I’ve never been one to tell my side of the story to almost anybody. Let everybody think that this is what happened and we’ll ride with it.”

We have more on the Heat:

  • How do the Heat players feel about the showdown with Butler and the Warriors? Chiang relays some of their reactions. “It’s going to be exciting,” second-year forward Jaime Jaquez said. “I’m sure this place is going to be jumping. We’re excited, I’m sure he’s going to be. It’s going to be an epic battle, for sure.” Bam Adebayo said, “I feel like it’s going to be high intensity, it’s going to be a great game for both teams and we’ll see who walks out with the W.” Tyler Herro, who’s become the top offensive threat after the Butler trade, says he’s just focused on the team finishing strong. “It will be fun,” he said. “I think it’s another game for us, honestly. We just came off a 10-game losing streak. We got bigger things to worry about. At this point, we just need to win games. Obviously, Jimmy is coming back here. But it’s a regular game.”
  • Andrew Wiggins — one of the players acquired in the Butler deal — carried the Heat out of the darkness of their lengthy losing streak. He poured in a season-high 42 points in a 122-105 win over Charlotte on Sunday. “We all played connected,” Wiggins told Chiang. “I feel like my team helped me get in great spots to be successful and make some shots on the court.”
  • With Friday night’s 16 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to the Rockets, Kel’el Ware became only the fifth rookie over the Heat’s 37 seasons to record at least 10 double-doubles, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes. Udonis Haslem was the most recent rookie to achieve that prior to Ware. “He’s being fed through a firehose,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Ware.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Heat Notes: Losing Streak, Wiggins, Starting Lineup, Rozier, Draft Pick

March 19th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are in the midst of their longest losing streak in 17 years after falling to the Pistons on Wednesday on Cade Cunningham‘s last-second shot (Twitter video link), writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Cunningham banked in a three-pointer shortly before the buzzer, enabling Detroit to escape with a 116-113 victory in a game that Miami led most of the way.

“There’s no way to explain some of this, the bank shot at the end,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after his team suffered its ninth straight loss. “There’s no way to explain that. You just have to find more resolve. We’re all getting tested in so many different ways that we do not want to get tested.”

Although the Heat still aren’t in serious danger of falling out of the play-in tournament, they have dropped to 10th place at 29-40. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier as the Rockets, who are second in the West, visit on Friday. After hosting the Hornets on Sunday, they will welcome Jimmy Butler back to the Kaseya Center in Tuesday’s matchup with the Warriors.

There’s more from Miami:

  • Andrew Wiggins, who was the centerpiece of the Heat’s return in the Butler trade, sat out Wednesday’s game with a lower left leg contusion and has only played in 11 of 19 games since the deal, Chiang adds. He’s put up decent numbers when he has been available — averaging 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 42.2% from the field and 30.9% from three-point range — but Miami is just 2-9 in those games. “He’s had some really good moments already,” Spoelstra said. “You can see the firepower he brings and the versatility that he brings to us defensively. And we have who we have tonight. He’s not available, but we definitely could use him.”
  • With Wiggins out, Spoelstra used his 22nd different starting lineup, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. It marked the first time this season that Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez have been on the court together. Terry Rozier wasn’t used at all, getting his fourth DNP-CD in the last 14 games.
  • In a separate story, Chiang talks to Bobby Marks of ESPN about the Heat’s draft pick dilemma. Miami’s first-rounder will go to Oklahoma City if the Heat reach the playoffs and it lands outside the top 14. However, if Miami keeps the pick this year, it will owe the Thunder an unprotected first-round selection in 2026. Marks’ advice is for the Heat to try to earn a playoff spot and count on improving next season.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Heat Notes: Larsson, Jaquez, Mitchell, Ware

March 14th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The energy and enthusiasm displayed by Pelle Larsson may lead to a larger role on a Heat team that’s in need of both qualities, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The rookie guard’s contributions can be summarized by one sequence in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers, Winderman details, as he dove on the floor for a loose ball and outwrestled several L.A. players to gain possession.

“That play at halfcourt is one of the best plays I’ve seen,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He got three loose balls on one possession. You feel like those plays can inspire a whole lot more. That’s what we’re accustomed to.”

Spoelstra has been bringing Larsson along slowly as he adjusts to the NBA, playing him 13 minutes per night in his first 42 games. However, that expanded to more than 28 minutes on Wednesday as Larsson stayed on the court for the entire second quarter. With the Heat needing something to jolt them out of a five-game losing streak, Larsson could become a more regular option.

“Really, the idea was just to get a spark,” Spoelstra explained. “We needed something to get us going. I wasn’t even necessarily expecting that. I’ve been feeling it for a couple of games. I think in short minutes, he’s mentally stable enough to handle that, three or four minutes and then come out, and get your regular guys in there.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • Injuries and illnesses opened up a starting opportunity for second-year small forward Jaime Jaquez on Wednesday after he hadn’t played more than 14 minutes in a game for nearly a month, Winderman states in a separate story. Jaquez said the most difficult challenge in that type of situation is staying mentally sharp. “When you’re put in a position like this, you’re given two choices,” he said. “You can either cave in and let it affect you and we all go our separate ways. Or you can come together and get closer, do everything you need and really create a strong bond, especially through this very tough struggle.”
  • Davion Mitchell is known for providing on-ball pressure, but Spoelstra wants to see the guard’s defensive role expand beyond that, Winderman adds. Mitchell, who was acquired from Toronto last month in the Jimmy Butler trade, is willing to accept the challenge. “I’m a lot of times kind of thinking of individually and not letting my man score, and sometimes off the ball I get some steals, but I got to do it more,” he said. “I’ve got to help my teammates out more, I’ve got to talk more, I’ve got to be more vocal. Especially on that end, when I’m usually guarding the best players, I’ve got to be more impactful.”
  • Kel’el Ware has the most upside among the Heat’s young talent, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald contends in a mailbag column. Chiang notes that Ware’s size and athleticism enable him to protect the rim on defense and serve as a lob threat on offense. The 20-year-old big man has been starting since January and has shown that he’s capable of handling that responsibility.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Injury Notes: Martin, Gobert, Jackson, Monk, Thompson, Heat

March 6th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Caleb Martin is close to making his Mavericks debut. He was upgraded to questionable for Dallas’ Friday game against the Grizzlies, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter link). Martin hasn’t played since Jan. 10, when he was a member of the Sixers.

The Mavericks acquired Martin at the trade deadline in exchange for Quentin Grimes. It was an interesting move in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, as the Mavs sent out the younger Grimes – set to hit restricted free agency this summer – and acquired the 29-year-old Martin in the first of a four-year, $35MM deal.

However, Martin hasn’t played for the shorthanded Mavericks as he works his way back from a hip strain. In 31 games with Philadelphia, he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.9% from three.

The return of Martin would be more than welcome news for the Mavericks. Heading into its matchup with Memphis, Dallas only has eight players fully available.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

  • Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has missed the last nine games due to a lower back injury. He was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Friday game against the Heat, according to team PR (Twitter link). Gobert is averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr., who is currently week-to-week with an ankle sprain, wasn’t in a walking boot and was moving around well on the Grizzlies‘ bench, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). While nothing is confirmed, those are good signs for the star big man to be back on the shorter end of that timetable.
  • Kings guard Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain, according to the Kings (Twitter link via Andscape’s Marc J. Spears). He’s out for at least Sacramento’s game against the Spurs on Friday and will be evaluated on a daily basis afterward.
  • J.B. Bickerstaff said Ausar Thompson is no longer on a minutes restriction, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The young Pistons forward has improved his conditioning in recent weeks. “(Monday’s game vs.) Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come,” Bickerstaff said.
  • The Heat have been down multiple starters and rotation players during the past two games due to injuries and illnesses. However, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, they should be getting reinforcements soon. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins were all upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Wolves. Kel’el Ware remains out and Alec Burks was downgraded to questionable. The Heat have assigned Josh Christopher to the G League, which may be a sign that the team expects to have more players available on Friday.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Champagnie, Heat Injuries, Nurkic

March 4th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With point guard Jalen Suggs out for the season after undergoing knee surgery, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley will rely more on his frontcourt players to create offensive opportunities, he told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

“It’s going to be different handlers at different times of the game,” he said. “If we realize a team is fully aggressive picking our point guard up, we might have to play through our bigs. Wendell (Carter Jr.), Goga (Bitadze), JI (Jonathan Isaac), those guys being able to handle the basketball and get us into easier sets. If they’re not pressuring Paolo (Banchero) and Franz (Wagner), those guys become our point-forward play-makers. That’s going to be a big key but that’s also going to vary game-to-game as well.”

Longtime veteran Cory Joseph made his first start of the season in place of Suggs on Tuesday.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Justin Champagnie had his two-way contract converted into a standard four-year, $10MM deal by the Wizards on Monday. He’s been angling for a standard contract since going undrafted in 2021. “It means a lot,” he told Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “I’ve been working hard these past four years of my career, trying to get to this point, and I’m super happy. I’m super thankful. I’m grateful that I got the opportunity here to be myself.” He will earn $1.8MM for the remainder of 2024/25, well above this prorated minimum. The final three seasons of the contract will be non-guaranteed.
  • Jaime Jaquez (right ankle sprain), Nikola Jovic (broken right hand), Kel’el Ware (left knee sprain) and Andrew Wiggins (right ankle sprain) will miss the Heat‘s game against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers on Wednesday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Undrafted rookies Keshad Johnson and Isaiah Stevens, who have been playing the G League, are expected to suit up for the NBA team to add depth.
  • After losing his starting spot with Phoenix and getting traded to the Hornets, Jusuf Nurkic is eager to reestablish himself, he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I’ve been in this league long enough. I know what the situation can be and how it’s good for the player to change the situation and have a fresh start,” he said. “I have an eagerness and excitement for the game again. I can’t wait to play again on the court.” He’s averaging 7.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in six games with Charlotte.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Heat’s Jovic To Be Reevaluated In Four Weeks After Fracturing Hand

February 25th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat forward Nikola Jovic suffered a fracture in the second metacarpal of his right hand, the Heat’s PR department tweets. He will be in a splint and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

This confirms the initial diagnosis that the team reported but provides a better understanding of his recovery timetable. It also indicates that surgery, at least at this time, will not be required.

With less than two months remaining before the postseason, Jovic’s injury – which occurred during the first half against the Bucks on Sunday – could end up being a season-ender.

Through 46 games, the 21-year-old is averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. He is logging shooting splits of .456/.371/.828.

Ahead of the season, Miami picked up Jovic’s $4.45MM team option for the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale deal, which will keep him under team control through 2025/26. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason.

Kyle Anderson and Jaime Jaquez are expected to have bigger roles with Jovic sidelined.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Southeast Notes: Heat, Hawks, Smart, Poole

February 25th, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Nikola Jovic‘s hand fracture will necessitate changes to the Heat‘s rotation going forward, since Jovic had been playing significant minutes off the bench, including 31.9 MPG in his past 10 healthy games. Head coach Erik Spoelstra provided a first look on Monday vs. Atlanta at what the new rotation might look like, with Kyle Anderson and Jaime Jaquez taking on the minutes that would have gone to Jovic, Chiang notes in a second story.

Jaquez, who has been out of the rotation as of late, logged just seven minutes, while Anderson played 28, the most of any Miami reserve. The veteran forward contributed 14 points and five rebounds while getting to the foul line 10 times — he was a +2 in a game Miami lost by 12 points.

“He gave us some really good minutes,” Spoelstra said of Anderson, per Chiang. “I played him probably a handful more minutes than I anticipated. But he was doing some really good things out there.”

The other major change Spoelstra made to his rotation on Monday was to remove struggling guard Terry Rozier, who received his first DNP-CD of the season. Alec Burks played extended minutes in place of Rozier, but didn’t exactly give the Heat a boost, making just 1-of-12 shots from the field in 27 minutes.

“It’s just one of those things right now,” Spoelstra said in addressing the decision not to play Rozier. “We’re searching. It’s not an indictment on anybody necessarily. I feel for the guys that haven’t been able to play — Jaime the couple games before this and Terry. It’s not anyone’s fault. We’re all in this together. But we do need to find something. So, I’ll continue to use the depth of our roster, however we feel like we need to.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Dyson Daniels registered at least seven steals in a game for the third time this season and trade deadline acquisitions Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Terance Mann combined for 41 points off the bench in the Hawks‘ win over Miami on Monday. LeVert (13.7 PPG), Niang (15.2 PPG), and Mann (.571 FG%) have all played well since arriving in Atlanta, helping the team retain a firm hold on a play-in spot despite sending out De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic at the deadline. “It makes it way easier whenever you have guys like Caris and Georges who are aggressive, and whenever they get the ball,” guard Trae Young said after the win, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “They’re not hesitant at all. And even T-Mann hit a big three.”
  • The Wizards held an opponent under 100 points for the first time all season on Monday in a win over Brooklyn. As Noah Trister of The Associated Press writes, it’s likely not a coincidence that the team accomplished that feat in Marcus Smart‘s second game as a Wizard. “There is some people that kind of probably slept (on me). I haven’t played in a couple years consistently, and they probably forgot about me — which is cool. I’m used to it,” Smart said. “I still do what I do.”
  • Wizards guard Jordan Poole is averaging career highs in points (21.0), assists (4.8), and steals (1.4) per game, as well as three-point percentage (37.1%). Head coach Brian Keefe is a major reason for Poole’s resurgence, as Josh Robbins details for The Athletic. Sources tell Robbins that Poole advocated for Keefe last spring when the front office decided to name him the team’s permanent head coach after he finished the 2023/24 season with the interim label. “I know how good and genuine a person he is off the court, so when he coaches us hard and he’s pushing us on the court, I know that’s because he just wants the best of us,” Poole said of his coach.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Heat Notes: Lineups, Potential Signings, Herro, Adebayo, Mitchell

February 22nd, 2025 at 10:38am CST by Tristan Tucker

In their first game after the All-Star break, the Heat defeated the Raptors in overtime on Friday with help from their new-look starting lineup. As Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes, Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware have started two of the four games since the deadline and seem to be the preferred group for head coach Erik Spoelstra moving forward.

The Heat, behind big overtime plays from Wiggins, Herro and Adebayo, were able to snap a pre-break losing streak with the victory. They won in spite of squandering a double-digit lead, which occurred multiple times during their original losing streak.

With the team back to mostly full health, the Heat utilized Nikola Jovic, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Kyle Anderson and Alec Burks off the bench. Jovic closed the fourth quarter and overtime over Ware. That meant Jaime Jaquez and Haywood Highsmith were left out of the rotation.

As Chiang notes, Jaquez has received the first DNP-CDs of his career over his last three games.

“It could differ game to game,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But we want to create a little bit of clarity, as much as we can right now. And everybody just has to stay ready. We have to make some things happen and it will be all hands on deck. We feel very comfortable with our depth and we saw that depth.”

We have more on the Heat:

  • The buyout deadline is approaching, but Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel is skeptical the Heat will make an addition on that front after doing so in each of the past two seasons. Signing a buyout player would mean Miami would likely have to waive either Burks or Keshad Johnson, Winderman writes, and there doesn’t look to be anyone available who would match Burks’ positional value or Johnson’s potential.
  • The more notable date for the Heat, in Winderman’s view, is March 4’s deadline for two-way signings. Miami has all three two-way slots filled, but Dru Smith is out for the season due to his Achilles injury. If the Heat wished to add another player on a two-way deal, they could take the approach they did with Smith last year under similar circumstances, Winderman notes, and cut him while still paying his full salary and allowing him to rehab at their facilities before exploring another reunion.
  • The Heat are trusting Herro and Adebayo to lead the next era of Miami basketball, which includes a potential postseason run this year, James Jackson of The Athletic writes. “We have a group that’s going to roll up their sleeves and work on the things that hopefully lead to winning,” Spoelstra said. “There’s nothing guaranteed in this league. You can check all these boxes, and it’s still decided between those four lines. The other team has something to say about it. I love the competitive spirit about this team. There’s been a connection even though there’s been a lot things that happened to this team.“
  • Former Raptors guard Mitchell expressed appreciation for Toronto for giving him a chance to shine, according to Winderman. The former lottery pick said he knew he was going to be traded from Toronto as they wanted to give more run to Jamal Shead. “I didn’t know where exactly,” Mitchell said. “And for sure I didn’t think it was Miami. Especially with the Jimmy Butler thing, no one kind of knew what was going to go on, especially my agents. But when it happened, I mean I was excited, because I told ’em Miami was the number one. If we can try to get there, then that’s where I really want to be.” Mitchell has started his first four games with the Heat, shooting 40.0% from three and averaging 9.8 points per night.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Heat Notes: Losing Streak, Wiggins, Rozier, Adebayo, Herro, Mitchell

February 15th, 2025 at 8:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

The All-Star break came at a good time for the Heat. They have lost four straight contests and 11 of their last 16, dropping them three games below .500.

The Heat took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game in Oklahoma City, then was outscored 32-8 in the final frame. On Thursday, they fell 118-113 to a depleted Dallas squad that was missing its entire starting five due to injuries.

“Everybody understands the urgency right now,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “There’s not a man in that locker room that doesn’t understand it. We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. This is humbling.”

We have more out of Miami:

  • The Heat were far from full strength in the loss to the Mavericks. Only 10 players were available with Andrew Wiggins missing the game due to a stomach illness after playing 34 minutes the previous night. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier have also missed recent games due to the same stomach bug, Chiang notes. Rozier also sat out Thursday’s game, as did Bam Adebayo. The latter was sidelined by a left knee contusion after posting 27 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes the previous night.
  • Adebayo expressed exasperation after the late collapse against the Thunder. It was the 13th time this season Miami lost a game after leading by double digits. “It’s one of those things, man, it’s a lesson,” he told Chiang. “But how many times we got to keep learning this lesson? And it’s not just the players, it’s the coaches, as well. We got to understand that we got to all be on the same page.”
  • Herro told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel a sense of urgency is required at all times in order for the club to turn things around. “This is important,” he said. “This needs to matter to everybody in this locker room every single day, every single night, every single film session, shootaround, walkthrough, everything. I think that’s something that we also have to continue to improve at. The games aren’t the only thing that matter. Everything matters. Walkthroughs, like I said. And then just taking care of each other, helping each other, spending time with each other. We just need to get on the same page going into these last 30 games.”
  • While the addition of Davion Mitchell gave the Heat a much-needed, point-of-attack backcourt defender, they still lack a definitive play-maker, Winderman writes in his latest mailbag. The subtraction of Jimmy Butler adds to the problem because Herro and Adebayo must focus more on scoring than play-making.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event

January 28th, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.

The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):

Rookies

Sophomores

G League Players

* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.

As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.

A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts