NBA & Fantasy Basketball Loser Lineup: Miami Heat — There's a diamond in the (really) rough down in South Beach
The playoffs are where stars rise and weaknesses get exposed. Every defeated team leaves behind stories of promise and failure — the players who stand at the crossroads of potential and uncertainty. We're not here to dwell on the heartbreak of an early exit, but to sift through the aftermath, piecing together what it means for fantasy rosters and spotlighting the players who deserve your attention.
For every team sent packing, we'll analyze one standout player primed for growth and one major question mark that could impact the team's fantasy value.
Advertisement
The NBA offseason is already shaping up to be a drama-filled, rumor-laden affair. This is all about understanding what's next, not just for the teams themselves, but for the fantasy managers who are getting a pulse ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Davion Mitchell's rise amid chaos
The Heat's playoff exit wasn't just ugly; it was a full-blown disaster. Getting swept in historic fashion by the Cavaliers opened up a can of worms that will undoubtedly be addressed in the offseason. However, for fantasy managers, Davion Mitchell is a player on the rise despite the carnage.
With Rozier out of the mix, Mitchell handled more responsibility and showcased a refined 3-point shot, serious defensive chops and the potential as a discount playmaker (think six-to-seven assist upside). Kel'el Ware is another player I'd target, though I anticipate he'll be a mid-round pick next season after averaging a double-double with over a block per game in 36 starts this year.
Feet to the fire, what changes will Pat Riley cook up?
Bam Adebayo told us everything we needed to know following their Game 4 blowout loss:
Tyler Herro and Adebayo are All-Star-level players who couldn't win against real competition. They went 12-34 against opponents with a .500 record or better this year. Change is undoubtedly coming and plenty of marquee players will be available in the trade market, so it's hard to trust the outlook of anyone. Although, I feel like the aforementioned Mitchell did enough over the past three months to prove he embodies the grit and tenacity Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley yearn for.
Advertisement
Bottom line? Mitchell won't be a flashy pick, but in the late rounds, at this moment, his role is ascending in South Beach.
Stay tuned as we dissect more playoff exits, one team at a time, and help you dominate your draft board.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Edwin Diaz's plan for changeup after adding pitch to his arsenal
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free PITTSBURGH — Edwin Díaz's arsenal during his Mets tenure has consisted strictly of fastball/slider, but earlier this week, he tried something new. The Mets closer unleashed a changeup in his Monday appearance against the Braves. Advertisement It's a pitch Díaz has toyed with while playing catch but hadn't developed enough confidence in to use during a game. His verdict? The pitch still needs work. Díaz's changeup (he threw only one) registered 95 mph — essentially not much different than his fastball. Ideally, Díaz would throw his changeup in the low 90s. 'I wanted to see how it would look in a game,' Díaz said Saturday before the Mets' 9-2 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park in which the Mets players called a team meeting after the ugly defeat. 'It didn't look good, because I threw it 100 percent. When I throw it playing catch, I throw it maybe 60 percent so the movement is way better. I have got to find a way to decrease the velocity a little bit more.' Advertisement Edwin Diaz throws a pitch during the Mets-Braves game on June 26, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Díaz, who did not pitch in Saturday's loss, throws his fastball 51.8 percent of the time, according to Statcast. He's utilized his slider on 48 percent of occasions, with the one changeup mixed in. Why add the changeup? 'It will make [hitters] think more,' Díaz said. 'But I have got to make sure I have a good changeup. If I don't feel it's good enough, I will stick with my other two pitches.' Advertisement It's hard to argue against what has worked to this point for the right-hander, who entered Saturday with a 1.99 ERA in 32 appearances for the Mets this season. He was also 16-for-17 in save opportunities. Díaz's big first half has positioned him as a possibility to represent the team in the All-Star Game. His lone selection for the Mets came in 2022 — but he didn't appear in the game. Advertisement Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are the Mets' finalists for the NL roster, among position players. Edwin Diaz recently added a changeup to his pitching arsenal. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post 'It would be good to be in that group,' Díaz said. 'As a player, you always want to be asked. That is one goal I have before the start of the season, so if I make it, I will be really happy.' Díaz had a slow start to the season, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in April. But he's been a different pitcher over the past two months — entering Saturday he had allowed only one earned run over his previous 20 appearances for a 0.41 ERA. 'My first month wasn't that good, but after that, I started feeling better,' Díaz said. 'I am commanding my spots really good. I walked too many people in that first month and I think that was the main thing, throwing strikes.' CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS Díaz is hesitant to say he's back to his 2022 level. His numbers that season included a 1.31 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with a strikeout rate of 50.2 percent. Díaz's strikeout rate this season is 36.8 percent. Even so, Díaz isn't complaining. Advertisement 'My strikeout rate is still really good and I feel good how I am throwing the ball right now,' Díaz said. 'I am attacking the hitters. I feel like I am having a real good season.' Delivering insights on all things Amazin's Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters His usage has increased in the last week — he appeared three times in four games against the Braves — after a stretch in which the Mets weren't in enough high-leverage situations to warrant using him. Advertisement Manager Carlos Mendoza has also been careful to monitor Díaz's workload. 'I feel great physically,' Díaz said. 'I know my body better so I don't have to be on the mound every three or four days. If we don't have a save situation I can throw a bullpen and be ready when they need me.'
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the tight ends
INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top tight ends from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Positional MVPs | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis | WR analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams Prothro was one of players the national analyst staff was most excited to see perform at Rivals Five-Star on Tuesday. The elite tight end prospect was warming up and went through the majority of position drills when he pulled his hamstring and was unable to work out the rest of the day. Prothro was visibly disappointed but his physical development, which was the biggest question mark surrounding his ranking, was obvious. He weighed in at 216 pounds and, despite the pulled hamstring, even participated in the bench press competition where he recorded nine reps of 225 pounds. Georgia is trending in Prothro's recruitment but Auburn and a handful of other teams are in pursuit. The caliber of defender Georgia commit Lincoln Keyes faced at Five-Star was new to him and it was good for the national analyst team to evaluate him under these conditions. The Michigan native is a very impressive prospect with great hands and the ability to make tough catches over the middle and down the field. He'll be a very reliable target for Georgia quarterbacks when he gets on the field in Athens but that could take some time. Keyes has a well-rounded game but he could find it difficult to consistently create separation from defenders when he reaches the next level. That being said, the style Keyes plays with would complement Prothro's skillset beautifully, if both do end up signing with Georgia. The two highly ranked tight ends were frequently seen chatting and playing catch during the down time on Tuesday. That relationship appears to be fairly strong and could pay dividends for the Dawgs down the road. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT Holden Niemi was a late addition to the Rivals Five-Star roster and took advantage of the opportunity to make a strong impression. The 2027 prospect out of Illinois is fairly well-developed from a physical perspective and showed strong athletic traits throughout the workout on Tuesday. Adjusting to the variety of quarterbacks seemed to be a bit challenging for him at times, which resulted in passes falling incomplete. Niemi is only heading into his junior season so there is plenty of time for him to make adjustments to his game before he reaches the next level. He is, however, on the smaller side when it comes to the trends that have emerged in the NFL Draft for tight ends so keeping an eye on his physical growth will be a focus going forward. Tennessee tight end commit Carson Sneed posted impressive measurements during registration on Monday and he had plenty of bright spots on the field Tuesday. At 6-foot-6, 246 pounds, Sneed is fairly lean but plays with a great deal of strength, which showed when linebackers and defensive backs bounced off of him as they tried to disrupt his routes. He isn't the most natural receiver but there is plenty of potential to get excited about, which is surely part of the reason why Florida, North Carolina and others are trying to pry him away from the Volunteers. The Gators appear to be making some headway but it's hard to count out North Carolina at this point in the recruiting process. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
NBA trade grade: Thunder send Dillon Jones to Wizards; open roster spot
Less than a week after they won their first NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder have already shaken up the roster. They sent Dillon Jones and a 2029 second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Colby Jones. The latter was subsequently waived. The Thunder faced a roster crunch after Thomas Sorber's arrival. Jones got the short end of the stick and was shipped out after just one forgettable year. The 23-year-old gets a fresh start after he barely played in his rookie season. Let's break down the Thunder-Wizards trade and the meaning for both sides. At the end, Thunder Wire will assign a final grade on the deal: Why the Thunder made the move The Thunder are the rare NBA champions whose entire roster is on the books for next season. That's great news on the surface. Of course, you'd love to run it back with the same group that got you the Larry O'Brien trophy. But some small consequences do exist. If the Thunder added anybody from the draft to their standard roster, that meant somebody needed to get booted. After they drafted Sorber with the No. 15 pick, it was only a matter of time. Most expected either Jones or Ousmane Dieng. It turned out to be the guy most thought the Thunder would keep because of his novelty. Dieng survived this roster crunch. Despite only a year left on his contract, the Thunder stayed with the younger player who's shown more flashes on the NBA and G League court. The 22-year-old has had solid stints, but injuries have hampered him from sticking in the rotation. Meanwhile, Jones struggled from the get-go. The 23-year-old couldn't fit an off-ball role. He put up stats in the G League, but wasn't as dominant and seamless as Dieng. He struggled to keep up with NBA-level athletes and made avoidable mistakes. The Thunder also received some financial breathing room. They waived Jones on a contract that's easier to eat. He only had $2.2 million guaranteed next season. Much less than Jones' $2.8 million guaranteed next season. They are now $7 million below the tax. Why the Wizards made the move At this stage of their rebuild, the Wizards are in player development mode. They have several prospects on their roster and added another in Jones. The Rockets' 2029 second-round draft pick isn't half-bad either and could be used as a trade chip down the road. Jones' playing time was only going to dwindle. The Thunder are a title contender with several better options ahead of him. They were enamored by his physical and skill traits at Weber State, but the jump to the NBA didn't land as smoothly as they had hoped. Instead, Jones gets a fresh start on the Wizards. Wizards GM Will Dawkins spent 15 years on the Thunder, so it shouldn't be a shocker to see him like some of their prospects. In Washington, perhaps he can get more on-ball reps than he would've in OKC. Either way, this was worth a shot. Jones is only guaranteed one more year in his rookie deal. He has team options of $2.8 million in 2026-27 and $5.2 million in 2027-28. Worst-case scenario, you can move on from him and only have to give up somebody you weren't going to extend. Final thoughts Sam Presti loved Jones. The small-school forward was on his radar for two years. You can kinda see why. A bowling-ball forward who can playmake and run the offense is an intriguing archetype. But physical limitations, nonexistent shooting and age made it difficult to see him break out in the NBA, much less on OKC. The five future second-round picks needed to acquire Jones were a pretty penny to spend, yes. But what's a few bucks to a team sitting on a pretty pile of draft picks? Especially second-round picks. The whole point of hoarding draft picks is to be afforded the luxury to overpay and not feel a hole burned in your wallet. The Thunder dealt six future second-round picks in Jones's one season — five when they traded for him and one attached to trade him away — but who cares? It's a bad trade, sure. But it's not worth losing sleep over. It was easy to predict he wouldn't work out in OKC, but you can't stop taking swings when you're afforded to attempt them. Jones had one of the more forgettable Thunder tenures ever. Seldom do you see OKC pull the plug on first-round players after just one season. But you'd rather see them eat the loss than fall for the sunk cost fallacy. Final Grade: C-minus
