Explaining the NBA Summer League's new 'heave' rule
The new "heave" rule is an effort to get players more invested in last-second shots from their own side of the court at the end of quarters.
Full court buzzer beaters have made for some of the NBA's most viral moments in recent years. Whether it's Nikola Jokic casually one-handing a shot at three-quarters court and acting like it was nothing, or Steven Adams doing the same and then hitting a shimmy, these moments have become fewer and far between as NBA players have recognized that their stats can affect contract negotiations down the line. Missed shots lead to lower field goal percentages, which means less money.
Despite attempting a heave being objectively the correct play, given that opponents will not have a chance to retaliate, many players have opted to avoid taking them altogether.
The Houston Rockets' newest star Kevin Durant has even claimed that he will refuse to take such shots if he isn't having a good night from the floor. He'll take an extra dribble or two in order to make sure the buzzer goes off before attempting the shot. Thusly, Durant has not attempted a "heave" since the 2017-2018 season.
The new rule will attempt to incentivize more of these shots. Here's what to know.
NBA News: Former Pistons guard Malik Beasley paid barber, dentist $60,000 after lawsuit
What is the new 'heave' rule?
The new rule states that any shot attempt from beyond 36 feet from the basket (beyond the center circle extended) within three seconds from the end of a quarter will not count against the individual player's shooting statistics, only the team's field goal percentage.
During its time in the G-League, the "heave" rule was generally accepted positively. Most criticisms of the new rules were centered around "not wanting to cater to selfish players" or potential statistical inconsistencies in the future. However, neither of those issues appear damaging to the game.
Will this rule be introduced to the NBA next season?
Currently, there is no guarantee that the rule will be introduced for the 2025-26 NBA season. However, it's reception in the Summer League will likely play a major role in determining its viability in the NBA regular season.
NBA Summer League play began on July 5 and will end with the championship game as well as two consolation games on Sunday, July 20.
NBA News: Kevin Durant to Rockets becomes official as part of historic 7-team NBA trade
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Did the Boston Celtics fail their 2025 NBA offseason?
Did the Boston Celtics fail their 2025 NBA offseason? It depends on how one views success, it seems. If the bar is contending for titles every season, it is hard to look at what Boston did and say it supports such a definition of success. But in the NBA of today under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the Celtics needed to find a way to reduce their spending in a season that will likely see star forward Jayson Tatum out for its entirety, what the front office has pulled off has been a pretty solid string of moves. Now under the second apron and within striking distance of getting out of the repeater tax without having dealt away Tatum, costar on the wing Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, or Payton Pritchard while controlling nearly all of their own picks with a bevy of second rounders to boot, and the picture gets better, even if Boston may be one of the less interesting ball clubs to watch next season. The folks behind the "NESN" YouTube channel put together a clip from their "Hold My Banner" show taking a closer look at the Celtics' offseason. Check it out below!
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rod Strickland argues that Magic Johnson is unjustly left out of the GOAT debate: "He should always be in that discussion in that small circle"
Rod Strickland argues that Magic Johnson is unjustly left out of the GOAT debate: "He should always be in that discussion in that small circle" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Michael Jordan and LeBron James have long been at the center of the NBA GOAT debate. Nonetheless, a handful of names like Magic Johnson, among others, also make for a strong argument, with veteran Rod Strickland endorsing his nomination. Widely regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson redefined the position. Standing at 6-foot-9, he possessed the size of a power forward, coupled with the ball-handing and passing skills of a guard. Adding to it were his unmatched court vision and leadership skills. Putting the stage on fire from his debut season, Johnson remains the only rookie in league history to win Finals MVP. Donning the Lakers uniform his entire career, he helped deliver five championships to Los Angeles. As a result, many feel he needs to be in the GOAT discussion. Making a case for the above nomination sometime back, Strickland shared a detailed analysis about why Johnson deserved to be in the race. "I always think Magic should be in that (GOAT) conversation. So people will say, Jordan, they'll say, LeBron, they stick Kobe in there, Kareem, but think about Magic Johnson at that time, 6'9" point guard, we've never seen that before. He came out of college, the Lakers weren't good, they won the championship that first year…When you look at Giannis or Kevin Durant, that's the origin. Magic is the origin of these big guys…He won five championships…So why isn't he discussed in that..." said Strickland, who played 17 seasons as a point guard in the NBA. He added, "If you look at the impact of Magic to the game and then the statistics, and Magic is going to say MJ, but I think he should always be in that discussion, in that little small circle," mentioned Strickland, who was also known for his flashy ball-handling skills. Where did Johnson fall short in the GOAT race? Considering his resume and influence on the game, Johnson makes a strong case for the GOAT nomination. Some of the potential reasons behind it could include his shortened career of 12 seasons, which was primarily due to his testing positive for HIV. Another factor that worked against him was his lackluster defense. He never made the All-Defensive Team, unlike Jordan and James, with the former even named DPOY in 1988. In a league that is obsessed with scoring, Johnson averaged 19.5 points, given his primary role as a facilitator. On the other hand, Jordan holds 10 scoring titles and James is the all-time leading scorer. That said, Johnson's 11.2 assists per game did not carry the same importance. Putting MJ and Bird ahead of him Over the years, we've witnessed Johnson time and again admit that Jordan was the greatest athlete he ever encountered during his playing career. When asked about the comparisons with James, the legendary point guard would always take MJ even if LeBron won seven titles. "I'm taking Michael all day. Look, I love me some LeBron. I think besides his jumping ability, we are similar at what we did cause he makes his teammates better, he's great in terms of he wants to win… LeBron has done great things for the game today… But I gotta take Michael," said Johnson. Johnson and Bird were the two cornerstones of the NBA during the 80s. Playing for the Lakers and Celtics, respectively, they shared an iconic rivalry. Nevertheless, the two Hall of Famers held each other in high regard, with Johnson often expressing his admiration for Larry Legend. With all that said, when MJ arrived on the scene, they knew it was time for them to story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"There's no way Stockton and Curry are better than Isiah" - Magic Johnson believed Isiah Thomas deserved more respect as one of the greatest point guards of all time
"There's no way Stockton and Curry are better than Isiah" - Magic Johnson believed Isiah Thomas deserved more respect as one of the greatest point guards of all time originally appeared on Basketball Network. Back in 2016, ESPN released its very own list of the top 10 point guards in NBA history. Magic Johnson was the undisputed number one pick at that time. While he received the utmost compliment with grace, he complained about the fact that his fellow Hall of Fame point guard, Isiah Thomas, ranked fifth, below Stephen Curry, John Stockton, and Oscar Robertson. The Magic Man then ranted on social media to voice why he felt Zeke deserved more respect. "ESPN ranked the Top 10 PGs of all time & they have @iamisiahthomas ranked 5th. There's no way Stockton & Curry are better than Isiah," Johnson said. Let me remind everyone, young and old, I played against @iamisiahthomas when he was hurt & hobbling on one @iamisiahthomas still scored 25 points in one quarter in the NBA Finals!" Johnson presents his case Considering that this happened in 2016, it made sense why the Los Angeles Lakers legend felt Thomas should've still been considered higher in the hierarchy compared to Curry, who had just won one championship at that time. Thomas also has two championships under his belt, compared to Stockton, who won zero throughout his 19-year career in the league. Besides the championship, Magic felt that Isiah's game was underappreciated. He was a dynamic point guard who could control the game and score at his own will. The five-time champion felt that Zeke's ability to take over games made him dominant, and it's how he delivered not one but two championships to the city of Detroit. "Isiah led his team to back-to-back championships and that's hard to do, "Johnson once said. "The Utah Jazz had their opportunity but they came up short the times that they went to the NBA Finals because they didn't have the guy that could take over the game." "I'm not going to take anything away from John Stockton because I played against him six times a year, and he was incredible," continued Magic. "But he wasn't the go-to guy at the end of the games, in the fourth quarter where Isiah was that guy. We saw Isiah score 50 points, 45 points. We didn't see John Stockton do that, and that's what we're talking about." Thomas reveals his own list Thomas obviously agrees with Johnson that the former deserves more respect because he believes he exceeded expectations for a 6'1" point guard. In fact, considering Thomas' height, the 12-time All-Star feels that he shouldn't have been as remarkable a scorer and playmaker, but doing so ended up making his achievements even more impressive. That's also why Thomas ranks him and Curry tied for number two depending on what people prefer. "Name me one guy my size who has done what I've done? If you list Steph Curry as a point guard, okay, then Steph depending on what day might be one. It's intimidating when a guy steps across half court, and he just lets it go, and you stand down the layup line doing the layups while this dude is shooting from half court. It's intimidating, and that's why there's a psychological effect that he brings to the game. Then I gotta go Stockton, Chris Paul, and gotta throw J-Kidd in there," Thomas once said. Suffice it to say that Johnson stood out for his friend and competitor in Thomas, and thanks to his massive assist, Zeke got the praise he rightfully deserved as one of the best point guards in NBA story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
