Latest news with #MiamiHeat
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dwyane Wade explains why the Heat didn't pull the trigger on Kevin Durant: "This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner"
Dwyane Wade explains why the Heat didn't pull the trigger on Kevin Durant: "This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Miami Heat have been in star-hunting mode ever since Jimmy Butler packed his bags for the Golden State Warriors following what felt like an endless standoff with management and, most importantly, with Pat Riley. Advertisement The break-up with Butler left a giant hole in the franchise's identity, and as this offseason kicked off with fireworks all over the league, many thought South Beach would make its move, especially with Kevin Durant's name sitting on the trading block since February's trade deadline came and went without a deal. The table seemed set for the Heat to pounce. But, as it turned out, Riley and the front office didn't bite, as KD moved elsewhere. The Heat didn't want to throw all their chips in While there were plenty of reports suggesting that the Heat made a serious play for Durant, the details tell a different story. According to Shams Charania, Miami "turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets in a deal." Simply put, the Heat weren't willing to mortgage the future, especially not when the price also meant matching salaries through players like Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier or Andrew Wiggins. Advertisement That's where Dwyane Wade, the ultimate Heat legend and a guy who knows this organization inside and out, stepped in with his perspective. And Wade didn't sugarcoat it one bit. "Man, the Heat have been trying to get KD for 10 years… So, do you want him, or do you not want him? So, right now, they just playing a couple games. This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner," the Hall of Fame guard analyzed. Wade went deeper, pointing out that while Durant's talent is undeniable, Miami's front office wasn't just looking at the box score production. "So, obviously, they didn't wanna give up what was offered for KD to come there. They look at age, they look at injury, they look at a lot of things. They don't just look at, that he is scoring 25 a game. They look at can this dude hold up if we cash these chips in? Maybe they didn't feel to he was wroth those chips in," Wade added. Advertisement Related: "Unlike myself, he gets to join a team that's established right with HoF guys" - LeBron explains why Flagg is in an ideal position to immediately succeed Miami won't be sleeping for very long As the dust settled, it was the Houston Rockets who ended up pulling off the KD deal, shipping out Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick to land the former MVP. Meanwhile, Miami's front office kept its core pieces intact, even as frustration built among the fan base that they'd missed yet another shot at adding an elite superstar to the mix. Yes, he might be nearing the end of his career, but Durant has made his name on being the ultimate plug-and-play player who can make any team into a top-tier championship contender overnight. Advertisement "As a Heat fan, cause I'm a Heat fan, I gotta bite the pillow, too, and be mad. But also, I gotta understand that they know what they doing," D-Wade concluded. Of course, knowing Riley and how this organization operates, the Heat aren't done... With Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee still up in the air, don't be surprised if Miami's name pops up in those conversations sooner rather than later. The KD window may have closed, but in South Beach, another door is always just about to open. Related: Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Greg Cote's Poll Dance: What's your level of support for Heat's Pat Riley? Vote now!
Miami Heat president Pat Riley speaks to the media during his season-ending press conference at Kaseya Center on May 9, 2025, in Miami. Note to readers: The Poll Dance and Hot Button Top 10 are taking next Sunday off for the long holiday weekend. See you back here with a new edition of each on July 13! Pat Riley since joining the Miami Heat in 1995, first as head coach and later as club president, has drafted Dwayne Wade, promoted Erik Spoelstra, signed LeBron James, and overseen three NBA championships -- among other successes and accomplishments that over 30 years have made him a towering figure in South Florida sports history. Advertisement But he is not above criticism. Now 80, Riley's Heat have not won it all since 2013, and the misses have outnumbered the hits lately in the whale-hunting category, most recently going after but failing to close a trade for Kevin Durant. I would hope Riley might still have the broad faith and support of most Heat fans. But you also see and hear lots of game-has-passed-him-by rhetoric on social media. So you be the judge, right here. Take our latest Poll Dance and vote for which option best reflects how you feel about Riley today. Vote as many times as you'd like or until your fingers ache. GREG COTE POLL DANCE: ON PAT RILEY:
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
NBA offseason, free agency live updates: Naz Reid staying with Wolves; more news, analysis
The Wolves are re-signing one of their own. And there's new basketball leadership in Toronto. Follow for the latest. Getty Images I realize this isn't the biggest transaction of the cycle, but I'm shocked the Heat picked up Keshad Johnson's team option for $1.955 million. I thought for sure they would decline it and try to bring him back on a 2-way contract, as he made little impact after the Heat signed him to a roster contract midway through last season. Also, since the Heat are once again dancing with the luxury-tax line, note that because Johnson was undrafted, he counts the same as a veteran minimum ($2.296 million) for tax purposes. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images The Denver Nuggets can offer Nikola Jokić an extension this summer for three years and more than $200 million, and they intend to do so, Josh Kroenke, the team's vice chairman, said today. But do they expect Jokić to accept immediately? Kroenke didn't have an easy answer for that. "We're definitely going to offer it," Kroenke said today. "I'm not sure if he's going to accept it or not, because we're also going to explain every financial parameter around him signing now versus signing later. Be completely transparent. That's the way we always are. And then he makes the best decision for himself and his family, and we'll support him." It would likely behoove the Nuggets for Jokić to lock in as soon as possible but Kroenke left the door open that he won't. If he's right, that doesn't mean it suddenly becomes a situation worth watching. Jokić has two years and a player option left on the supermax deal that kicked in prior to the 2023-24 season. But the Nuggets have had a lot of turnover in the last few months. They fired head coach Mike Malone and replaced him with David Adelman. They fired general manager Calvin Booth and didn't directly replace him, instead hiring former Timberwolves exec Jon Wallace as Executive Vice President of player personnel and promoting Ben Tenzer to EVP of basketball operations. Those will represent the new braintrust in Denver and report to Kroenke. Kroenke noted Tuesday that the structure might be "unorthodox" but said that goes in line with how the franchise has gotten to this point. "Most everything that has got us to this point has been unorthodox," Kroenke said. "We've hired first time guys before. And our best player is the 41st pick, and (has) a very unorthodox manner (with) the way he plays the game. So everything about us is unorthodox. I think, from a process standpoint, I think it was important for us as an organization, and myself and my father to really slow down, take stock of what the organization really needed at this point in time, talk to a lot of different people from a lot of different areas, and gain a lot of different perspective, both in the basketball world and out of the basketball world. Really, kind of nailing down what the Denver Nuggets need, and that's the margins on the outside of our roster. And I think that both John and Ben's complementary skill sets are really going to help us address those things in a creative way moving forward." CJ McCollum is expected to add veteran leadership on the Wizards' roster, which team officials deem important with unrestricted free agent guard Malcolm Brogdon likely to sign elsewhere this summer. McCollum, who is more comfortable playing off the ball than Jordan Poole is, also should help enhance playmaking and shot-creation opportunities for the Wizards' young players. McCollum is a lower-usage player than Poole and also has a better assist-to-turnover ratio than Poole. One of the Wizards' priorities is to retain their own first-round pick for the 2026 draft. Because of a trade made in 2020, Washington would convey its 2026 first-round pick to the New York Knicks if it falls outside the top eight. By making today's trade with the Pelicans, the Wizards are giving more player-development opportunities for their youngest players and, in the process, likely will increase the likelihood of retaining their 2026 first-round pick. So, the Wizards made a trade in the summer of 2025 to acquire a bunch of veterans who have contracts that will expire after next season, creating cap space in the summer of 2026, allowing the Wizards to make trades to acquire more veterans on onerous contracts, offering teams financial flexibility/savings in return for draft compensation. You have to love the NBA. After the Jordan Poole-C.J. McCollum trade, the Wizards could have eight players under contract whose salaries add up to only about $51 million heading into the summer of 2026. The salary cap projects to be $170 million in 2026-27. Washington will have massive sway in the market next summer, however it wants to use it. Jordan Poole has two years left on his current deal ($31.8 million next season, $34 million in 2026-27). With this trade, the Pelicans get some additional playmaking with Dejounte Murray sidelined due to an Achilles injury and more draft capital. C.J. McCollum, who averaged 21.1 points per game in his four seasons with the Pelicans, is heading into the final year of his deal. Detroit Pistons team president Trajan Langdon said the Pistons 'aren't going to be super aggressive' this summer. He said Detroit is more interested in improving internally and around the margins. Tim Warner / Getty Images How are West teams adjusting to the idea that it probably takes a 60-win-caliber team to realistically hang with Oklahoma City in a playoff series? A 50-win Denver team and a 48-win Memphis team fired their coaches in the final weeks of the season; Memphis then traded Desmond Bane for four first-round picks in a bid to remix a core that wasn't going to be good enough in the Age of Thunder. The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, bravely went the other way, pushing some chips in on a young team to acquire Kevin Durant after a first-round playoff defeat. Even after acquiring Kevin Durant, the Rockets feel like they're one move away from being on Oklahoma City's level. In a related story, they still can trade five future first-round picks. GO FURTHER With Thunder on top, NBA's 'wide-open' Western Conference is a thing of the past Michael Reaves / Getty Images The Ace Bailey question has taken the draft world by storm this week, after he canceled a workout with Philadelphia. However, Bailey's evaluation is complicated, and this has been true for months, not days or weeks. The intel that NBA teams have on Bailey, from having spoken with over a dozen sources throughout the season and pre-draft process, is that his teammates enjoyed being around him. He has a lot of infectious energy. But he's a bit immature and can struggle with focus, those sources said. His pre-draft interviews with teams at the NBA Draft Combine did not go particularly well, as it seemed like he went into them a bit ill-prepared for what was being asked of him, according to sources. They weren't so bad as to knock him off of anyone's board, but they raised further questions about what exactly has been happening with his pre-draft process, as he's largely been shielded from teams. It's easy to chalk this up to Bailey being a teenager, and it's completely reasonable to think that he'll mature as he gets older. You can also chalk up the lack of preparation for interviews to questionable representation, and there are certainly many scouts and executives around the NBA who have questions about how effectively he's been repped. Right now, we're down to two possibilities. Either Bailey's agent Omar Cooper — whose lone experience repping a potential top-five pick was with Isaac Okoro in 2020 before Okoro left to be represented by Excel — is effectively steering Bailey toward a desired location, or he's bungled the process and will cause an unplanned slide for Bailey on draft night. The reality is that he just might not be for everyone. Read more intel in my latest NBA mock draft. GO FURTHER NBA mock draft 2025: Why Ace Bailey is the mystery man of draft week Kirby Lee / Imagn TNT Sports analyst and former NBA player Grant Hill will join NBC Sports' NBA coverage as a game analyst for the 2025-26 season. 'I'm incredibly excited to join NBC Sports as part of their NBA coverage. The NBA has been such a meaningful part of my life, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing the game I love with fans across the country,' Hill said in a release. 'To be part of NBC's return to the NBA — a network with such a rich basketball legacy — and its debut on Peacock is truly an honor. I can't wait to get started this fall.' Hill will continue his role at TNT Sports as a college basketball analyst for the men's NCAA Tournament as well as TNT's Big East and Big 12 basketball coverage. GO FURTHER Grant Hill joining NBC's NBA coverage as analyst for 2025-26 season Matthew Stockman / Getty Images The value of these finals, of the success of the Pacers and Thunder, is depth. This might seem axiomatic: having a lot of good players is important. Duh. But it's never that simple. A salary cap league, especially one with the newish apron constraints imposed in 2023, demands choices and opportunity costs. The Oklahoma City and Indiana front offices understand this — the Thunder had five players who averaged 13 or more minutes per game this postseason while taking up less than 10 percent of the cap; the Pacers had six. 'Depth, in general, is really important,' Thunder GM Sam Presti said at preseason press conference. 'I think depth relative to the parity in the league that we see now is directly linked, because the teams are so deep.' Depth is probably more valuable than ever. It's harder to put a roster together with more than two max players, so the strength of a team can no longer tilt heavily in favor of top-heavy talent. That means organizations not only have to hit on picks in the draft — i.e. Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams — but they also need to establish a player development program that can make contributors out of second-round picks, undrafted players and waiver wire finds like Lu Dort, Kendrich Williams, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Developing these kinds of players will become increasingly important for the Thunder if and when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams sign expensive contract extensions. But it's also important because teams need depth to hang in the NBA now because of the move to a faster pace and to withstand the increased physicality that has come out of looser refereeing. Depth keyed the Pacers' finals run, as they used a deep rotation to funnel in players who can run fast, play hard and beat up the opposing team. Indiana has accomplished their own mix of strong drafting and player development, from finding a key player in the second round (Andrew Nembhard) to optimizing 'second draft' acquisitions (Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith). Here are several other lessons teams should learn from these two NBA Finalists. GO FURTHER Pacers and Thunder provided an NBA Finals blueprint. Can other contenders copy it? Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Imagine being one of the other 14 teams in the West. How on Earth are you supposed to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder? Reminder: The Thunder won the conference by 16 games in 2024-25 and still may not have come into the best version of themselves. The entire logic of team-building in the West for the last half-decade has been that 'it's wide open.' Get yourself to a win total in the low-to-mid 50s, and then anything can happen in the playoffs. Veteran teams with title experience, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, could talk themselves into being contenders with a middling playoff seed as long as there wasn't a scary, dominant team in the conference that required a higher level. That's been the case the last few seasons, as the previous three Western Conference finalists before the Thunder won 53, 53 and 50 regular-season games, respectively. Now, that entire logic is flipped upside down; it's definitely not wide open, unless your desired endgame is losing in five in the conference finals. For those who aspire for more, it's either get to the Thunder's level or go home. What does a higher bar do to change the logic in an already cutthroat conference? Read the rest of my story here. GO FURTHER With Thunder on top, NBA's 'wide-open' Western Conference is a thing of the past Eric Hartline / Imagn The Trail Blazers briefly acquired Jrue Holiday in the 2023 trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, but redirected Holiday to the Celtics less than a week later. During the brief period Holiday was technically on the Portland roster, he and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups connected over what Billups has called 'a great conversation.' Billups, who was traded by the Pistons four years after helping them win the 2004 championship, helped Holiday deal with getting blindsided by the Bucks' decision to trade him. During that chat, Holiday also expressed that he would prefer to be moved to a contender. Billups wanted to help the veteran reach 'a great position and a great spot' for him. 'It meant a lot,' Holiday told The Athletic in 2024. 'Being able to see a coach that has my best interests (in mind). And you could see it and you could hear it, which a lot of times maybe some players don't get a chance to see that from a coach. So he definitely had my best interest (at heart) from the beginning. And he just always looked out for me.' This time, the Blazers appear to intend to keep Holiday, and he could help them with his defense and leadership. Dealing away Anfernee Simons also appears to clear the path for Scoot Henderson, the third pick in 2023, who only started 10 games in his second season. Simons started all 70 games he played. Read more on what this trade means for the Blazers and Celtics here. GO FURTHER Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Blazers for Anfernee Simons, second-round picks: Sources Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Indiana's 107.5 The Fan that re-signing Myles Turner this offseason remains a priority. Of course, Carlisle noted that he wouldn't get into contract numbers or anything like that. But he expressed complete faith in the front office. Brian Fluharty / Getty Images Even after trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Celtics still need to trim nearly $20 million to get under the second luxury tax apron and another $20 million beyond that to escape the luxury tax entirely. Because of that, league sources believe the Holiday trade will be only the first domino to fall for Boston. The Celtics are still shopping other players, including Kristaps Porziņģis, with an eye on alleviating their salary-cap dilemma, according to league sources. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Anfernee Simons can help replace some of the lost scoring with Jayson Tatum out for next season with a torn Achilles. He's a very talented scorer and an underrated playmaker. He's not quite a lead guard, but he does a good job of taking care of the ball, moving it and stretching the floor. He's a career 38.1 percent 3-point shooter, and more than half of his shot attempts last season came from 3-point range. That fits in very well with the Celtics' brand of offense that puts up a ton of 3-pointers and tries to bury your defense with them. Simons is not shy to let it fly. The question will be whether he fits defensively. He's not nearly the defender Jrue Holiday is, even compared to last season's slowed-down version of the six-time All-Defense selection, who battled injuries. That will be Joe Mazzulla's challenge: Getting Simons to move as necessary for Celtics guards to maintain teamwide intensity. Even though we are seeing the Celtics shed some salary, it doesn't mean they're going to be bad. They'll still compete and be a playoff team. They just won't look like a 60-win monster. Read more on why I gave this trade a B for the Celtics. GO FURTHER NBA trade grades: Does Anfernee Simons maintain Celtics' status as East contenders? C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images The New York Knicks will interview Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori for their head coaching job, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN was first to report the news. Nori, 51, has been a longtime, respected assistant coach at several stops. I covered him while he was with Dwane Casey in Detroit. He's a great basketball mind and better personality. Nori ran the offense in Minnesota while Karl-Anthony Towns was there. There isn't a player who will say a bad word about him. GO FURTHER Knicks head coach search: Could a new name enter the conversation?
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Kasparas Jakučionis points to past stops as helpful experience for the NBA
Kasparas Jakučionis has played basketball with several teams in the past, and the Lithuanian believes that experience will help him as he joins the Miami Heat as the 20th pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Jakučionis began playing domestically with Perlas Vilnius in the second division of the NKL. He joined Barcelona two years later and split his time between the first and second divisions before moving to the United States to play at the University of Illinois last season. The 6-foot-5 guard has expanded his game at each stop and learned how to play various styles of basketball. The knowledge picked up in those countries is beneficial at this stage of his career. "I think every time I moved to play somewhere else, especially from home when I was just 15, it helped me grow as a person and a player, learning new cultures and playing different styles of games because Spain is different than Lithuania," Jakučionis said. "Then I moved to Illinois, (which was) another adjustment, to play U.S. basketball more than Spain. I think these adjustments will give me more experience." Jakučionis was named to the All-Big Ten third team last season at Illinois, averaging 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 44% shooting from 3-point range in 33 games. He led the team in scoring, tying the freshman record for total points in a season (494). The 19-year-old is highly touted thanks to his ability to score at all three levels, playmaking, vision and passing. His selection by the Heat was met with praise by some because he projects to be able to step in and help the team in several areas on offense. Jakučionis is eager to get to work with the team and begin yet another adjustment on the court. He understands he needs to improve in some areas, but he is up for the challenge. "I need to put the work in the weight room, building my body and strength, and with the process and time, I know it will come," Jakučionis said. "I'm just ready to work hard and be the best version of myself."
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Legend Dwyane Wade Issues Kevin Durant, LeBron James Take
NBA Legend Dwyane Wade Issues Kevin Durant, LeBron James Take originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Heat were in on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes before the Phoenix Suns traded him to the Houston Rockets. This isn't the first time they unsuccessfully tried to add Durant, as they did the same nine years prior when they tried to sign him as a free agent. Advertisement It makes sense why the Heat believed they had a chance at him in 2025, like in 2016. Miami has a long history of adding the NBA's biggest stars, whether via trade or free agency. That includes Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Lakers alum Shaquille O'Neal, Jimmy Butler, and Chris Bosh. However, the last time they added a big name to the team was when they signed Butler six years ago. Since then, they haven't had as much luck. Even worse, Durant alone may have been enough to vault Miami back to the top of the Eastern Conference. Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) and shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3).Steve Dykes-Imagn Images If one person saw this coming, it's Heat alum Dwyane Wade. Wade explained on his podcast that Durant not coming to South Beach had to do with his not wanting to follow in James' footsteps back in 2010. Advertisement 'I said this 10 years ago when the Heat were trying to get him… he's not following LeBron," Wade said. "Why are we recruiting somebody who's not doing that? I didn't like it then, and I didn't like it now. I'm glad he's in Houston. That ain't it.' Durant may not have wanted to follow the same direct path James did in 2010, but he followed a very similar path when he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Doing so is what stopped James from winning more titles during that decade. Related: LeBron James Called to Retire by Former NBA All-Star Related: Lakers Named Favorites to Land Ace Bailey After Jazz News This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
