We are 22 days away from NBA Training Camp, which begins on October 3rd. The Miami Heat currently has 13 roster spots filled and must sign a 14th player before the regular season starts. It is more difficult for teams to continuously carry fewer than 14 guaranteed contracts because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Miami hasn’t made any additional moves since July. Instead, they been focused on the Damian Lillard and have put any other potential moves on pause. One previous candidate, Christian Wood, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers recently.
Kelly Oubre on the way?
Still, there remains some players on the market who can still join the Heat. One of them is Kelly Oubre, who Marc Stein reports is likely signing with the Heat. Of course, that’s if they’re eventually able to reach an agreement on the Lillard trade. Oubre is coming off a season where he averaged 20.3 points and 5.2 rebounds with the Charlotte Hornets. He’s also coming off a two-year, $26 million contract with the Hornets. Since the free agency period started in July, there hasn’t been much noise on potential destinations for the forward.
Via GettyImages
Due to Miami’s salary-cap limitations and the strict CBA rules, the Heat can only offer outside free agents the minimum contracts at this time. However, that didn’t prevent the Lakers from signing Wood, who averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. And it could be the case with Miami as well when it comes to Oubre, depending on if they can land Lillard.
Since Lillard’s trade request on July 1st, there hasn’t been any substantive conversations between the Portland Trailblazers and the Heat. Mostly because of the lack of suitors and teams are just returning from their vacation periods. With training camp on the horizon, things could pick up soon.
As the Miami Heat remain patient on a Damian Lillard trade, there appears to be drama going on elsewhere. Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden is seeking a trade elsewhere and has been unhappy with the 76ers organization. With the Harden drama going on, it could not only impact the 76ers season, but also their future as well. It may only be a matter of time before 76ers’ superstar center Joel Embiid ask out of Philadelphia.
Miami Heat awaiting Joel Embiid Request?
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Many teams would love to inquire about an Embiid trade. Currently, there’s already two teams that stand out. According to Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, league sources say both the New York Knicks and Heat are among teams keeping an eye on a potential Embiid trade. Vincent also noted that league sources told a trade request could be made sooner than later.
“Everyone’s circling, waiting. The Knicks and Miami are keeping an eye on everything going on,” a league source told Yahoo Sports.
Vince Goodwill
What would the trade cost?
It’s no secret that Jimmy Butler and Embiid are close friends. And Miami has been pursuing a star partner for Butler as well. However, it would likely take Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro together in a package to make the 76ers seriously consider trading him there. Despite his offensive inconsistencies, Adebayo has been durable and has provided consistent elite defense while anchoring the Heat’s defense. During the Heat’s 2023 Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Adebayo was the Heat’s most consistent offensive player. Even though Embiid is very talented offensively, the one knock against him has been his injury history and underperformances in the playoffs.
As for now, the Heat pursuit for Lillard remains. Miami remains highly confident they can acquire the superstar point guard and is willing to wait on a trade.
Max Strus‘ career in Miami is officially over. The Miami Heat free agent has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Strus could have been re-signed by Miami by utilizing his Bird rights, but the hard financial realities of the new CBA forced Miami to make a difficult decision. The Heat are trying to avoid the punitive second tax apron as much as possible. Miami is $3 million away from the second apron, which is set at 182.9 million. And they currently are at $179 million with five roster spots. Miami is also limited to offer minimum salaries to free agents.
Deal Details
The sign-and-trade deal involved the San Antonio Spurs. The deal includes Lamar Stevens and Cedi Osman going to the Spurs. And Miami receives a trade exception and future second rounder back in the deal. Strus will receive 4-year $63 million deal from Cleveland as a result of the trade. With Gabe Vincent and Strus gone, Miami will now focus on the trade market and potential vet minimum options to replace. Of course, Miami remains hopeful of a Damian Lillard trade. As of Friday night, there’s been no trade request from the Portland star. So, Miami will continue to monitor that.
Free agent Max Strus has agreed on a four-year, $63M sign-and-trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. In three-team deal, Heat get a second-round pick and Spurs acquire Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a second-rounder. pic.twitter.com/xKAmqlx3aF
Strus was a key contributor for the Heat throughout their run to the 2023 NBA Finals, especially with starting guard Tyler Herro missing virtually the entire postseason due to a fractured right hand sustained in Game 1 of the Heat’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The sharpshooter shot well in the beginning of the playoffs, before struggling significantly in the NBA Finals. After shooting 35 percent from downtown in the regular season, those averages dropped to 31 percent in the playoffs.
The 27-year-old posted career-highs in points (11.0), rebounds (3.2) and assists (2.1) in the regular season.
Lillard met with the Portland TrailBlazers general manager Joe Cronin and other team representatives on Monday, and according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Lillard is prepared to wait and see what the team does in the free-agent market before determining his next course of action.
“This was the meeting a lot of the league was watching to see if Damian Lillard requested a trade,” Windhorst said, via ESPN’s Get UP show. “And he absolutely did not. From what I understand, the tenor of the meeting was that he doesn’t want to pressure on the Blazers. He wants to see what they do in free agency. He’s going to give them that time do that. This is an interesting strategy move.”
Despite the Blazers’ decision to continue to build around Lillard, the Miami Heat remains hopeful of an eventual trade request. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami is willing to wait for the Portland star.
According to multiple sources, the Heat has decided to wait patiently for Lillard to make a decision because they view him as a player worth waiting for. Meanwhile, the Heat would like to re-sign impending free agent guard Gabe Vincent regardless of whether Miami lands Lillard or not, according to a league source.
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald
Why They Can Wait for Lillard
Given the Heat’s huge luxury tax concerns, Miami’s only avenue to improve involves trades, using bird rights on their own free agents, and minimum contracts. This means the Heat will not be able to sign high impact players in free agency or do sign-and-trade deals. Doing sign-and-trade deals would hard cap them over $172 million. Additionally, the midlevel exception won’t be available for them. Basically, this means Miami’s only shot at making a significant upgrade is through trades, especially for Lillard.
In the end, the chase continues for Lillard. Will the Blazers finally decide to trade their star guard? We’ll see.
The Miami Heat are two days removed from losing to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Now, we are headed into the ‘Transactional” period on the NBA calendar. Additionally, there appears to be a star being available in trade talks very soon. A familiar star at that. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic,Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal are expected to work together on finding a trade for him should the team reset. And yes, the Miami Heat are expected to be prominent suitors for the star guard.
“Sources said both sides are working amicably to find the path forward, with the draft looming on June 22. The sources, who were granted anonymity to discuss the matter, said the Miami Heat are expected to be prominent suitors for Beal if he reaches the market.” –
Shams Charania
Unlike most players, the star guard will have a lot of influence over where he ends up for his next stop. His five-year, $251 million contract, which also has a full no-trade clause, just finished its first season. Therefore, the Wizards must bring up Beal in whatever negotiations they have with interested teams in the NBA.
Potential Risks of Beal Trade
A multiple-time NBA All-star, Beal is obviously one of the best NBA players, but any team considering a trade for him must weigh the consequences of doing so. With his huge contract, Beal will occupy a sizable portion of the NBA team’s salary cap. Beal also has a 15% trade kicker in his contract, which he could waive. Additionally, he is not getting any younger and has played in 90 games the past two seasons. When healthy, he’s a terrific fit alongside Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. But his health and contract make it a huge risk.
Overall, there’s plenty of things to consider as we ponder a potential Beal trade. But with the NBA Draft and Free Agency around the corner, Beal could potentially be in a different spot. When or if he’s moved, it could start fireworks in what could be a busy NBA off-season.
After losing Game 1, the Miami Heat looked to bounce back against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2. Miami jumped off to a 10-2 start in the opening minutes of Game 2. The three-pointers were falling for Miami this time around after missing a lot of them in Game 1. Denver then responded with a huge run in the second period and led by as many as 15 points. However, Miami continued to push back and trimmed the lead to single digits. In the fourth quarter, they took the lead and never looked back. With the win, Miami ties the series 1-1. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s win over Denver.
Game 2 Adjustments
In order to steal Game 2, Miami needed to make adjustments from Game 1. Denver’s size gave Miami plenty of problems in the first game. So, what did Miami do? They started Kevin Love and moved Caleb Martin to the bench. The move paid dividends on both ends. Love’s positional defense, passing, and shooting worked out well in the starting unit. Additionally, Miami made adjustments on the defensive end as well. They limited their doubles on Nikola Jokic and denied the cuts to the basket. Jokic still dominated the game in scoring but Miami made sure to limit the other guys. And that’s exactly what happened. Jokic finished the night with 41 points and four assists. Denver is 0-3 this postseason when Jokic scores 40 plus points.
Gabe And Strus set the Tone
Photo credit: All Photos via Heat.com
The Heat’s two-tone setters in Game 2 were Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. After shooting 0-10 in Game 1, Strus came into Game 2 ready. He knocked down his first three-pointer in the opening minutes of the game. We all saw how open the looks were in Game 1. The problem was they didn’t make the Nuggets pay. But in Game 2, Strus did it time and time again in the first period. As for Vincent, it was another solid performance from the Heat guard. Vincent did a great job maneuvering the pick and roll action. The patience he showed in the pick and roll has been quite the improvement. He was able to get to his spots without rushing his shots. Overall, the Heat’s two upcoming free agents took advantage of the open opportunities. It was a solid performance from those two.
Robinson to the Rescue
Miami entered the fourth quarter trailing by eight points. Jimmy Butler started the quarter on the bench. Miami needed more offensive from other players. And who did they turn to? Duncan Robinson. Robinson knocked down a three-pointer that cut the deficit to five. Then he went back door for the and-one layup. And next came a long three-pointer that cut the lead to two points. Robinson’s play in the fourth quarter completely changed the momentum in Miami’s direction. Time after time Robinson was making good plays for Miami. And to think he wasn’t in the rotation this season. Credit to him for staying ready. Robinson finished with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from downtown.
If there wasn’t a case made to cut Cody Zeller’s minutes before, there should be one now. His minutes have been bad since the Boston Celtics series. The moment Bam Adebayo sits on the bench, the momentum completely changes in the other team’s favor. Defensively, he’s a liability on that end. He’s not a shot blocker and he often struggle in other areas on that end as well. I get there needs to be another player to throw at Jokic. However, Zeller’s minutes are costing the Heat momentum. It may be time to go back to Love as the backup five. We’ll see if that changes in Game 3.
Next Up: Game 3 on Wednesday. Game tips off at 8:30pm eastern.
For 16 consecutive times, all home teams have won Game 2 after losing Game one. And we knew the Miami Heat were going to get the Boston Celtics best punch at home. After a back and forth first quarter, the Celtics jumped to a double-digit lead over Miami in the second quarter. But then, Miami responded with a run of their own and lead by four at halftime. The Celtics once again jumped to a double-digit lead in the second half, but Miami stormed back and took Game 2. With the win, Miami moves to 2-0 for the series. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s Game 2 victory over Boston.
Never Poke the Bear!
The first three quarters were fairly quiet for Jimmy Butler. He missed a couple of shots in the paint that he usually makes, and he was passive a few times. With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had momentum with a nine-point lead in the period. And then, Grant Williams made what was the biggest mistake of the game: Firing Butler up. The next possession, Jimmy went inside the paint for the and-one basket over Williams. This became the beginning of the end. Butler kept attacking the Williams matchup, scoring bucket after bucket. Now, the Heat take the lead and never look back. Simply put, another Butler masterclass in the fourth quarter. Butler finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Martin Keeps the Heat Afloat
All Photos by Heat.com
While Butler may get the headlines, Caleb Martin was also huge for Miami. Whenever the Heat’s offense was stagnant, it was Martin providing the scoring for Miami. With both Miami stars getting doubled, Martin did a great job of attacking the closeouts at the three-point line. He kept attacking the paint for lay ups and also hit on his jumpers. Boston has often dared him to shoot, and Martin hasn’t been shy about taking those shots. He kept going throughout the whole game. Overall, it was another solid production from Martin off the bench. He’s really been Miami’s most consistent role player throughout the season. Martin’s contract is certainly looking like a steal for Miami. Martin ended the night with 25 points.
Bam Flirts with a Triple Double
It was another good performance from Bam Adebayo. Adebayo certainly wasn’t shy about taking the shots in the Game 2. He was assertive on both ends of the court and made his presence felt. This wasn’t an efficient night for Adebayo. However, it was good to see him still be aggressive. Adebayo also did well in finding his teammates cutting to the basket and open for three-point shots. That’s what Miami wants and needs from him on a nightly basis. On the other side of the floor, Adebayo continued to be everywhere on the floor defensively. He switched out on the perimeter and protected the paint as well. Most importantly, he crashed the boards. He was only one assist shy of getting his second triple double of the postseason. Adebayo finished with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assist.
Protecting Homecourt
The best-case scenario in Boston has now happened. Miami has won both games in Beantown. Although both games weren’t easy, Miami still found ways to get the job done. There’s a lot to appreciate about the resilience of this Miami team. They simply have not been down even when trailing by double digits. Now, they head to Miami to play Games 3 and 4. Win both games and the Heat will be back in the NBA Finals since 2020. However, the job’s still not finished yet. Boston has played well on the road in the postseason with a 4-2 record. Miami is in control of their NBA Finals destiny now. Now it’s time to get the job done.
Next up: Game 3 on Sunday. Game tips off at 8:30pm eastern time.
The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics face off in the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive year. This time it was Boston that had homecourt in the Eastern Conference finals. Both teams went back and forth early on in the first quarter. Boston then took over the second quarter forcing turnovers and drawing fouls on the Heat. The Heat’s offense was basically stagnant in the second period. However, Miami turned their defense around and limited the Celtics paint drives. And offensively, the team looked better. In the end, Miami came away with the seven-point victory. With the win, Miami moves to 1-0 for the series against Boston.
Jimmy Leads the Way
Coming into Game 1, all eyes were on Jimmy Butler. And it wasn’t just for his basketball game. It was the right ankle that he injured in the last series. Butler played through the ankle last series, but you can tell it affected his game. Well, he put that question to rest early in the game. There seemed to be no limitations for Butler in Game 1. The Celtics threw a lot of different coverages at him. They put smaller guards on him, but he took them to the post. And even tried putting more lengthier players on him as well. When they did that, he ran pick-and-roll action with the bigs for jumpers. Defensively, he played mostly as a safety and stole the ball six times. Overall, another solid performance from Jimmy Buckets. Butler ended the night with 35 points, 7 assists, and six steals.
Aggressive Bam
All Photos by Heat.com
For the Heat to have a shot this series, they needed more offense from Bam Adebayo. Last year, Adebayo was up and down with his offense. In Game 1, he was very assertive. And the crazy thing is he only took 13 shot attempts. Adebayo had the midrange jumpers going in for in and he scored around the basket as well. The Celtics threw multiple defenders at him but that didn’t stop Adebayo’s aggression. From the start it was clear that Miami’s focus was getting their star center going. Miami did struggle at times whenever he was on the bench. It was confusing at times how the Heat’s coaching staff was managing his minutes. But anyway, it was a solid performance from Adebayo. Adebayo finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
With Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo out, Kyle Lowry has been huge for Miami this postseason. Coming into the series, I felt that he was Miami’s X-factor. Last year, Lowry played through the hamstring injury and wasn’t himself. This year, he’s now healthier. Lowry immediately made an impact off the bench. Using the Adebayo screens in the pick and roll actions, the Heat were able to generate good looks. Lowry also knocked down three triples off the pick and roll action. Lowry’s pull-up jumpers are essential for the Heat’s offense without Herro. He had the green light for those shots and was very confident taking them. Lowry finished with 15 points and three rebounds.
Huge Third Quarter
Usually, we call the third quarter, the “Turd Quarter”, when Miami’s offense struggles. In Game 1, it was a strong quarter for Miami. It all started with Adebayo’s aggressive to start the period with his jumpers. Kevin Love also helped the Heat get momentum in the third period. Love’s shooting, full-court passes, and rebounding were key for Miami. From there, Max Strus started to get going from downtown. Most importantly, Miami cut down their turnovers, which was an issue in the first half. The Heat ended up building a double-digit lead heading into the fourth period.
Next Up: Game 2 on Friday. Game tips off at 8:30pm eastern.
After a blowout win over the New York Knicks on Saturday, the Miami Heat still had to protect their homecourt in Game 4. Unlike Game 3, this one was more competitive. Both teams traded buckets in the first period, with the Heat leading 31 to 30 after the first period. The offense was really flowing for both teams. New York even shot 71 percent in the third period at some point. Despite this, Miami was able to maintain their lead for most of the second half. They ended up closing in the game with a victory. With the win, Miami moves to 3-1 for the season. Here are the takeaways from Miami’s win over New York.
More Offense from Bam Adebayo
Fans wanted more offense from Bam Adebayo? Well, they got it. Miami went to Adebayo down low a lot to start the game. Adebayo kept converting the baskets at the rim. On one play against Mitchell Robinson, Adebayo backed him in and scored the and-one basket on him. He was clearly assertive and looking for his shots. Adebayo’s teammates also did a good job of finding him. With his 15th playoff double-double, he joins Lebron James as the only Heat players with 15 plus double-doubles. A great list to be on. Overall, Adebayo was solid on both ends of the floor. He hasn’t scored over 20 points much this postseason, but his activity in other areas have been essential. Adebayo finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Heat Bench Continues to Thrive
All Photos via Heat.com
In what has been a regular season issue, the Heat have totally flipped the script on its bench impact. As explained multiple times, the Heat have had issues maintaining their leads without Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. But yet, this postseason the Heat’s bench has done exceptionally well in their minutes without the two stars. It’s been incredible to watch the Heat’s bench progress this postseason. How have they been able to do this? Well, look no further than Kyle Lowry. Lowry has done a great job of being the stabilizer for the Heat’s offense. And to think, there were questions about his role going forward with the team after the trade deadline. Miami ended the night with 32 bench points.
Winning the Rebound Battle
The Knicks are one of the best rebounding teams in the league. They have Mitchell and Juluis Randle controlling the boards for them. And also Josh Hart, who is one of the better rebounding guards. New York may not be one of the most efficient teams but will grab offensive rebounds and capitalize on them. But yet, it was Miami owning the offensive boards on Monday night, particularly in the fourth quarter. All five players for the Heat were crashing the offensive boards. There was one possession where Miami continued to grab offensive rebounds off of their missed shots. Something you would usually see from New York. In the end, Miami outrebounded New York 44-35 on the boards.
Elimination Game
With a 3-1 series lead, the Heat have control of the series. All they need to do is win one more game and they’re back in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the previous series, Miami finished the job before Game 6. They now have the opportunity to do the same in Game 5 in New York. With their season on the line, expect a tough game from New York. Elimination games are usually the hardest ones considering the desperation from the other team. And the easy-going mood from the leading team. Miami knows what is at stake and I expect them to come out ready to finish the job.
Next up: Game 5 on Wednesday. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern time.
After splitting two games, the Miami Heat entered Game 3 with homecourt advantage. The New York Knicks were looking to regain their homecourt advantage. However, Miami had different plans. The Heat set the tone early in the game with paint attacks and physical defense. They dominated both ends from start to finish. The Knicks made it a little interesting late in the fourth quarter, but Miami ended up sealing the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 2-1 in the series. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s victory over New York.
Butler Back
Jimmy Butler sat out the Heat’s Game 2 lost against the Knicks with his ankle injury. With five days of rest, Butler was back in action on Saturday. He clearly looked healthy and spry. He was aggressive in his paint attacks and the jumpers were falling as well. He set the tone for Miami with his early aggressiveness. Butler, however, appeared to aggravate his ankle injury after a drive to the basket in the third period. He still played through the rest of the way despite the injury. Overall, the Heat’s best player was exceptional on both ends of the floor. He even pulled off a reverse jam that didn’t count. Butler finished with 28 points.
Bam’s Physicality
Bam Adebayo‘s impact has been a constant debate among Heat fans in social media. There has been frustration over his lack of high scoring in this year’s playoffs. Especially after a dominant scoring burst in the first half of the season. Adebayo didn’t score over 20 points in Game 3 but his impact was felt. Defensively, Adebayo slowed down Julius Randle, who scored 10 points in the game. And he was doing it mostly with single coverages. He held Randle to just 2-9 shooting as the primary defender. Additionally, Adebayo attacked the glass against the Knicks 7-footers. He was literally everywhere on the floor with his impact on Saturday. Adebayo finished the day with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Non-Jimmy and Bam Minutes
All Photos via Heat.com
When both Butler and Adebayo are not on the floor, that usually spells trouble for the Heat. There’s been multiple times this season where the Heat have lost leads with both sitting on the bench. However, Game 3 was a different story. The Heat went without both stars to start the second quarter. And Miami pushed the lead from eight to 18. Alot of that has to do with Kyle Lowry leading the second unit. Lowry got the team into their sets, fed teammates for open shots, and got to the basket. He had a nice pick and roll action with Cody Zeller during that time as well. The fact that unit pushed the lead up without their two stars was certainly encouraging. They’re going to continue to need it the rest of the way.
Poor Shooting
Even though Miami won the game by double digits, it certainly wasn’t because of their three-point shooting. As a team, Miami shot 21.9 percent from downtown. Usually, that would spell trouble for the Heat’s offense. But yet, Miami still put-up points on the board. Of course, there were timely three-pointers along the way. Still, it was certainly surprising how Miami remained ahead big despite the poor shooting. You could point to the Knicks poor three-point shooting as a reason too. Some of the shots the Knicks were taking were horrendous. But give credit to the Heat’s defense too. They certainly did their job in Game 3.
Next up: Game 4 on Monday. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern time.
