Hoops Rumors

De’Andre Hunter is playing like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, providing the Hawks with a scoring punch off the bench, Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. He’s averaging career highs of 19.8 points and 45.3% shooting from beyond the arc in his 17 appearances this year. “He’s definitely in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, especially if you keep … [Read more...] about Southeast Notes: Hunter, Young, Williams, Butler, Jaquez

The Heat have just one unprotected first-round pick available for trade, which are owed from their moves to acquire Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The only picks Miami can trade are their 2030 or 2031 picks, but not both, due to the Stepien Rule. This complicates matters for the Heat as they approach a chatter-filled deadline, with … [Read more...] about Southeast Notes: Heat Picks, Jovic, Banchero, Harris, Valanciunas

Heat guard Dru Smith, who is on a two-way contract, has become a key rotation player over the past six games in part due to his impressive defense, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat have been substantially better defensively when Smith has been on the court compared to when he’s not. “I’m trying to bring as much energy as I can on the defensive end, be … [Read more...] about Heat Notes: Smith, Butler, Expectations

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2024 on Wednesday. Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $9.14 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $8 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $8.3 billion, while the Lakers come … [Read more...] about Warriors Remain Atop 2024 NBA Franchise Valuations

Head coach Erik Spoelstra cited “flexibility” as one reason why the Heat decided to trade big man Thomas Bryant to the Pacers for a 2031 second-round pick swap, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The parting sounds quite amicable, with Spoelstra praising Bryant for staying upbeat amid a challenging individual season — he wasn’t a regular part of Miami’s … [Read more...] about Heat Notes: Bryant, Spoelstra, 14th Roster Spot, Butler