The Miami Heat were among the teams Ben Simmons was interested in joining before agreeing to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings. But the Heat reportedly passed on signing him despite their current priority of adding point guard depth.
According to Ira Winderman, the veteran senior writer with the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Heat turned down Ben Simmons because he is no longer a proven win-now player.
"At a certain point, a team in win-now mode has to draw a valuation line between players who can be developed/reclaimed and those needed to be able to contribute in the moment, without questions of whether they are healthy enough or still skilled enough."
"In the development bucket, the Heat have Ryan Conwell, Myron Gardner, Tre Donaldson and even, still, Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson. So adding an unknown quantity would have meant going without, say, a Nick Richards or Klay Thompson or Tim Hardaway Jr," Winderman explained in his latest report.
"The Kings make all the sense for Ben Simmons, and he makes all the sense for them. There is no pressure to produce in Sacramento, but rather to begin a potential climb back to relevance."

#sacramento #kings #winderman

The Miami Heat are known as a storied franchise in the NBA. Under Pat Riley's influence in the '90s, the "Heat Culture" became the team's foundation and philosophy. Although Riley transitioned to a front-office role later in his career, Miami's philosophy remained as Erik Spoelstra took over as head coach in 2008.
Although the Miami Heat were competitive under Pat Riley, the Heat became a different monster under Erik Spoelstra. From managing superstars like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to nurturing the newer generation of stars like Bam Adebayo, Spoelstra has been one of the most impactful coaches in NBA history.
Currently, Erik Spoelstra also serves as head coach for the USA men's national team ahead of the 2028 Olympics, which will mark the end of his three-year cycle in the role. Coincidentally, 2028 will also mark 20 years since Spoelstra took over the Heat head coaching role, and according to Heat insider Ira Winderman, it may be the ideal opportunity for him to make a move. Winderman shared:
"When you talk about the Heat turnaround, after the 2028 Los Angeles games, to me, it would be the natural time for Spo to maybe move to the front office to step back."
"Right now, I know he loves it. It would make sense. But who knows? Maybe he's one of those coaching lifers. Maybe he's Hubie, and he's going to come back, you know, in a different way and keep doing that, just like I think Pat Riley will never fade away."

#heat #head

Heat predicted to sign $305M future Hall of Famer to make life easy for Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Miami Heat made one of the biggest moves of the offseason by trading for former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, Miami is looking to add more talent to the roster and become an even bigger threat to contend for a championship.
The Heat are looking forward to the upcoming season, but they would like to add more reinforcements. Miami has been linked to three major names throughout the summer.
"Because of the Heat working this season under a hard cap created by the machinations required for the Antetokounmpo acquisition, a deliberate approach is required for the final two standard roster spots. Among those reportedly being considered by the Heat for those two roster spots are Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson, should he become available from the Dallas Mavericks by trade or with a buyout," Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman wrote.
The Los Angeles Clippers re-signed Bradley Beal to a new deal on Thursday, taking him out of the equation for Miami. The Heat also do not appear interested in giving up significant ******* ets to acquire Klay Thompson.

#giannis #bradley #beal

Heat reportedly warned against signing Stephen Curry's ex-teammates originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Miami Heat traded Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware and three first-round picks to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in June, giving them one of the three best players in the world. That deal changed the franchise's ceiling. What it did not resolve was the roster around Antetokounmpo.
Several experienced names have since entered Miami's free agency discussions, including Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, D'Angelo Russell and Nick Richards. One anonymous NBA scout evaluated all six this week, and his **** sments landed in very different places depending on the player.
The scout speaking anonymously to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel was asked to **** s Miami's full list of veteran targets. They highlighted why many of these players come with major risks.
Thompson, one of Curry's most decorated Warriors teammates, drew a notably measured take. The 36-year-old averaged career lows of 11.7 points and shot 39.3 percent from the field in his one season with the Dallas Mavericks. He has one year left on his contract at approximately $17.5 million and remains a buyout candidate.

#heat #antetokounmpo #russell #thompson

Milwaukee Bucks star guard Tyler Herro kinda-sorta broke his silence about his physical altercation with former teammate Bam Adebayo in Las Vegas on Friday.
Heat beat reporter Ira Winderman shared Herro saying "my only comment is no comment" when asked about the scuffle with Adebayo that apparently featured him getting punched in the face.
Old video of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro adds sad irony to Vegas fight
Herro appeared on a Summer League broadcast on Friday to say that "it's all love in Miami" with his former team after he was traded to the Bucks in the Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, but that aged poorly after news broke of the fight.
Herro's new Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins also gave no comment when asked about the incident.

The Miami Heat signed former Louisville guard Ryan Conwell, the 37th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, to a contract on Wednesday, the team announced.
Conwell was named to the All-ACC second team last season, averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 ****** ists and 1.1 steals while shooting 34.5% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked 13th in the country in total 3s (112) and fifth in the conference in scoring.
The 6-foot-3 Conwell reportedly agreed to a three-year contract that will pay him $1.36 million next season, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. The second year includes a partial guarantee with a team option in the final year.
Conwell established himself as a high second-round pick this year because of his ability as a lead guard who can get to his spots and score. He is also crafty with the ball, creating ****** e for himself with his array of moves and quickness.
The 21-year-old has the potential to play a significant role after the Heat were reportedly forced to part with several rotation players in the trade to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. He also brings high-level athleticism to the Heat's backcourt.

Ira Winderman: Heat summer roster does not include Keshad Johnson, but does include Myron Gardner, Vlad Goldin, Jahmir Young and Trevor Keels. Of that group, only Gardner presently under contract to Heat . Former Pacer and Net Kendall Brown also on Heat summer roster.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Heat summer roster does not include Keshad Johnson, …

Ira Winderman: This never was going to be easy. If there is a Heat deal, it likely will be completed later, due to cap/calendar rules. If there is not, then it would seem the time for Pat Riley to talk.
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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: If there is a Heat deal, it likely will be completed …