The Miami Heat wrapped up their three-game trip in San Francisco, Calif., in the California Classic on Monday, finishing 2-1 with wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors (Gold). They travel to Las Vegas, Nev., this week to play five more Summer League games, beginning on Friday.
But before we dig into that, what were three takeaways from the California Classic?
Ryan Conwell knows how to score, but another area of his game stuck out:
Skinny: The Heat’s No. 37 overall draft choice was their best player in San Francisco.
Across three California Classic games, Conwell, 22, averaged 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Evidently, he knew how to score from two levels, both in spot-up and off-the-dribble situations. His sweet and smooth left-handed stroke was on full display, even though he wasn’t always efficient, shooting just 40.9 percent from the floor and 32.1 percent from deep (9-28).
However, another area of his game stuck out the most: His defense, specifically at the point-of-attack.
Conwell wasn’t afraid to pick up ballhandlers 94 feet. He was very engaged defensively all weekend. His use of angles were razor sharp, cutting off ballhandlers and deterring their paths to the rim/painted areas; he absorbed contact well and forced multiple tough, contested 2s.
He didn’t try to gamble as much as he did at Louisville, but he wasn’t afraid to get into the ballhandler’s jersey. His foot speed and instincts were also very good.
Most importantly, though, Conwell’s motor was elite. At times, he would get clipped on screens. But he showcased multiple efforts — both on- and off-ball — to fight around them, and tried his best to get skinny and close that space between his man and the screener.
Like Kasparas Jakucionis last summer, he didn’t let his offense — which wasn’t always perfect — affect his defense and the rest of his game. The Heat were better on both ends with Conwell on the court. Even though it’s Summer League, those skills will translate.
Keep an eye out for Tre White:
Skinny: White only played the final two games, but he’s a name I’m keeping an eye on for a potential two-way spot.
The former Kansas Jayhawk averaged 13.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting and 42.9 percent from 3-point range, burying three of his seven long-range attempts.
White took a significant stride in his jump shooting as a senior at Kansas, knocking down 40.3 percent of his 4.0 triple tries per game. That carried over. His release and ball arc both looked good; his off-ball relocation and in-between touch were also quite encouraging at his size. Defensively, even though he still needs to get stronger, White held his own defending both wing positions.
He was also active on the glass, finishing 10th on the team in total rebounds despite playing one fewer game.
White did whatever was required of him; he was one of their better connectors in the 50 minutes he played. Miami likes those kinds of players. If he continues this play this way in Las Vegas, look for him to secure a two-way — whether it’s with the Heat or someone else.
The arrow is pointing up for Vlad Goldin, but by how much?:
Skinny: Let me know if you’ve heard this one before: A second-year player did well in Summer League. If Goldin didn’t play well, that would’ve been quite concerning.
In his two games, Goldin averaged 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. Most importantly, however, he was a consistent deterrent around the rim, rejecting six shots. While he’s still relegated to playing a deep-er drop (with some soft hedges), Goldin’s foot speed looked improved. The 7-footer looked more nimble when moving both North-South and more East-West.
The arrow is pointing up. Although I am still dubious that he should be one of the Heat’s two-ways when the team begins training camp this fall. His touch around the rim is quite poor; he’s not strong enough against 4s/5s; he’s not a good enough rebounder at his size quite yet. His best skills are his shot-blocking, screening and his overall feel for the game.
Those aren’t bad traits to have, but he doesn’t excel at one particular area, even though his rim protection was quite good in this small sample.
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Is Riley holding two spots open in case LeBron wants to bring Bronny?
That’s been my thought.
If Riley only has one spot open until LeBron announces where he is going, he needs to make it count.
he played with his son already the thrill is gone.if his son is not a good player i wouldnt want him on team just to get one year more out of the goat,i would if goat could give us 3 more yearsif we get demar and someone else id think wed be improved greatly.cant go into next year starting b/c dav/pelle.i love pelles toughness but dont think hes a starter on champ level team.my man dav cant be giving us single digit scoring anymore.i want 12 -15 pts from him this year.he has it in him we saw the last game just got to have more of an offensive mindset.
He hasn’t played for a title with his son. This may be the very last chance he will have to do so. I think Riley can trade Smith for Bronny and still have 3 open spots he can fill, if James chooses to play for Miami.
winning a title with 4 diff teams not sure thats ever been done thats a cool story.ending it all where it started pretty cool.miamis story line ?
Robert Horry had 7 rings in 3 cities (2 in Houston, 3 in L.A. and 2 in San Antonio).
Thanks for the summary of the bright prispects. I was only able to watch the first 3 qtrs of their game against SA Was surprised at the tight score line of 88-87 in their favor, because for most of the 3/4 Miami led with substantial margin. It seemed a NO contest when I left the game.
5:1 odds. Hmm?
As of right now, DraftKings has the Warriors at +450 odds of being the team that James plays his first regular season minute for next season. That implied probability of 18.2% is the third-highest of any team, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (-110, -52.4%) and the Miami Heat (+400, 20%).
~ FANSIDED ~ (July 8, 2026)
Following excerpts are from an allucanheat July 7, 2026 article:
LeBron James has Heat playing risky waiting game that could backfire
How long will the Heat wait on LeBron?
The Heat have waited on LeBron before (back in 2010), and it ended up working out for them. However, this is not 2010, and I’m not sure the Heat can be as willing to wait out this process as they were in the past.
Especially if LeBron may not plan on making a decision anytime soon, the Heat may have to make the tough move of pushing forward without him.
It may not be popular or what fans may want to hear, but if it lowers the risk of the Heat missing out on other veterans they may have their eyes on, it’s certainly the right decision.
Miami needs to be focused on building a strong team around Giannis, and if there’s any sense that LeBron may already be leaning in Cleveland’s direction, it’s going to be nearly impossible to find a path to get him to pivot.
The Heat’s front office should be waiting on LeBron, but only to a certain extent. It’s a fine line they should be walking very carefully over these next few days, and they certainly know it. Miami can’t afford to be left flat-footed because of LeBron again.
how much $$ or exceptions do we have. i would take demar and call it a day the goat prob wants to go to cleve but playoff james is there.nobody talking about the pick up of portis .guys a very good player.tim hardaway jr a 3pt guy.we just need a #2 option which demar is.and i believe we could compete for jewelry.greek is unguardable by one guy he opens it up for his teammates.expect other players to have career years with greek out there.
100% on guys having career years. That’s another reason I’m not freaking about about Brad Beal or DeRozan. Whoever comes will probably have one of their best seasons as long as they aren’t ambulatory.
hes looking like an a hole not making up his mind by now .not sure if he hasnt made up his mind maybe waiting for something to happen (allen strus schroeder for ad)or hes just being a primadona ahole.hope its the first if its the second lose little respect for him
He won’t decide until after the World Cup. The market is frozen, so why worry?
What market is frozen? There are signings every day now.
Name me one single difference maker we can afford.
The market for vet contributors on the minimum is frozen. That’s better.
Maybe not big difference makers, but players who would be a fit and contribute to team success. I remember reading a lot of comments about the Giannis Middleton reunion before he signed elsewhere. Am I concerned about losing Middleton? No. But there is no reason not to add a player who is available now and is a nice fit, while keeping the door open for other possibilities.
demar would be our #2 option thats a diff maker 2q.around the elbow hes auto.if we dont help our 2 g position no shot at jewelry.add a demar that would really help us for jewelry.
Let’s see if that is true when the world cup ends on July 19th.
😉
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25452665-new-lebron-james-rumors-update-contract-decision-timeline-amid-cavs-heat-buzz-nba-free-agency
I wouldn’t assume anything. Why did Riley give Hardaway $6M if it could have been used on LeBron or someone else?
last name
Not only that. He is a solid player who had a very good season.
If Hardaway is a solid back-up SG/SF then the rotation should look something like this.
Mitchell, Larsson, Wiggins, Atetokounmpo, Adebayo
Smith, Hardaway, Fontecchio, Jovic, Portis
Conwell, Gardner, ?, ?, ?
That dog won’t hunt. Need reinforcements.
Miami still needs a back-up big. Jonas Valančiūnas is available. He’s good for 15-20 minutes. Just a thought.
Which goes to my unanswered question of why we shouldn’t sign someone we need while we kept a spot open in case LeBron chooses Miami? If we sign a DeRozan, Beal, LaVine or similar player, we will be better regardless of his decision. That’s just good business sense.
Exactly. Smoke em if you got em. Take what you can get. Time is of the essence. He who hesitates is lost. Beal + DeRozan to start.
Have to keep in mind, that, if necessary, the Heat can trade Wiggins to open another spot and create additional salary space to sign LeBron if he chooses Miami. And Wiggins’ contract of $47m for 2 years is a bargain. LeBron at sf instead of Wiggins? Booking dot yeah!!
Two sources say that the Heat would offer Bronny a 2 way contract. It seems to me that that would piss off LeBron since his son has had a standard contract. Of course, it’s just one of many rumors, most of which are false.
But didn’t Lebron wait until after the Lakers guaranteed Bronny’s contract? If Lebron wanted his son to follow you would think he wouldn’t have signed anywhere until Lebron was able to speak to interested teams about that possibility.
I just figured there would be something like Dru for him straight up.
Yup. That still leaves room for LeBron, Beal and DeRozan.
If they trade for his guaranteed contract, wouldn’t it still be guaranteed?
Yup.
Valanciunis was waived. Would be a good backup center.
go to la .lets make an all vanilla team.jokers coming next year
In my head I was thinking the 3 roster spots were going to go to playmaker, shooter and a big. Ethan on 5OTF said they were not going to fill out the 15th spot. So then I think playmaker and shooter, but that does not sound great unless Goldin makes some amazing jump. I don’t expect it.
Don’t feel like he’d fit, unless Miami reverses course to the Jimmy Butler slow and plodding half court offense, which doesn’t fit Giannis….
Not as a starter. Great fit off the bench for supplemental scoring and closing at crunch time when he can create his own shots. He’s a killer mid-range shooter.
In addfition, throughout his career, DeRozan has widely been regarded as a consummate professional, a stellar locker-room presence, and a respected veteran willing to mentor younger players. He does not have traditional “baggage” like some other NBA players.
I don’t think DeRozen is a great fit either, but this was in reference to Jonas Valancunis
As the backup center.
I just feel like he’d come in with concrete feet, for a team that’s goal was last year to push pace, he’d be a rough fit.
I think the push pace issue will be moot as we add older slower veterans.
Pushing the pace is for younger teams.
Giannis whole game is rushing down the court, and creating problems with his drives. That fits more with the up-tempo offense, than a return to the half court game.
lebron and maxey train together alot
And Bron mentored Giannis since back in the day. You can find an angle on anything if you look hard enough.
maxey edgecombe brown embid goat.phil would be tough to beat
You can take Embiid off as he will be a shell of himself in the playoffs. Even if they rest him all year just to save him it won’t matter. He will be broken down with hazards lights on the side of the road.
lebron will play the five then.hed prob be third best center behind joker wemby
Part-time?
I agree. Things aren’t likely to improve with Embiid’s knees.
His knees have a max destination of the 2nd round before detonation.
A team until Embiid gets hurt then a C team.
down to cavs heat phily got a 33% chance for goat
was thinking if d wade was in heat fo is lebron a heater
It has to be GSW or Miami for Lebron is my guess. Curry and Draymond, or Giannis and Bam. Mitchell and Harden isn’t it
Credit when it’s due, the BS podcast floated the idea that Lebron chills until January and picks a team then.
It’s so unusual, I could imagine him doing that for a few years, just to average 25-5-5 in the playoffs or whatever
quitter doesnt count?
worth pointing out that Harden technically has not yet resigned with the Cavs. Could be a sign-and-trade. I still think its GSW or CLE
For those that think DeRozan and Beal are the last free agents on Earth, a certain podcast has hinted that Klay Thompson will be bought out and one of the roster sports is for Klay. Even though he is a shell of his defensive self, he would not be asked to defend. Hit open shots. He just played 69 games and shot pretty much 40%, which is his career mark. That profile would fit more with this build than a DeRozan. Beal hasn’t come close to even 60 games played in years.
It will all play out.
id say hed go back to gsw
You clearly forgot how it ended there. They fought over contract, bench role etc. I will bet he’s not going back to the Warriors.
steph wants him hed go back,hes west coast dude like sm.whats his connection to the heat .id bet gsw .splash bros 2.0
Clips or Lakeshow.
3 1/2 vanillas winning a chip?
At least they would be tapering off. I didn’t know we had formally gone to 1/2 black. I didn’t get the memo. What’s next 1/4 like Hartenstein?
Interesting idea, but he is not shell of himselves just in defense. Traditionally he is not himselves first half of the season, so there woudnt be much of him till january. Also, he needs somebody to be served. He got Luka in Dallas, but there is no one of the same level in Miami.
I would prefer someone younger.
Giannis is consistently in the top 5 of NBA players to create/assist on 3 point shots. He does it very differently than Luka and he’s elite in his own way.
Well, yes, you are probably right.
I have been pounding the table on not signing Middleton or guys like that, so I agree on youth. But from what we know today, not considering a potential trade, or a buyout like Lavine, our current realistic choices are all old or old and injury prone players for the start of the year 1 build. DeRozan, Beal and if Klay gets bought out.
Now there will be more, no doubt. But as of today this is what our choices are.
To wait till February to add some new player is not an option. First, we dont have young players, and second, east is strong. It could mean playin again, if there is a hole in the team.
Why would February be an issue? I doubt this lineup as currently constructed would be a play-in team. Also, let’s not forget year 1 of the Jimmy build. It was February 6th when the Heat traded for Iggy and Crowder and they made a run to the Finals.
Everyone is too uptight about the start of summer and this season as if everything that is happening now is final. There will be so many moves and change by the time the playoffs start that all of this will seem hilarious that we tweaked over some of those guys.
Oh damn. Larry Nance just signed. We are toast! 😉
I meant, that team should be best possible from the start of the season, not from february on. Adding good vets now should be a priority. We cant afford to wait till february to do so. Doing that in february is always an option.
I’ve been responding to your comments a lot because I think you have been very much in touch with the nuances of this situation we are in and what the Heat should do next. I appreciate everyone’s comments and insights at this very important stage of team building, but I think you’ve seen things particularly in perspective.
Thats what happens when you mortgage the future for today. You take what you can get with whatever dollars are left. Plus, Riley needs a quick back-up plan in the event James decides to give him the one finger salute.
clearly an ic bias here understandable my european heat bro
Definitely the #1 target if he’s bought out, and he’s got something to prove, that he can win outside GS
in your eyes ill take demar
DeMar is a proven closer. Klay is not.
DeMar DeRozan is widely considered the better individual closer at crunch time because he is a primary shot-creator who thrives in isolated, late-game situations. While Klay Thompson is one of the greatest catch-and-shoot players in NBA history and has legendary clutch playoff moments (like his famous “Game 6 Klay” performances), he relies on others to set him up. In the final seconds of a tight game, DeRozan’s ability to handle the ball, get to his mid-range spots, and draw fouls makes him a far more dependable closer.
I’m good with Klay, but I would rather have someone that can create their own shot
Yeah, That’s Lebron. Those are the last two spots. Lebron and a shooter. If Lebron doesn’t come then you can sign Beal or DeRozan, if they will take the minimum, then sign Klay too once bought out.
I still don’t get the anger some folks have towards LeBron. Zero free agents that we have talked about around here, have signed for the veteran minimum, which is essentially all Miami can offer.
Middleton got nearly $6m a year. Miami couldn’t match that. Why do we assume Beal and DeRozen are in a rush to settle for 4-5M?
This happened during big 3. We get two of the best players in the world, had our homegrown star resign, and everyone losing their s**t over Troy Murphy.
It’s I want a pony season.
So the HHH discussion has now gone mainstream. Interesting.
Stephen A. Smith Questions Lakers Loading Up On White Stars, stating on his podcast: “Where the hell do the Los Angeles Lakers think they’re going with a bunch of White dudes? Your three top players are White dudes? Really?”
Skip Bayless: Pushed back on Smith, arguing that using racial parameters to judge whether players can win a championship is simply racial stereotyping and that Smith faced no accountability for his comments.
Will Cain: Confronted Smith directly, comparing Smith’s argument about a White-led team to the same racial objections racists used before Black quarterbacks were widely accepted in the NFL
Emmanuel Acho: Publicly called Smith’s comments on the Lakers’ roster “racist,” prompting a rebuttal from Smith who claimed he was “just stating facts” about championship history.
Lol, sounds familiar.
jokic to lakers just to prove hfl 30 steven a wrong.
Hahaha!
Reminds me of Kentucky vs Texas Western 1966 NCAA championship game. Kentucky started Pat Riley and all white boys. Texas Western coach had integrated black players on his teams because he wanted to produce the best teams. That game he started all black players against an all white team…and won!
This kind of reminds me of that in reverse. Something fishy going on here. Especially since it’s L.A. not Salt Lake City.The Buss family sold their majority interests a while back and aren’t calling the shots now. That sounds like a profit driven corporate decision.
I heard that. I was thinking that this is an isolated opinion, but it looks its widely spread in US.
30 and A Smith are right that teams with a lot players weren’t successful in past, but the reason was that there was no good white players in NBA (there were in Europe) and therefore black teams were winning.
Today we have a lot of good white players, therefore there is a good chance that teams have a lot of white players, and that those teams can be successful.
Strong arguments on either side. I agree with you that there have been a lot of American white players over the years who were not very skilled and not very athletic. But, particularly, when more European players were incorporated, things started to shift a little bit back the other way. There are undoubtedly more good black players in the league than white and that won’t change. But I still feel that it is truly a matter of the quality of the player. With players like Dirk, the Gasols, Manu (not European), Dragic, Luka, Jokic, Sabonis, Markkanen, the Wagners, and others, the makeup of the team may not matter.
I wonder why Steven A. Smith doesn’t bring up teams with all black starters? Hmm?
My point is, that a lot of great white players played in Europe in the past, but they just didn’t play in NBA because they weren’t invited. Things changed in 90s, where the first wave of European players arrived in NBA. I could name 10 or 20 or more white basketball players from before 90s, who would commonly play in NBA if allowed.
Today the best from Europe are going in NBA by default, so there is more white players. Some of them are among the best.
I dont know about American white players. I guess that basketball is a black man game in US.
Basketball is popular in urban areas because it doesn’t require special equipment, a lot of space or a lot of money. Most black kids own a basketball at some point. That and a hoop are all that’s required and it’s a game that can be practiced alone.
Poor kids in urban areas are much more likely to play basketball than other sports. In addition, basketball is much more of a cultural preference (the sport of choice) among black kids in both urban and rural settings.
Finally, while more affluent white kids are playing baseball, hockey, golf or tennis, most black kids don’t have those options available. However, basketball is available everywhere.
That makes sense.
Around here, its a kind of tradition that kids are encouraged to try every sport there is in school. My kids tried at least 10 different things, from soccer and basketball, volleyball, to skiing, climbing, sailing, cycling bowling… I cant even remember all of it.
It’s been the elephant in the room for years now. Over the last few years if you had any family from anywhere else that is into basketball and the discussion turns to the Heat, what do you think they talk about.
I agree, this years Lakers will be the big test. It’s a perfect test with a top superstar, an A player (did you know Reaves was such a good golfer he tried out on one of the minor tours), a very well thought of rim protector presence in Kessler, and three other reasonably good white players and six reasonably good black players, a truly integrated team. Unlike the seventies Celtics, the one difference is no Robert Parrish, but otherwise, if it could happen again that half white, half black team could go deep into the playoffs, this is it. I hope they do well for basketball in general.
And,,there is no shame in talking about it. It’s reality, and it’s interesting.
This whole conversation is dumb and every time I see it being brought up here, I bail out. Stephen A. Smith said this because he knows it will get clicks and provide controversy. He’s being paid millions at ESPN to bring attention to himself and he is good at it. I don’t pay him ANY mind when it comes to true basketball analysis.
Let’s be real about the Lakers. Doncic is a clear Top 5 NBA player, and all they had to give up to get him was chronically injured Anthony Davis. Any team is going to do that. Austin Reaves went from undrafted rookie to playing like a borderline All-Star. No team is NOT going to play him. Lastly, can you name a better young center available this summer than Walker Kessler? Lakers pursued Kessler and Jalen Duren, both restricted free agents. While the Lakers preferred Duren (coming off of an All-Star season), it was still up in the air on whether Detroit would match any big offer he got. Meanwhile, Utah was willing to do a sign and trade for Kessler. So Lakers chose Kessler.
These three players just happen to be white and are the current makeup of the Lakers as the opportunities came forward. I guarantee you no GM in the NBA is worried about playing too many white guys together. Can a player defend? Can they play their role in the offense? Can they gel in the locker room? Can I afford them? That’s all that GMs are worried about.
Also, let’s not pretend that a hot-take media personality talking about white guys is equivalent to NFL GMs and personnel publicly questioning whether black QBs are “smart enough”, or say, NBA personnel going behind the scenes saying Jaylen Brown is “too smart” or “think he’s the smartest guy in any room” and bring it up as a negative trait that actively harmed his value and reputation.
Good post.
Well said, Kessler was the best defensive center available and a Lakers target for years. Will be essential on a team with a Luka-Reaves backcourt.
“White guys”/Euros is also a market inefficiency that good scouting teams look at. Heat with Herro at #13, Larsson at #44 etc, or Dallas with De Larrea, Biberovic, Aldama this offseason. It’s not because Pat Riley, Masai Ujiri etc have an affinity for a particular skin color, they’re looking for whoever can play.
More like dumb is meaningless. I m interesting in this topic only because its an interesting phenomena and apparently not isolated opinion in US. Still have no idea why.
Steven A Smith is an @$$hole who has made a career about of ruffling feathers and rubbing people the wrong way. Most of his comments are intended as click bait. Like I said he’s an @$$hole.
So, any ideas when the next domino may fall? How long will this take? Are we talking days or weeks? Haste does make waste unless you have a bird with a bush in your two hands.
Hey, this is a family program!
I’ve been watching too much sports and not paying enough attention to my wife. I need a better joke writer anyway.
Are two hands in the bush better than a bird in the hand.
If he who hesitates is lost and a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, aren’t two birds in the hand (DeRozan and Beal) better than one in the bush (James)?
~ Sunman ~
The Heat remains in the mix for Bradley Beal, who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers after joining the franchise in the 2025 offseason. Miami is one of the teams Beal is reportedly interested in playing for. DeMar DeRozan, who was waived by the Sacramento Kings on Monday, has freshly hit the open market and is already being closely linked to the Heat.
Per Heavy on Heat:
After signing Tim Hardaway Jr., the Heat appear firm on avoiding any additional roster moves until James makes a decision. That includes potentially holding off on DeRozan and Beal. According to Heat insider Barry Jackson, Miami has not ramped up its pursuit of Beal and has yet to initiate contact with DeRozan.
Besides waiting for LeBron James, the Heat continues to wait patiently to see if another shooter or scorer shakes free.
Among the teams commonly mentioned in the race for James are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadedlphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Heat.
According to recent reports, James is in no rush to make a decision and will not conduct meetings with interested teams. Last week, James’ agent, Rich Paul, told NBA reporter Mark Medina that it may be a while before James chooses his next team.
As we enter Day 8 of LeBron watch, the Heat and others think they have a legitimate chance to land the four-time MVP.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Riley may very possibly lose out on signing Beal and/or DeRozan while waiting for LeBron’s decision. If that happens and James decides later to sign with a competitor, Riley will have nobody to blame but himself.
As I suggested yesterday, Riley should sign the first one available (either Beal or DeRozan) and notify Rich Paul that he cannot afford to delay signing other free agents while waiting for the possibilty that LeBron MAY CHOOSE to play in Miami. Therefore, if he hasn’t received LeBron’s decision by a specific date, he intends to fill out the roster with the best available players. That way, LeBron can’t later claim that he fully intended to sign with Miami but that Riley failed to wait for his formal decision.
My man, we finally got Giannis. Be happy. DeRozan or Beal won’t be the difference in winning a title. As annoying as waiting can be, LeBron CAN be the difference in helping win a title. There is no reason to sign a guy now. There could also be other guys getting bought out like Lavine. You can bring up bird in hand and I’ll bring up haste makes waste.
This ain’t James’ first rodeo. He already knows exactly where he wants to play and what he’s doing. He just enjoys squeezing all the attention and publicity possible out of the situation. Having GMs grovel on their hands and knees trying to sign him makes for a good introduction to his forthcoming documentary chronicling what may be his final NBA season. Wouldn’t you agree?
Totally agree. See my comment below. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the title of that documentary is LeBron – The Final Decision.
Or maybe “It’s the Final Countdown.”
10 days is not haste. Giannis acted reasonably and responsibly when he made his decision. He knew beforehand that he wanted to be somewhere else. He and his agent and the Bucks looked at options and made the decision. LeBron is incapable of making a similarly well thought out decision without taking more ‘weeks’? It’s a game and I don’t like the team being played. What if LaVine doesn’t get bought out? What if DeRozan and Beal don’t want to wait endlessly? And what if LeBron goes elsewhere, which is likely? If that happens, the team will be Shabazzed! LeBron is certainly a difference maker, but Beal and DeRozan CAN be difference makers on this team. Not as much as LeBron, but helpful and in the position of need, guard, to give them the best possible chance. Make the best offer you can for acquiring the king, set a date, and if no response? Move on.
Make the best offer you can for acquiring the king, set a date, and if no response? Move on.
Bingo! Either that or allow the tail to wag the dog indefinitely while other opportunities slip away. This is a time for Riley to be assertive, not submissive.
Nobody is slipping away that makes the Heat contenders. There will be guys being bought out later that would be just as good. There could be trades. The list isn’t just Beal and DeRozan. That’s not how any of this has ever worked. We haven’t even started year 1 of the build and somehow it’s all going to bleep because of one old guy and one often injured guy. It’s just an odd take for me.
Giannis was quick? They had been talking since the trade deadline from last season and it went all the way until the draft. Sheesh.
We are going to get Lebron, and when that happens, we’re also going to get one of Beal or DeRozan on a minimum. If that happens then we will be the favorites instead of the other way around. So until Beal AND DeRozan are off the market there is no reason to want a pony today.
Giannis wants him here. That matters. People keep bringing up the storybook ending by going to the Cavs, but didn’t he already have his I’m coming home stuff? I’m coming home again part 2 electric boogaloo is not compelling. Going back to the franchise that you won your first title with and calling it unfinished business is great theater.
Put in a little GnR “Patience” in your music rotation this week. That whistling will chill you out. 😛 😉
Giannis was quick relative to this offseason, since the season ended. He and the Bucks could have done the same thing and dragged the decision out until August. They didn’t. Actually, I’ve been listening to Urgent by Foreigner.
he cant want to play with playoff beard thats basketball suicide.sort of like having ty and unc on ct together.boy i miss those lockdown boys lol.now pat gives us niko.he did get us greek so alls good in heatsville.
Yeah, the home coming story is sweet until basketball actually starts happening and Lebron’s competitiveness will come out. He’s not going to put up with Harden’s lack of resistance. Also, let’s not forget, both Harden and Bron like to play with the ball in their hands coming up the court. So is Harden going to the bench? He did say he would play nice and do whatever it takes to win, so it’s possible. He also came off the bench for OKC to start his career, but the fit is a bit wonkier than with Miami.
Oh yeah, and he who hesitates is lost.
”He who hesitates is lost” means that spending too much time deliberating or doubting causes you to miss fleeting opportunities or fail to take necessary action.
Here, Here!
Yeah, this entire build is going to bleep because we aren’t running out to sign DeRozan or Beal. Who knew it was the only two players left in the NBA over the next few seasons that we could sign and maybe possibly contend. I guess this Giannis run was fun while it lasted. 🙂
I am not talking about just 2 players. Players we could use are coming off the board every day. Sure, there may still be some players that are available and would fit. But if we continue to wait, we may not get any players that would be the best fit, and possibly fail to get the king as well. Then we can see what Zeller and Napier are up to these days. What is the problem anyway with signing one player while leaving room to add LeBron if he chooses the Heat?
det needs a second scorer big time. bam is a third option,derozan is prob still a #2 beal prob isnt..
Beal, except for last season, didn’t average less than 17 points in a dozen previous seasons, and usually averaged more than that.He’s a few years younger too. Either would be fine.
Middleton to the Wizards. D Lo to Memphis. Many think this waiting doesn’t matter. I think it matters a lot. Lose these players and LeBron signs elsewhere, it’ll be déjà vu all over again.
Middleton not coming here is amazing news. I rather use that roster spot on DeRozan or Beal. Even if we get neither Kris feels like he is about to fall off a cliff during this season. That’s jmo, of course.
I felt Khris was the least desirable of the 3 because the others are guards.
Agreed. Hopefully, we hear very soon that either Beal or DeRozan has agreed to play for Miami. It should be LeBron’s objective for the team he selects to have the strongest team possible. Therefore, if either or both Beal or DeRozan sign elsewhere while LeBron procrastinates, it is highly unlikely LeBron will later sign with the Heat.
Miami could sign both Beal and DeRozan and still have room on the roster to accommodate bringing in both Lebron and Bronny by trading Dru Smith straight up for Bronny.
That would be a killer rotation:
Beal, Wiggins, James, Antetokounmpo, Adebayo
Mitchell, Hardaway, Larsson, DeRozan, Portis
Conwell, Bronny, Gardner, Fontecchio, Jovic
Dy-no-mite!
Riley needs to quit letting the tail wag the dog and show some chutzpah in his effort to sign LeBron. See my post above.
No loss either way. Beal, DeRozan and LeBron if he wants it. The choice is his until it isn’t.
Trades are starting to happen again.
From SI article about 5 players to watch.
Second-round draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft for the Miami Heat, Ryan Conwell, is definitely a player to monitor. He has looked like one of the best players on the court in the two games he has played in the California Classic Summer League. In those two games, he averaged 23.5 PPG, 4 RPG, and 3.5 APG.
For most second-round picks, their opportunities in their rookie seasons will be limited; however, for Conwell, that may not be the case. With the recent deal that the Heat made to acquire superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, which saw the Heat deal away a ton of their depth—Tyler Herro, Ke’Lel Ware and Kaspar Jakucionis–Conwell could be a meaningful player for Miami right away. He may not be worth taking in a fantasy draft, but he is at least a player to keep an eye on going into the 2026-2027 NBA season.
Cavs interested in Kuminga but can’t make a move since they are waiting for Lebron. Seems like no team knows jack s**t.
for kerr not to play him and atl not trying to resign him buyer beware
It’s because he wants more money than what teams are offering. That being said, it’s been known there is some caution with this player.
athleticism 10 bbiq ?i wouldnt want him on my team.unless we are desperate no need for him here
Wasn’t the point of my post, but thanks
do u want him on the heat? as a minimum player
Are you serious? He just averaged 12-5-2 in 22 mins off the bench of GSW and ATL. He’s also young and not a mummy. Every team would take that for the minimum.
My point was regarding what SunMan posted earlier that if we see teams on Bron’s list adding player than they know he’s going there. I said teams making moves might mean they know he’s not going there, so no point in holding a roster spot and $. The story is Cavs want to try and sign Kuminga but can’t as they are waiting for Bron’s decision. We’re not the only ones not making moves because of Lebron.
Only one team is making the right decision to wait. The others are making a mistake. The question is, which one is Miami?
Ego off the chart.
His ego is too big for his game. If he isn’t careful, he’s gonna end up with a vet minimum contract playing in Sacramento.
In his two games, Goldin averaged 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. Most importantly, however, he was a consistent deterrent around the rim, rejecting six shots. While he’s still relegated to playing a deep-er drop (with some soft hedges), Goldin’s foot speed looked improved. The 7-footer looked more nimble when moving both North-South and more East-West.sm giving me negative reports on the russian giant.one thing i know he will not get ware bullied around and for a giant hes pretty mobile.have to see more .go colombia seeing jimmy at the soccer game in his colombian colors he must have had a colombian hotty while in miami i got one.one thing about miami besides kotor montenegro miami has the hottest chics ive seen and i travel alot .
Where was that quote from about Vlad?
this site.rc
The same article above said he doesn’t finish well. I’m not convinced as I think he may be too slow. He does block shots well. Someone here said Yurtseven looked better and I agree. And Yurtseven wasn’t very good.
This! I was just thinking about Yurtseven and comparing him to Vlad. And I agree Yurt looked better from what I can remember.
Didn’t see this come up around here, but maybe I missed it. Herro apparently taking some shots at Bam.
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/tyler-herro-caught-insulting-bam-adebayo/
Yes, it’s been noted. Silly of him. He now has issued his Miami always in my heart statement.