Category: Miami Heat Blog

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Heat trade Meyers Leonard, draft pick to Thunder for Trevor Ariza

The Oklahoma City Thunder yesterday acquired a 2027 second-round draft pick, forward/center Meyers Leonard and generated a trade exception in a trade with the Miami Heat for forward Trevor Ariza.

Leonard, who was recently caught on a live video game stream spewing an antisemitic slur, will not be reporting to Oklahoma City and will not be an active member of the organization.

Oklahoma City will have one year from today to exercise the trade exception.

As part of the announcement, the Heat issued the following statement: “Meyers was a key part of our team that made a run to the NBA Finals and we will always be grateful for his contributions and leadership last season. His recent comments were very hurtful and disappointing, but, we are encouraged that he has spent this last week meeting with community leaders, Rabbis and Holocaust survivors to greater understand the impact of his words and we hope that his education will continue. We wish Meyers and Elle the best of luck in the future.”

Ariza, a 16-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 1,064 career NBA games (731 starts) averaging 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.49 steals and 29.7 minutes while shooting 42.3 percent from the field. He split last season between Sacramento and Portland, appearing in 21 games (all starts) most recently with the Trail Blazers averaging 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.62 steals and 33.4 minutes while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 87.2 percent from the foul line, helping Portland to a postseason berth. He scored in double-figures 19 times last season, including four 20-point performances. He recorded 22 multi-steal games, including a season-high six against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 31. Ariza, who was born in Miami, has made nine postseason appearances where he helped the Lakers win the 2009 NBA Championship after appearing in 23 games (all starts) in their playoff run.

Heat center Bam Adebayo set to return

Star Heat center Bam Adebayo is set to return after playing just one game so far in March. Via the Sun Sentinel:

For Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, the past two weeks have provided the unlikely combination of boredom and joy.

He said Tuesday that is why he is glad to be back in the mix after missing four games with knee tendinitis.

Asked after the morning shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena what it was like to be reduced to spectator, having not previously missed a game due to injury the past two seasons, he said, “bored as hell.”

But he said the Heat going 4-0 during that span took away some of the edge.

“I mean, obviously seeing my teammates win and have that joy, you want to be part of that,” he said. “So, I was sitting there and I’m bored as hell.”

The 21-18 Heat, after a slow start to the season, are on a roll as of late.

Adebayo this season is averaging 19.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. He last played on March 2, in a loss to the Hawks.

Meyers Leonard fined and suspended for using an antisemitic slur

Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard has been fined $50,000 and suspended from all Heat facilities and team activities for one week for an anti-Semitic comment he made Monday, March 8, the NBA announced today.

Leonard will also be required to participate in a cultural diversity program.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement:

“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society. Yesterday, he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful. We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league – equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect – at all times moving forward.”

Heat rookie Precious Achiuwa is playing well in limited minutes

The Miami Heat continue to do a great job on draft day. Via the Miami Herald:

This sounds familiar: A Miami Heat rookie outperforming his draft position.

It happened with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro in past years, and it’s happening — to a lesser extent — with Precious Achiuwa, the 20th overall pick who has contributed more than several players picked ahead of him.

Achiuwa leads all rookies in field-goal percentage (57.9) and is second among all rookies (behind Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart) and 30th in the league in rebounds per 36 minutes at 10.3, ahead of Bam Adebayo’s 10.1.

Achiuwa ranks 18th in scoring among rookies at 6.1 per game.

The Heat are just 18-18 this season, which is the Eastern conference’s sixth best record. They’re being led in scoring by Jimmy Butler at 20.5 points per game (just 22 games played), Bam Adebayo at 19.2 ppg, and Tyler Herro at 15.8 ppg.

Tyler Herro set to return for Heat Saturday against the Jazz

Miami’s third leading scorer is set to return tomorrow. Via the Sun Sentinel:

Tyler Herro is back with the Miami Heat after another pit stop in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Held out of Thursday night’s 101-94 victory over the Houston Rockets at the start of the Heat’s seven-game trip, Herro was on the team flight to Salt Lake City, where the Heat will face the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

While it was the first game Herro missed this season due to pandemic protocols, he previously was held out of a practice at AmericanAirlines Arena, after a housemate tested positive, with that ultimately proving to be a false positive.

The Heat are 11-14 this season. Their leading scorers are Bam Adebayo at 19.7 points per game, Jimmy Butler at 19.5 ppg, and Herro at 17.0 ppg.

Heat keep losing, fall to Wizards

The Heat aren’t off to a good start this season. Via the Miami Herald:

It has been less than four months since the Miami Heat was playing in the 2020 NBA Finals. Barely more than 100 days have passed since Jimmy Butler was going toe to toe with LeBron James — and often besting the superstar — with a championship on the line.

A new season is now more than a quarter of the way done and the Heat is a shell of the team that tore through the 2020 NBA Bubble in Lake Buenva Vista. Miami hit a new low point Wednesday with a 103-100 loss to the Washington Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena.

For the second straight game, the Heat (7-14) had control deep into the second half only to let it slip away. For the second game, Miami jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half and led for the vast majority of the second half, and still managed to lose at home to one of the worst teams in the NBA…

The Heat has now lost 10 of its last 13, including 2 of 3 since All-Star forward Jimmy Butler returned after missing nearly three weeks because of the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Now, to be fair of course, lots of key Heat players have missed plenty of games. The squad proved during their run to the Finals that they have great chemistry, but that’s not much help when guys are in and out of the lineup. But at some point, it would be nice to see the Heat looking like what is expected of them.

Tonight, Miami had Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo in the starting lineup, with Goran Dragic, and Andre Iguodala each playing over 20 minutes off the bench. But still fell, 103-100.

In the win for the Wizards, Bradley Beal scored 32, but no other DC players scored above 13. But threes-pointers hit, and the Wizards claimed victory.

Jimmy Butler set to return for Heat

As has been the case all season, the Heat injury/inactive list is a crowded place these days. Via the Miami Herald:

The Heat, which has played without several key players during a disastrous three-week January stretch, could get Jimmy Butler back on Saturday while awaiting the return of a few other rotation players.

The Heat listed Butler as questionable for Saturday’s 8 p.m. home game against Sacramento, but there is optimism he will play. If he surprisingly doesn’t, a return appears likely by Monday at the latest. The five-time All-Star, who missed time while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, has not played since the Heat’s Jan. 9 road win over the Washington Wizards.

The Heat, which had only 10 players available in Thursday’s loss to the Clippers, listed nine others on the injury report for the Kings game

The Heat are on a five-game losing streak and are just 6-12 this season. But to judge them by that right now would be ridiculous. Duncan Robinson has played in all 18 games, and Bam Adebayo 16, but Goran Dragic 14, Kendrick Nunn 13, Tyler Herro 11, Avery Bradley eight, and Butler just six.

On a very positive note, Adebayo has having a special season, averaging 20.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.

The January 10, 2021 Heat vs. Celtics NBA game in Boston postponed for coronavirus safety reasons

The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tonight between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics at TD Garden has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.

Because of ongoing contact tracing with the Heat, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tonight’s game against the Celtics.

Heat should have Jimmy Butler back in action soon

The Heat have had a wild ride lately, losing by 47 to the Bucks two days ago, then beating them yesterday. This without Jimmy Butler, who should return to action any day now. Possibly tomorrow. Via the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

Jimmy Butler took flight with the Miami Heat on Thursday, listed as probable for Friday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, after missing the past two games due to a sprained right ankle.

Butler was injured in the Dec. 23 season-opening loss in Orlando. He played through that game against the Magic and then in the first half of the Heat’s Christmas Day home-opening victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The 2-2 Heat have been led in scoring by Bam Adebayo at 19.0 points per game, Tyler Herro at 17.0 PPG, Goran Dragic off the bench at 16.5 PPG, and new addition Avery Bradley at 14.0 PPG.

After 47-point loss to Bucks, Heat bounce back with win

The Miami Heat got destroyed by the Milwaukee Bucks a few days ago, but quickly got a chance at revenge and were able to capitalize. Via the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

Back in the same building against the same opponent one night after losing by 47 to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Heat this time limited their largest deficit to 14 — instead of the 51 a night earlier — and then drew a line on the AmericanAirlines Arena hardwood.

So from Tuesday night’s 144-97 torment, the Heat made a quick turnaround to Wednesday night’s 119-108 resounding resurgence…

A night after the Bucks shot a record-setting 29 of 51 on 3-pointers, there was a more mundane 16 of 41 from Milwaukee.

Without Jimmy Butler for a second consecutive night, as the All-Star forward deals with a balky right ankle, Spoelstra shuffled his starting lineup and rotation and dealt a winning hand to leave his team with a 2-2 start to the season.

The Heat often do things differently. In this case, their leading scorer was a reserve: Goran Dragic, with 26 points. Their leading rebounder was a guard: Tyler Herro, with 15 rebounds. And their assists leader was their center: Bam Adebayo, with 10 assists.