Miami Heat

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro said he will return from an ankle injury "soon" and added he will "hopefully" be able to take the floor for Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

The ankle concerns represented another setback for Herro after he dealt with various ailments last season on his way to 66 games, which was still a career-high mark since the Heat selected him with a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

The 22-year-old Kentucky product enjoyed a career-best season when healthy and averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from deep for a Miami squad that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

He won the Sixth Man of the Year and was once again expected to be a primary contributor entering the 2022-23 campaign. He has responded by averaging 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 10 games this season.

Unfortunately for the Heat, injuries have been a theme in the early portion of the season.

Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent were among those who missed Monday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, so a return for Herro would be a welcome development.

With Saturday's win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat improved to 6-7. Miami has won two in a row and may be trending in the right direction. At 6-7, however, the Heat aren't where they expected to be after claiming the top seed in the East a year ago.

Miami, and its fans, may hope for a little help via the trade market, and Phoenix Suns forward Jae Cowder appears to be on the team's radar. The interest could be mutual.

"Heat officials have even expressed confidence Miami is Crowder's preferred destination," Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer wrote last month. "By all accounts, Crowder didn't want to leave Miami after he contributed to the Heat's 2020 Eastern Conference championship."

Crowder is familiar with the Heat after spending the 2020 season in Miami. According to Ian Begley of SNY, Miami and Phoenix have been in contact regarding a Crowder trade—and the Suns have a specific trade target in mind.

"Miami is among the teams Phoenix has touched base with on a Crowder deal. Per SNY sources, some with Phoenix see Miami’s Max Strus as an integral part of any return for Crowder," Begley wrote.

While the prospect of a Crowder reunion is intriguing, Miami should be reluctant to give up Strus in the deal. The 26-year-old is slated to be a free agent in 2023, but he's a key role player who could be a long-term building block if the Heat can retain him.

This season, Strus has started six of 13 games and averaged 15.5 points in 32.6 minutes. He's shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 38.7 from beyond the arc. He dropped 31 points with four rebounds and two assists against Charlotte.

Crowder is also on an expiring contract and, at 32 years old, has less long-term upside. Plus, it's not as if Miami could make a one-for-one trade involving Strus to acquire him. Because the Suns are over the luxury-tax threshold, any team trading for Crowder must salary match—up to 125 percent under NBA trade guidelines.

If Phoenix takes on the 125 percent, a team must trade $8.2 million in salary to match Crowder's $10.2 million salary. Strus' salary is just $1.8 million. The DePaul product would only be a piece of a trade package, and Miami should hold out for a different deal.

That deal could involve other players, possibly Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon, who will become trade-eligible on January 15. If Phoenix insists on getting Strus, that may mean getting more than just Crowder in return.

The Heat can afford to be patient here. The Suns haven't found a taker for Crowder yet, and it appears that he won't be suiting up for Phoenix again this season.

"Even with Cam Johnson sidelined through the new year by a meniscus surgery, it appears Phoenix and Crowder share no designs on a reunion any time soon," Fischer wrote on Friday.

Fischer, while discussing the trade prospects of Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanović, also noted that Phoenix may eventually have to include draft capital in a Crowder package:

"A continued stalemate in Crowder’s market could feasibly push the Suns to alter their approach in holding pat for that key impact player, before this championship window with Chris Paul closes, and attach draft capital to Crowder’s salary if the right addition like Bogdanovic is on the table."

If Miami is going to part with a young and improving player like Strus, it must demand a quality draft pick in return. Theoretically, Crowder could help this season, but he's not someone the Heat can develop for the future.

Ideally, Miami won't trade Strus at all. As he showed against the Hornets, Strus has the potential to be a real difference-maker and to be a multiyear contributor. The Heat shouldn't be quick to offer up Strus for Crowder now.

The trade deadline isn't until February 9, and better trade options will likely emerge by then. Barring a more concerted effort by Phoenix to move Crowder, he'll probably remain an option for the foreseeable future too.

The Phoenix Suns are still looking to deal forward Jae Crowder, who has been inactive this season after he requested a trade in September.

And they reached out to the Miami Heat about a potential deal, Ian Begley of SNY reported Saturday:

"One trade that may happen sooner than Dec. 15? Jae Crowder getting moved in Phoenix. Crowder has been away from the team while the Suns canvas the league for potential deals.

"Miami is among the teams Phoenix has touched base with on a Crowder deal. Per SNY sources, some with Phoenix see Miami's Max Strus as an integral part of any return for Crowder. I'd assume that Miami would be reluctant to move Strus in a deal for Crowder."

The 26-year-old Strus is in his fourth NBA season. He's averaging career highs of 32.2 minutes, 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game with 44.7 percent shooting.

The 32-year-old Crowder, who has played 10 seasons, averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for the Suns last year. He started all 67 games he played.

There were murmurs that Crowder wanted a trade after being told he wouldn't start, but B/R's Chris Haynes relayed that Crowder said that was not true.

Crowder will be a free agent after this season. He would be a solid two-way asset for any team that acquires him, whether it be to start or come off the bench.

Strus emerged as a valuable piece for the Heat during the playoffs last year. He notably averaged 14.0 points per game in the team's first-round series win over the Atlanta Hawks. Strus also averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the team's final two games of a second-round victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

He's remained an integral player this year as the fourth-highest scorer on the team. Like Crowder, Strus also will be a free agent after this season, but he's certainly a candidate to re-sign.

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report for Wednesday's Sacramento Kings at Miami Heat game revealed that Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro should have been called for traveling prior to his game-winning three-pointer to cap a 110-107 victory.

"Herro (MIA) ends his dribble by gathering in the air and landing on both feet (although his left lands slightly before his right)," the report reads.

"When he moves his right foot, he establishes his left foot as his pivot foot, which he then lifts and replaces to the floor before taking his jump shot."

Herro, who nailed the shot with 1.8 seconds remaining, scored 13 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter.

If Herro were called for the travel, the Kings would have gotten the ball with about four seconds remaining and the game tied at 107. They didn't have any timeouts left to reset, but overtime looked as if it would be their worst-case scenario.

Instead, the Kings found themselves down three needing to go full court for a tie. Matthew Dellavedova found Domantas Sabonis down court, but the big man committed an offensive foul that all but ended the matchup.

Afterward, Kings head coach Mike Brown voiced his displeasure over the missed call while also noting the lack of a whistle wasn't the difference in the game, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

"Tyler Herro’s a great player. But at the end, he traveled. He traveled on the last play, and I would not be doing my job if I didn’t come up here and protect my guys. My guys fought their behind off for close to 48 minutes, and to pump fake on a sidestep, a sidestep or hop, and then one-two and a shot and not make that call, to me, it’s just unbelievable.

"It’s not why we lost the game, although I don’t think we got a fair whistle. And I hope when the officials go back and look at the game, they could see it."

With the loss, the Kings fell to 2-5 on the year. The Heat improved to 4-5 after their second straight win.

As the Miami Heat looks for an offensive spark amid a slow start, it doesn't sound like Victor Oladipo is very close to making his season debut.

On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t Jonathan Sherman of HeatNation.com), ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Oladipo is not "anywhere close" to playing in games.

The Heat announced Oladipo was held out of practice on Oct. 18 due to left knee tendonosis.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters later that same day he didn't "want to put any expectations out there about Vic," though he was "extremely encouraged" about the work Oladipo put in during training camp and the preseason.

There was hope Oladipo could play a key role off the bench for Miami during the 2022-23 campaign. He appeared in each of the team's final 15 playoff games last season, including a 23-point effort in a 97-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round.

Injuries have derailed Oladipo's career since he made back-to-back All-Star appearances. He has only played 96 regular-season games since the start of the 2018-19 season.

A ruptured quad tendon suffered on Jan. 23, 2019, when Oladipo was playing for the Indiana Pacers, has been the main source of his health issues. The 30-year-old missed 12 months rehabbing from the original injury.

Oladipo initially announced he wouldn't return to play when the 2019-20 season resumed in the Orlando bubble to do rehab work on his quad tendon, but he changed his mind shortly before the Pacers' first game.

The Pacers traded Oladipo to the Houston Rockets in January 2021. He made 20 starts with the Rockets before being dealt to the Heat two months later.

Oladipo had a second surgical procedure on his quad tendon in May 2021 that prematurely ended his season. The Heat signed Oladipo to a two-year contract extension in July.

Miami has won back-to-back games following a 2-5 start, but its offense ranks 19th in rating (111.7) and 26th in points per game (109.1).

The Miami Heat started the season 2-5, capped by a loss to the previously winless Sacramento Kings.

After that game, Heat star Jimmy Butler made a bold statement.

The playoffs are months away, but the Heat may have turned their season around immediately after that comment with a 116-109 comeback win over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Golden State led by as many as 10 points, but Miami outscored the Dubs 30-15 in the final 12 minutes for the win. Butler broke a 109-all tie late with a three-point play before adding a 17-footer with 9.5 seconds left for a 114-109 edge.

On a night when the Heat lost Tyler Herro early due to a left eye contusion, the rest of the team stepped up to hold off the Warriors and Stephen Curry, who posted a 23-point, 13-rebound, 13-assist triple-double.

Butler led the charge with 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Max Strus came off the bench for a game-high 24 points in relief of Herro. Bam Adebayo overcame a slow start to finish strong with 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Twitter praised Butler and the Heat for their strong finish to the game.

The Heat will now look for revenge against the Kings when they host them Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler remains supremely confident about the team's NBA title aspirations despite a slow start to the 2022-23 season.

"We're still going to win the championship, and I don't care what nobody says," Butler told Sam Amick of The Athletic in an interview released Tuesday. "Count us out. We're going to win the f--king championship. I'm telling you. I don't give a damn that we started 2-5."

Miami's early struggles have centered around a sluggish offense, which ranks 26th in points per game (108), 25th in field-goal percentage (44.9) and 24th in offensive efficiency (107.9 points per 100 possessions).

The Heat are coming off back-to-back losses to the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings to wrap up a three-game road trip, and their first game back home Tuesday night is a rematch with the reigning champion Dubs.

A tough slate has certainly been a factor in the early going, as Miami's strength of schedule ranks as the fifth-toughest in the NBA, per TeamRankings.

Butler told Amick there have been stretches in games where the Heat showcase their potential but that now it comes down to playing at that level "consistently."

"Yeah, we're 2-5, but we straight," Butler said. "We've got time, man. We've just got to play with a little bit more urgency and realize how fragile this thing is, trust in one another and play basketball the right way on both sides of the ball. There's a lot of good things, so I don't get discouraged."

A slow start isn't necessarily uncharted territory for the Heat.

In 2020-21, Miami started the campaign 7-14 before finding its stride en route to a 40-32 record that ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Butler is convinced an even more impressive turnaround is on the horizon this season.

"Y'all will look back at this, and be like, 'Oh man, they started 2-5 and they ended the season f--king 77-5,'" he told Amick.

While that's a bit ambitious, the Heat have a golden opportunity to start turning things around over the next few weeks. Six of their next seven games are at home, and aside from games against the Warriors and Phoenix Suns, most of the contests are highly winnable.

Even some modest offensive improvement should put Miami back on the path toward a playoff berth, leaving concerns about the slow start in the rear-view mirror.

Udonis Haslem's two decades of NBA experience have apparently given him a long memory.

The Heat forward clapped back at Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for saying Miami's championship window is "closed," reminding the former Celtics stars that the Heat once slammed things shut on their run in Boston.

The LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh-led Heat took down the Celtics in both the 2011 and 2012 playoffs, highlighted by a seven-game slugfest in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

A little more than a year after that loss, the Celtics dismantled their veteran core, shipping Garnett and Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets.

A decade does not appear to have cleared all the bad blood between the two sides.

“What’s Miami’s identity?” Garnett said on his podcast. “That’s the first thing I ask myself. They used to be known as a defensive team that can score the ball. Now, they done turned into a three-point shooting team with a bunch of ball movement. I’m trying to still figure out who they are though. They don’t really have no identity."

The Heat are off to a disappointing 2-5 start and have lacked cohesion on both ends of the floor to start the season. Haslem is right in saying it's probably a little early to write them off—particularly after an Eastern Conference Finals appearance last season—but no one knew the Garnett-Pierce era in Boston was over until it was too late.

Perhaps the Hall of Famers are merely speaking from experience.

Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin got into an altercation with Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko in Saturday night's game, and he's now facing the consequences.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the NBA gave Martin a one-game suspension for his involvement in the incident. His Miami teammate, Nikola Jovic, also received a one-game suspension for leaving the bench area, while Koloko was fined $15,000.

Midway through the third quarter of Saturday's game, Martin and Koloko were fighting for position to grab a rebound on a missed three-pointer by Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. Koloko fell to the ground and Martin was called for a foul. Martin stepped toward the rookie as he quickly got up to his feet, and the two of them engaged in a tussle that spilled into the front-row seats not far from the Heat bench.

"I just think that there's a lot of plays that were kind of leading up to it," Martin told reporters afterward. "It was a chippy game. That's typically how the game goes with Toronto. It's a chippy back-and-forth. But ultimately, I just think that emotions were high and the game was a close game. It was back-and-forth. Overall, I got to be more professional in the way I handle those type of situations."

Both Martin and Koloko received technicals and were ejected from the game. The Heat won 112-109 to improve to 1-2.

For his part, Koloko said he wasn't sure why Martin initiated the confrontation.

"He just stood there looking at me like crazy," he said. "I just stood up. I don't know."

The Heat and Raptors will face each other again on Monday night.

Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo has been ruled out of the team's season-opening matchup against the Chicago Bulls with a left knee injury.

Any injury to Oladipo is going to raise concerns given his recent injury history. He has undergone multiple surgeries on his right quadriceps tendon and last played more than 36 games during the 2017-18 campaign.

The Indiana University product appeared in just eight games for Miami last season, although he played in 15 postseason games.

There was a time when Oladipo was one of the better two-way players in the NBA. He is a two-time All-Star who led the league in steals per game in 2017-18 as an All-NBA third-team and All-Defensive first-team selection.

It is not realistic to expect the 30-year-old to be that type of player following so many injuries, but he is a key part of Miami's rotation heading into the 2022-23 season.

Look for the Heat to give more playing time to the combination of Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent in the backcourt following this setback.