Miami Heat

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat agreed to a trade Wednesday sending Trevor Ariza to Miami. Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick are going to Oklahoma City. 

The Thunder said Leonard "will not be reporting to Oklahoma City and will not be an active member of the organization."

The 29-year-old center is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February.

Leonard was banned from Heat team activities for one week and fined $50,000 after using an anti-Semitic slur during a Call of Duty stream on March 8. While playing the game, he called another player a "f--king k--e b---h."

Leonard apologized and said he was ignorant about the slur's "history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community," noting his ignorance was "absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong."

His use of the slur came amid a rise in anti-Semitism in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League reported acts of anti-Semitism began to increase in 2016 after dropping for almost 15 years. In 2019, the ADL recorded the highest number of acts of anti-Semitism across the U.S. since it began documenting incidents in 1979.

Leonard is due to earn $9.4 million this season and has a $10.2 million player option for 2021-22.

Ariza has yet to make an appearance this season. However, Miami announced on Twitter that it is hopeful he will be available to play this weekend:

The Thunder acquired the 35-year-old forward in November, and his eventual departure was almost immediately inevitable. Oklahoma City is slowly starting its rebuild, so an aging wing on an expiring contract had more value as a trade asset than as a regular member of the rotation.

The Memphis Grizzlies did the same thing with Andre Iguodala last year and coincidentally sent him to Miami as well.

Ariza's best days are clearly behind him, but he averaged eight points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 37.2 percent from three-point territory with the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers in 2019-20. He also finished 22nd among small forwards in ESPN.com's defensive real plus-minus (plus-0.71).

Ariza will provide nice depth off the bench for the Heat in the second half and postseason.

If the Miami Heat choose to be sellers before the NBA trade deadline on March 25, Avery Bradley could be on the move. 

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, "several contenders are expressing interest" in the veteran guard.

Bradley, 30, is averaging 8.5 points and 1.4 assists for the Heat in 10 games this season (one start), shooting 47 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from the field. A strained right calf has cost him a chunk of the season, though he is getting closer to returning from that injury, as Charania reported. 

Bradley's solid defense and perimeter shooting would make him an intriguing target for contending teams, though it's fair to question if the Heat would have any interest in moving him. A year after reaching the NBA Finals, the Heat are 21-18 this season and have won 10 of their last 11 games after a slow start. 

That hot streak has propelled them to No. 4 in the East behind the Philadelphia 76ers (27-12), Brooklyn Nets (26-13) and Milwaukee Bucks (24-14). While the Heat may be another star player away from competing with the NBA's elite, they're certainly in the running in the East. 

So Bradley's the type of player who would make sense to retain. He was a key piece for the Los Angeles Lakers last season before choosing to opt out of the NBA's restart at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Two-way perimeter players aren't easy to come by. Even with Bradley's injury issues, the Heat would be wise to hold on to him barring a deal for another star player or perhaps some frontcourt help. 

The Miami Heat are reportedly interested in Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry, and they're open to dealing a trio of players in exchange, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. 

Scotto reported that the team discussed moving Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk and Kendrick Nunn for Lowry, a six-time All-Star. 

Lowry is averaging 18 points on 45 percent shooting from the field (40 percent from three), with 7.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in the final season of his contract. 

The 34-year-old Dragic, who is averaging 15.0 points as one of four Heat players to average at least that figure per game, can turn down a trade since he has Bird rights on his current contract, per Scotto, so even if the right transaction comes through for the Heat to net Lowry, Dragic may have the power to prevent it.

Olynyk, a Toronto native, has transformed into a starter for the Heat this season. Nearing his 30th birthday next month, he is averaging 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game through 32 starts, a figure that is nearing his career high of 36 that he set in his second season with the Heat.

Nunn is on the younger side at 25, but he has proven himself to be a strong contributor through his two seasons with the team. The All-Rookie selection is averaging 14.0 points this season a year after hitting 15.3 per game. 

After a dismal start to the season, the Heat have won nine of their last 10 games and are now the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The addition of Lowry—though it may be short-lived, as he said he wants to retire with the Raptors—could provide the boost the Heat need to get back to the NBA Finals in 2021. 

The Miami Heat are among the teams that have spoken with the San Antonio Spurs about a trade for veteran forward LaMarcus Aldridge, per Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters on Wednesday that the team and Aldridge had mutually agreed to part ways, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

"He's been a great teammate. No problem there," Popovich said, per Chiang and Jackson. "We just think this is a win-win for both LaMarcus and the club. When an opportunity arises, that'll be up to management, his agent and that sort of thing, and we'll all move forward."

Aldridge, 35, has averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game. He had played off the bench in his last three games played with the Spurs.

The Spurs can either trade Aldridge up until the March 25 deadline at 4 p.m. ET or agree to a buyout on the remainder of his contract, as noted by Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Aldridge is playing out the final season of a two-year, $50 million deal, with $24 million due for the 2020-21 season.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft has made seven All-Star games and five All-NBA teams during his 15-year career with the Portland Trail Blazers and Spurs. He has averaged 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game lifetime.

Aldridge may be past his All-Star prime, but he's certainly capable of helping a contending team. San Antonio may no longer be a fit, but the ex-Texas star could help a team off the bench in the scoring and rebounding departments. He notably had 21 points and five boards in just 23 minutes in a Feb. 27 game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The NBA announced Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard has been suspended one week from team facilities and activities and fined $50,000 for using an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch live stream Monday.

In the NBA's release Thursday, it noted Leonard "will also be required to participate in a cultural diversity program."

In a video clip of the live stream posted on social media Tuesday, Leonard was playing Call of Duty when he said: "F--king cowards; don't f--king snipe me, you f--king k--e b---h," per ESPN's Nick Friedell.

The 29-year-old Virginia native released an apology on Instagram on Tuesday night:  

FaZe Clan, an eSports organization that started a business relationship with Leonard after he began streaming on Twitch, confirmed it was "cutting ties" with the NBA player.

The Heat announced Leonard would be "away from the team indefinitely" while the league conducted its investigation into the matter:

"The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech," NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said after the league launched the probe, per Friedell.

Leonard's use of the slur came during a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League reported in 2019 that anti-Semitic acts in the U.S. were at their highest since 1979, an increase of 12 percent over 2018. Anti-Semitic hate crimes also increased by 14 percent in 2019, and an FBI Hate Crimes Statistics Report found that over 60 percent of all religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish people, despite them making up less than 2 percent of the country's population.

Leonard was already ruled out for the remainder of the 2020-21 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February. Miami holds a team option on his contract for 2021-22.

The 2012 first-round pick joined the Heat as part of a four-team trade in July 2019. He spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He's averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds across 447 career games.

Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard has reportedly been in contact with Jewish organizations and leaders after using an anti-Semitic slur during a Call of Duty stream Monday.

According to TMZ Sports, the Jewish organizations and leaders Leonard has reached out to want to "help [Leonard] learn and grow from this experience" rather than get him "canceled."

During the Call of Duty stream, Leonard said: "F--king cowards; don't f--king snipe me, you f--king k--e b---h."

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reports Leonard's words were "extremely distasteful and hurtful," and the Heat announced that Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely.

Leonard took to Instagram on Wednesday to offer an apology. In part, he wrote: "I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday. My ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong."

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who is Jewish, later tagged Leonard in a tweet and offered to take him out to a Shabbat dinner, a Jewish tradition, and help him gain a better understanding of his words:

Leonard is already out for the remainder of the 2020-21 season with a shoulder injury, but he will be away from the team for an undetermined amount of time while the NBA investigates his comments.

The 29-year-old Leonard is in the midst of his ninth NBA season and his second with the Heat after spending the first seven years of his career as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Leonard, who was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, has shuttled in and out of Miami's rotation the past two seasons.

In three games this season before getting injured, the 7-footer averaged 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest.

For his career, Leonard has appeared in 447 regular-season games with averages of 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. He has also appeared in 28 playoff games, averaging 5.3 points and 3.1 boards.

Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely after his use of an anti-Semitic slur.

Video emerged Tuesday of Leonard calling another player a "f--king k--e b---h" when he was playing Call of Duty during a live stream (warning: video contains profanity and an anti-Semitic slur):

Leonard apologized and said he did not know what the word meant at the time:

"We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement, per Marc Stein of the New York Times. "The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech."

Stein also reported the Heat were reviewing the video.

Leonard is well known among the gaming community and announced in June 2019 that he partnered with FaZe Clan. However, Scuf Gaming and Origin PC both announced after the video emerged that they had ended their working relationships with the Miami big man while they reviewed his actions.

Leonard used the slur at a time when anti-Semitism has been on the rise in the United States.

The Anti-Defamation League reported anti-Semitic acts increased in 2016 after dropping for approximately 15 years, while the American Jewish Committee noted an FBI Hate Crimes Statistics Report determined 60 percent of religious-based hate crimes in 2019 were directed toward Jewish people, though they make up less than two percent of the American population.

On the court, Leonard has appeared in just three games this season for the Heat.

Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard apologized and said he was "deeply sorry" after using an anti-Semitic slur during a Call of Duty live stream on Monday:

"While I didn't know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong," Leonard wrote. "I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it." 

The statement comes after a clip of him calling a fellow gamer a "f--king k--e b---h" went viral Tuesday (warning: video contains profanity and an anti-Semitic slur):

A Heat representative told the New York Times' Marc Stein the team is looking into the video.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass also issued a statement: "We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information. The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech."

Over the years, Leonard has built a steady following through his streaming sessions on Twitch. Multiple companies announced they have severed partnerships with him in the wake of his use of the slur:

Leonard is currently recuperating from season-ending shoulder surgery.

Broadly speaking, his use of the slur comes at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States.

The Anti-Defamation League recorded 2,107 incidents of anti-Semitism across the country in 2019, the highest number since 1979. A year earlier, Robert Bowers opened fire at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed 11 people in what was the deadliest attack on Jews ever in the U.S.

The ADL noted the trend of anti-Semitic incidents began rising in 2016. In November, the American Jewish Council noted the FBI Hate Crimes Statistics Report found that 60 percent of religious-based hate crimes in 2019 targeted Jewish people, though they make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population.

When a mob in support of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in January, anti-Semitic imagery was used by those who took part.

Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard used an anti-Semitic slur while playing Call of Duty during a live stream.

Leonard can be heard calling another player a "f--king k--e b---h" (warning: video contains profanity and an anti-Semitic slur):

Leonard issued an apology for the slur Tuesday night:

The Heat announced Leonard would "be away from the team indefinitely" while the NBA investigates his conduct:

A Heat spokesperson told the New York Times' Marc Stein the team is reviewing the video.

"We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information," NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement. "The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech."

The 29-year-old has built a following through his streaming sessions on Twitch and announced a partnership with FaZe Clan in June 2019. FaZe said Tuesday it was "incredibly disappointed to hear Meyers' stream" today before confirming announcing it's severing its relationship with him:

Other companies announced they are ending their partnerships with Leonard as well:

Leonard's use of the slur comes amid an increase in anti-Semitism in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League reported acts of anti-Semitism began to increase in 2016 after dropping for almost 15 years. In 2019, anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by 14 percent and reported anti-Semitic incidents across the U.S. increased by 12 percent to 2,107, the highest number recorded since the ADL began documenting incidents in 1979.

According to the American Jewish Committee, an FBI Hate Crimes Statistics Report found that 60 percent of religious-based hate crimes in 2019 targeted Jewish people, who make up less than 2 percent of the total U.S. population. Anti-Semitic hate crimes and acts of anti-Semitism are also underreported—AJC found in 2019 that 76 percent of American Jews don't report the anti-Semitism they face.

In 2021, there have already been multiple reports of anti-Semitic vandalism ​from New York to Washington. Just last month, Kentucky became the first state in the U.S. to recognize the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism, following hate crimes in Lexington this past fall, including when a driver yelling slurs ran over and injured a man at a menorah lighting ceremony.