Latest news with #SoFiPlayIn
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Why Nikola Vučević's Trade Value Could Be Unclear This Offseason
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 16: Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat guards Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago ... More Bulls during the first half of the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) With the Chicago Bulls once again failing to make the actual playoffs, the organization is likely busy trying to map out its immediate future. One specific avenue of that future is whether or not Nikola Vučević should remain a part of it. There's no question that, despite his age, Vučević remains impactful. The 34-year-old is still very much capable of producing at a high level, as he finished the year averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and sporting a true-shooting efficiency of 61.1%. Those are rock solid numbers, and while they're bumped up by Chicago's fast pace, there's a major case to be made that Vučević himself is far better in an offense built around speed, than usual half-court slugfests. At just over $21.4 million next season, the last year on his contract, a case could be made that Vučević would make for an interesting, and realistic, target for serveral contenders in need of more offense at the big position. But first, the Bulls will have to agree to move off of him, and that's not necessarily written in stone. Chicago has a history of hanging onto players for too long, and a reasonable argument can be made that Vučević is among that group already. That said, given he's just coming off one of the best years of his career, and the fact that he's actually fairly cheap when you consider the salary cap bump this summer, now might be the best time for Chicago to make the decision of trading him to someone with a higher chance of winning a championship. Identifying a return isn't straightforward. Vučević is a player with clear strengths, and clear weaknesses, some of which will have a portion of teams immediately write him off as a legitimate candidate. As such, the Bulls will need to boil down their list of potentially interested teams to those who don't mind his defensive shortcomings, and who'll live Vučević going through a three-week stretch every season where he looks like a bench player. The Lakers would prefer a vertical player at center, who can catch lobs and make plays near the rim, and play off both LeBron James and Luka Dončić, but what if their best option this summer is Vučević? The Raptors, who need both floor-spacing and depth at center, is also a team that shouldn't dismiss Vučević out of hand. Even the Atlanta Hawks, who are in need of size and consistent scoring at center, can't really afford to not inquire about him, if they wish to become more competitive next season. So, what could a price point be? From Chicago's side, it should be all about draft capital, except the organization has seemingly no interest in building through the draft. That means the next-best thing could be young veterans, who have available data points for Chicago to analyze, and ponder whether there's a fit or not. That, more than anything, seem like the most realistic path should Chicago end up exploring Vučević trades. Unless noted otherwise, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
NBC Sports
16-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Where do Warriors go from here? Think role players over stars, Kuminga sign-and-trade
After the All-Star break, the Warriors were 20-7 (second-best record in the West), with the best defense in the NBA and the seventh-best offense. They advanced out of the play-in thanks to Stephen Curry. Stephen Curry was UNGUARDABLE in the #SoFiPlayIn: 🪣 37 points (6 3PM, 13-13 FTM) 🪣 15 in the 4th quarter 🪣 8 rebounds 🪣 4 assists Chef helped the Warriors secure the #7 seed in the West! After that, the Warriors impressed beating a young and athletic Houston team in seven games in the first round, and were up 1-0 in the second round after winning at Minnesota… Then Stephen Curry strained his hamstring. Steve Kerr said Curry's injury 'changed everything.' 'I know we had a shot. I know we could have gone the distance,' Kerr said. 'Maybe we wouldn't have, but it doesn't matter. Again, everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot.' After Curry's injury, the Warriors dropped four in a row, a reminder of the thin margins in the West as well as the thin margins for this Warriors roster. Golden State still want to chase a ring while they have Curry as a top-10 player in the league, and with Jimmy Butler locked up on an extension, but where do the Warriors go from here? Chase another star? Probably not. Kevin Durant didn't want an encore in the Bay Area, but considering the history of owner Joe Lacob, would the Warriors focus on landing another superstar? We're looking at you, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Don't bet on it. As Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II wrote at The Athletic: 'There are no early indications that the Warriors will be at the front of the line of the yet-to-materialize Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, league sources said. As they enter the summer, team sources said, the internal plan and conversation is about how to best reform the role players around the Curry and Butler duo, not chase another star.' Many people around the league took a lesson from what has transpired in Phoenix and thought that three elite stars with not much around them is not a path to success. Golden State may be one of them. The Warriors are not planning a major shake-up, but they are looking for changes. Sign-and-trade Kuminga The biggest trade chip the Warriors head into this summer with is Jonathan Kuminga, who averaged 15.3 points a game this season (in 47 games), showed he can get buckets at an NBA level, but has always seemed to be in Kerr's dog house. Jonathan Kuminga scored a career-high 34 PTS last night... Tonight he followed up it up with ANOTHER 34 PTS leading the @warriors to victory at home! However, Kuminga has always had a backer in Lacob – and it's good to have the owner in your corner. Lacob spoke to The Athletic about him. 'I was listening to the guys behind me tonight give running commentary — T-Wolves fans,' Lacob told The Athletic. "(Kuminga) 's the guy they talked about all night long. He's the only guy that could really guard (Anthony Edwards) out there. Did a pretty damn good job. He had a tough situation with the DNPs from the last series, and to bounce back from that, I give him a lot of credit. I'm a big fan of his.' Kuminga is a restricted free agent this summer (once the Warriors extend his $7.9 million qualifying offer) and the expectation is the team will help him find a new home via a sign-and-trade. Kuminga is reportedly seeking a deal in the four-year, $120 million range ($30 million a season) but whether that is out there for him remains to be seen. What would the Warriors want back in such a trade? Find a center, more size, shooting The Warriors' core is getting old: Curry is 37, Green is 35, and Butler will be 36 when next season starts. To keep that core healthy through the grind of another marathon NBA season, the Warriors are looking for a traditional center to help in the paint, more positional size and athleticism across the board, and, of course, more shooting. The challenge will be doing that while staying below the second apron of the luxury tax (the Warriors are going to be paying the tax — the repeater tax at that — but that's the price of having Curry and Butler making north of $50 million next season (and Green at $25.9 million). There are good role players already on the roster: Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post among them. Look for the Warriors to try and re-sign free agent Gary Payton II, who is one of their better perimeter defenders. However, to be a title threat again, the Warriors need something they had at the start of the Curry-era title runs: A high-level defensive center. Andrew Bogut in the paint was critical for the Warriors' first title, and while everyone remembers Green's suspension as a turning point in the blown 3-1 NBA Finals lead in 2016, Bogut being injured and out for the final couple of games was equally as critical. The Warriors need a modern defensive center. The challenge is that they are not alone in seeking that kind of big man, even within their own division, which could drive up the price. The Warriors, like 29 other teams, also would love more consistent shooting on the perimeter. Whatever moves the Warriors make this summer, the target is to win now and try to get Curry one more ring (and Butler his first). Easier said than done in the West, but the Warriors believe they have the team… with just a few tweaks. And some health.
New York Times
19-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Friday's NBA Play-In Tournament takeaways: Heat escape Hawks in overtime thriller to reach playoffs
By Jenna West, John Hollinger and James Jackson The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament. The Miami Heat escaped the Atlanta Hawks in Friday's thrilling 123-114 overtime win to keep their season alive and advance to the NBA playoffs. Tyler Herro led the Heat with 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Miami held the lead most of the game. The Hawks head up in the fourth quarter and tied the game for the first time with Terance Mann's two-pointer with 8:09 left. Herro and the Hawks' Trae Young traded baskets before Young's driving layup with 1.1 left in regulation tied the game again, sending it to overtime. TRAE YOUNG SENDS IT TO OVERTIME ‼️ — NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2025 The Heat quickly pulled away to beat the Hawks and earn the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed in the playoffs, where they will face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Miami, which defeated the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday, becomes the first No. 10 seed in Play-In Tournament history to clinch a playoff berth. Advertisement A combination of timely defensive stops and crucial buckets helped Miami hold off Atlanta's late-game rally into overtime for the conference's final playoff seed. While Herro and Bam Adebayo (17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists) led the way, Davion Mitchell was among the Heat's role players doing everything they could to keep Miami's season alive. Mitchell, acquired via trade in February, scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half and overtime. The Heat outscored the Hawks by nine in Mitchell's 40:02 as a reserve. A huge key to his contributions was a flurry of 3s in overtime to keep Miami ahead. He hit four 3s for the game, including three over about a three-minute span in the final period. Mitchell has been a crucial reason for Miami's playoff push, given his combination of floor-spacing, defensive contributions and energy. DAVION MITCHELL ON BOTH ENDS 😤 Hits back-to-back threes and then forces a charge! #SoFiPlayIn overtime on TNT — NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2025 It was almost a tough loss for the Heat, who led the NBA with 28 clutch-time losses in the regular season, but they continued a strong run of basketball in recent weeks. Miami has ten wins in 14 contests since snapping its 10-game losing streak on March 23. — James Jackson, NBA staff editor The Hawks fought valiantly but didn't quite have enough in an overtime loss to Miami that ended their season at 40-42. In the end, they had too little size, too little shooting, and not enough scoring punch, especially after they lost Jalen Johnson to injury and traded De'Andre Hunter midseason. Still, it's hard to call the season a failure. Dyson Daniels emerged as an elite defender, other young players like Zaccharie Risacher, Onyeka Okongwu and Mo Gueye developed nicely as the year went on, and the Hawks turned De'Andre Hunter's iffy contract into multiple draft assets from Cleveland. Advertisement The team is miles from contending, but they're in a better place than 12 months ago. — John Hollinger, NBA senior writer Atlanta will lose its draft pick to San Antonio for the Dejounte Murray trade, but Friday's defeat also could affect another pick. Atlanta has a top-12 protected pick from Sacramento from the Kevin Huerter trade that may or may not convey based on other results. If the Memphis Grizzlies win Friday's second Play-In game and the pick isn't drawn into the top 4 in the lottery, Atlanta will pick either 13th or 14th. However, if the Dallas Mavericks beat Memphis, there will be a random drawing Monday to determine whether the pick from Sacramento lands 12th or 13th before the lottery. The Hawks would only keep the pick if it were 13th following the lottery. The Hawks will also have a late first-round pick from the Lakers from the trade that sent Murray to New Orleans for Daniels. — Hollinger The most immediate question heading into the offseason: What about Trae Young's future? The All-Star guard has one guaranteed season left on his deal after this one and is eligible to sign an extension this summer. Does Atlanta want to commit to him for multiple years at the max? Does Young want to stay? Are they concerned about going down that road while trying to develop the reset of the young core? If not, is there a trade here that makes sense? Many similar questions will be asked in the coming weeks. — Hollinger
NBC Sports
17-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Miami blows out Chicago behind 38 from Tyler Herro, advances to face Atlanta
Post All-Star break, the Chicago Bulls had a top-10 defense in the NBA. You would never have known that Wednesday night. From the opening tip, it felt like a parade to the rim for the Heat, and off that they were able to kick-out for open 3s, or draw defenders and hit other cutters. Herro ➡️ Bam for the slam early 😤#SoFiPlayIn on ESPN The result was bucket after bucket, led by Tyler Herro, who finished the night with 38 points and shot 10-of-10 in the paint. TYLER HERRO TAKES OVER, HEAT KEEP SEASON ALIVE 🙌 🔥 38 PTS (23 in 1st half) 🔥 68.4 FG% (13-19 from field) Miami will take on Atlanta Friday at 7pm/et on TNT... winner gets the 8 seed in the East! Miami ultimately walked away with the comfortable win on the road, 109-90, taking the East 9/10 play-in game, and with that, they will travel to Atlanta on Friday night to face Trae Young and the Hawks in one game to see who will be the No. 8 seed. The Bulls' season is over — for the third year in a row Miami eliminated Chicago. The result is not surprising for Chicago, this is a team that has pivoted towards a rebuild since last summer — trading away Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso — but kept winning enough behind Coby White and Josh Giddey to stay in the play-in. Chicago GM Arturas Karnisovas has said he wants to build a roster deep with two-way talent (more than to land one big star, think Houston's roster, for example). This game was evidence of how far away the Bulls are from having nine or 10 players near that level. Miami came out with playoff intensity, and Chicago came out with random Tuesday night game in February intensity. In addition, Miami walked on the court with a plan to shut off the Bulls in transition and not let Josh Giddey, Coby White and Chicago get out and run — when the Bulls don't have that, their entire offense falls apart. In the halfcourt, Chicago's passing wasn't sharp, it was just a little off, so the Bulls couldn't create swing-swing opportunities moving the ball to the weak side before the Heat pressure rotated. If Chicago's first action didn't create a good look, the team struggled. Miami had no such issues. Herro was on fire from the opening tip, attacking Giddey specifically, but mostly getting downhill and attacking. Miami's first six shots came in the paint and the Heat had 16 points in the paint in the first quarter, plus were 6-of-9 from 3 as a team, and put up 39 points in the first quarter to lead by 11 after one. Herro had 16 points in the first quarter. Miami stuck with its game plan and kept stretching that lead out, getting it to 20 by the middle of the first quarter. Herro had 23 points on 8-of-8 shooting in the first half, and Miami led 71-47 at the break. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and Adebayo had 15 points and 12 boards. For the game, Miami won the points in the paint battle by 16 (56-40). Chicago made a little push in the second half — Talen Horton-Tucker came in and was a pure gunner, and with that hit a few shots — but the lead never fell into single digits. There was never a real threat. Giddey led the Bulls with 25 points but was 9-of-21 shooting. And with all that, Miami is on a plane to Atlanta with a chance to make the playoffs.
Fox Sports
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls - Live Score - April 16, 2025
At halftime, Bulls struggling in this blowout with Heat's passing (21 Ast) MIA FOLLOW Follow a team and personalize your FOX Sports experience CHI SoFi Play-In Tournament: Pregame Live (Episode 2) #SoFiPlayIn Doubleheader Live ESPN Scoreboard The Heats INSANE Run From 8th Seed to the 2023 NBA Finals!
