Giannis Antetokounmpo is wasting no time embracing Miami.
At his introductory press conference on Thursday, the new Heat star said he’s coming into his first season with a full head of steam, calling himself motivated “a million percent” as he starts the next chapter of his career.
“It’s a place I feel like brings pressure, and I thrive under pressure,” Antetokounmpo said, via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “It brings the best out of me.
… Right now, I’m hungry to win. I want to win and I will do whatever it takes for me to win.”
Heat president Pat Riley was just as fired up after the blockbuster deal with Milwaukee came together. Riley said he celebrated the move in a big way.
“I yelled. I screamed,” Riley said, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, later calling the Antetokounmpo acquisition “nirvana for me.”
Riley also said the pursuit of Antetokounmpo showed how seriously Miami is treating its championship ambitions.
Coach Erik Spoelstra pointed to Bobby Portis as another important piece in the trade, praising the veteran big man for what he brings across the board. Spoelstra highlighted Portis’ shooting, rebounding and defensive versatility.
Antetokounmpo also made a very public pitch for LeBron James to join him in Miami, saying he’d love the chance to learn from him.
“If there was a scenario for that to happen, I'd be very, very excited, he's one of the best players to ever play this game, if not the best. [I'd] be able to learn so much from him.…”
Elsewhere around the league, Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson addressed the backlash that came with trading LaMelo Ball. Speaking with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Peterson said he knew the move would land hard with a lot of Charlotte fans, but he believes front offices have to make basketball decisions without being steered by public reaction.
“When I ultimately made the decision to trade LaMelo, I knew that it was not going to go over well with a lot of the fanbase,” Peterson said. “I understand and respect their position on it. But the minute you start to feed into that, then you can’t do the job.”
Peterson added that he values what fans think, but said letting outside criticism drive the process can leave an organization “paralyzed.”
In Denver, the Nuggets have officially completed contracts with free agents Tyus Jones, Alpha Diallo and Marvin Bagley III. Per Hoops Rumors, each player signed a guaranteed one-year veteran minimum deal.
Diallo’s cap hit is lower because he signed at the rookie minimum, though his tax and apron charge matches Jones and Bagley under the NBA’s tax variance rules.
In Other News...
Hornets Just Made A Defining Coby White Decision
The Hornets spent the offseason reshaping the roster, but one of the clearest signals about where the franchise wants to go came with Coby White. Jeff Peterson confirmed the guard was a priority signing for Charlotte, a move the front office viewed as important regardless of what happened elsewhere on the roster. With several trades and draft picks already changing the look of the team, keeping White in the fold gave the Hornets a stable piece to build around.
White now sits at the center of a backcourt that looks very different after the LaMelo Ball trade, and Charlotte appears ready to hand him a bigger organizing role next season. Petersons comments made it clear the Hornets did not see White as a fallback option, but as a player they wanted to retain no matter the circumstances. The next question is how quickly that belief turns into on-court responsibility, and how the rest of the new roster fits around him. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Rookies Ended Summer League With Hope For One And Questions For Another
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Andersons night had a different feel, even as he helped keep the offense moving in a 92-90 loss to Sacramento. He put up 18 points with eight assists and four rebounds, but the shooting line again left something to sort through, and that has been part of the larger Summer League conversation around him. For Charlotte, the rookie guard showed enough playmaking to keep the door open, but the final stretch also left a few questions hanging as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets End Summer League With Another Loss And More Questions
The Hornets wrapped up Summer League with a 92-90 loss to Sacramento in a consolation game, another reminder that the results never quite matched the flashes. Charlotte dug out of a 15-point hole and had enough individual bright spots to keep the final day interesting, even if the teams overall tournament run ended at 1-4.
Hannes Steinbach continued to look like one of the more reliable pieces in the group, while Christian Anderson showed real bounce-back ability after an uneven start to the event. Still, the same issues that followed Charlotte through the week showed up again in the closing minutes, and the Hornets left Las Vegas with more questions than answers about how those promising stretches translate when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]