The Miami Heat’s NBA Cup path already looks crowded, and the group draw does them no favors. Miami landed in Group B, where the schedule starts with the Pacers coming to town on Oct. 30, followed by the Cavaliers visiting on Nov.
- Then the Heat head out for back-to-back road games, first at the Sixers on Nov. 25 and then at the Knicks on Nov.
That’s the slate, and it’s one that immediately gives Miami a claim to one of the toughest groups in the field. A more detailed look at those matchups is expected later this evening.
The Heat also remain tied to Norman Powell’s departure, and he recently opened up about how he viewed free agency after what was arguably the best season of his NBA career in Miami. Powell had earned his first All-Star selection and many around the league expected him to stay. Instead, he left last month and signed with the Chicago Bulls.
Powell said he believed for much of the year that he would return to Miami, and he also made clear he had been thinking about the possibility of teaming with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"Honestly, I thought I would be going back to Miami throughout the course of the year. We knew they wanted to get Giannis.
We heard some rumblings that 'Norm and Giannis sounds really good.' So I thought that was the path," Powell said in an interview.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is already locked in on his first season with the Heat. His focus is on showing up to training camp in September in top condition and making sure he and his new teammates are on the same page before the season begins. That priority is part of why he is not playing for Greece in FIBA competition.
The news that the Heat asked him to sit out was reported Monday, and Antetokounmpo had already hinted at that plan during his introductory press conference.
"I’ll be here. I'm doing it for me.
If I'm not here, I won't know what the (bleep) is going on. I want to know everything - offense, defense.
So when training camp comes, I'm already ahead of them, and I can talk to them. If I don't know the offense, how can i talk to my teammates."
In Other News...
Heat Draft Track Record Is Starting To Raise A Real Question
The Heats recent first-round draft history has become the kind of topic that tends to linger around a team, especially one that prides itself on squeezing value out of every roster move. Looking back at the last five first-round picks, theres a clear mix of turnover and uncertainty, with several names already on the move and only one still in Miami trying to establish himself after some frustrating stretches with health and production.
Nikola Jovic is still the closest thing the Heat have to a holdover from that group, but even his path has been uneven enough to keep the conversation open. Precious Achiuwa is another reminder of how tricky this stretch has been for Miami, since he moved on and ended up outperforming his draft slot statistically, which only adds to the sense that the franchise has some explaining to do about how these picks have translated. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Could Lose A Veteran Scoring Option At The Worst Time
Miamis search for extra offense has already taken on a familiar shape after the clubs major trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and veteran scoring help is naturally at the center of it. Around the league, the Heat have been connected to a proven bucket-getter whose shot creation and durability would fit the kind of supporting role Miami often looks to fill when it wants to keep pressure on defenses without overloading its stars.
The interest has lingered because this is the sort of move that can stabilize a roster in a hurry, especially for a team trying to round out a new look after a huge swing. For now, there is still no official deal, but the Heats involvement has been strong enough to keep them in the conversation as the situation develops. [Read more 🡒]