Ben Simmons is headed to the Kings, and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn’t think the Heat missed out by passing on him. Winderman’s view is that Simmons remains too much of a mystery after sitting out last season and dealing with injuries and uneven play in the years before that. In his estimation, Miami’s win-now approach would have made Simmons a poor match, while Sacramento’s rebuilding timeline gives the Kings room to gamble on a player who once looked like he could become much more.
The rest of the Southeast Division has been busy in its own way, starting with a Hornets offseason that looked very different after the team moved former franchise player LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. ESPN’s Insiders projected a committee approach in Charlotte, saying coach Charles Lee will have to spread out the responsibility of replacing Ball’s production. Ball averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 assists with a 32.0 usage rate, and the expectation is that Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel will carry most of the scoring load, with help from Coby White and newly acquired Dennis Schroder.
Orlando took a quieter path this summer, with the coaching change standing out as the main shift. ESPN’s Insiders pointed to Jalen Suggs as the team’s key swing player, but availability remains the issue.
Suggs played 57 games last season, his second-highest total in a career that has been interrupted too often. The other concern is his perimeter shooting, which has fallen off over the last two seasons and needs to rebound.
The Magic also made a broadcast move, announcing a partnership with Gray Media to air about 70 regular-season games this season for fans in Gainesville, Panama City and Tallahassee. According to the team’s press release, all regular-season games except nationally televised matchups will be shown over the air on WTGB 34.3 in Gainesville, WJHG 7.6 in Panama City and WCTV 6.3 in Tallahassee.
In Other News...
Max Strus Just Highlighted Why Heat Needed Klay Thompson
Max Strus candid reflection on the 2023 NBA Finals offered a blunt reminder of how unforgiving that stage can be, especially for a player asked to carry a bigger offensive burden than he had before. His Game 1 outing, when he went 0-for-10 from the field, set the tone for a series in which he averaged just six points per game on 23 percent shooting, and it underscored how much pressure can tilt even a well-built rotation off balance.
For Miami, the lesson was hard to miss. The Heat have since added Klay Thompson, bringing in a four-time NBA champion whose rsum is built on playoff runs, title pressure, and the kind of veteran steadiness that can steady a group when the lights get brightest. It is the sort of move that speaks directly to the strain Strus described, even if the full effect of that upgrade will have to wait until the games start to matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Love's Next Team Could Say A Lot About His Final Chapter
Kevin Love is still on the market, and the list of possible landing spots says plenty about where his career is at this stage. The veteran forward has been linked to the 76ers, Timberwolves and Heat, with the conversation centered less on production and more on what he can add around the margins for a contender.
For Miami, that kind of addition would fit the way the franchise has often looked for experience and stability at the back end of the roster. Loves next move would likely be about leadership and mentorship as much as minutes, and with no signing confirmed yet, the shape of his final chapter is still very much being written. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Conwell Already Faces A Tough Heat Reality
Ryan Conwell is stepping into one of the leagues more demanding environments for a young guard, because Miami does not hand out minutes lightly. The rookie second-round pick signed a three-year contract, but he is joining a backcourt and wing rotation built around established veterans, which means every practice rep and every preseason opportunity will matter as he tries to carve out a role.
For a player in his spot, the path often runs through the G League, and the Heat have long treated Sioux Falls as a real developmental stop rather than a detour. With championship expectations in Miami and a track record of turning overlooked prospects into useful pieces, Conwells next stretch may be less about immediate impact and more about proving he can handle the grind the organization asks of its young players. [Read more 🡒]