LeBron James managed to turn a routine free-agency discussion into a fresh round of speculation over the weekend.
While appearing on The Shop, James was talking about what comes next when he said, "Trust the process," a line that immediately caught attention because it’s so closely tied to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. That was enough for plenty of people to wonder whether James was hinting at Philadelphia.
James has spent his career living under a microscope, so a passing comment like that was always going to get picked apart. He has been in the spotlight since he was a high school junior, and he knows exactly how much weight every word can carry.
Meanwhile, the Heat continue to do what they’ve done so well in recent years: find players who can outplay expectations. Over the last six years, Miami has uncovered names like Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and Duncan Robinson, all of whom turned a stop in South Florida into longer NBA runs. The team’s scouting operation has built a reputation for spotting overlooked talent before the rest of the league catches on.
Tre Donaldson looks like the next player trying to force his way into that conversation. After the Las Vegas Summer League, he put together a strong four-game stretch, averaging 16.3 points on 52.9 percent shooting, along with 4.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals. Whether he started or came off the bench, he kept making an impact.
The Heat went 2-3 in Summer League and won’t be playing for the title, but Donaldson’s performance still stood out. He signed a two-way contract right after the NBA Draft, and even though he wasn’t selected on draft night, the 22-year-old has kept making noise for South Florida basketball.
Donaldson is coming off the best season of his college career at Miami, where he averaged 16.4 points on 45.4 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.4 steals across 35 games, including 33 starts. His play earned him Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors, and in just one season, the Tallahassee native became a key part of the Hurricanes’ new era.
In Other News...
Which Celtics Prospects Actually Helped Themselves This Summer
Summer League can be a noisy place to sort out who actually moved the needle, but Miami had reason to pay attention to Ryan Conwell. The Heats 2026 second-round pick drew strong interest after his run in Las Vegas, with his shooting and defensive effort standing out enough to put him firmly on the radar as the organization keeps tracking how he fits into its long-term picture.
There were other names worth monitoring, too, from Trevor Keels and Jahmir Young still in the mix for two-way opportunities to Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson already landing theirs. Undrafted wing Tre White also made a case for himself with a productive showing, and for Miami, the broader takeaway is the same as always in July: the Heat are looking for players who can defend, compete and give them something real to build on. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Shooting Panic Is Getting Way Out Of Hand
The panic over Miamis shooting has gotten a little ahead of the roster reality. The Heat do have room to add another veteran spacer or two before the season, but the idea that they are suddenly bereft of perimeter threats does not hold up when you look at the group already in place. Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Simone Fontecchio, Bam Adebayo, Pelle Larsson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bobby Portis all give Miami at least some credible three-point options, which is a far cry from a team that cannot stretch the floor at all.
The bigger point is that the Heat were still 11th in three-point shooting last season, and they did it while dealing with injuries to key players. So while there is a reasonable argument for more depth, especially from a veteran shooter, this does not look like the kind of emergency that requires a full-scale roster overhaul. Miami may not be finished building out the back end of its shooting rotation, but the current narrative is making the problem sound much larger than it really is. [Read more 🡒]