Free-agent forward Andre Iguodala agreed to a deal with the Warriors on Friday. After the Heat declined a $15 million team option, the veteran will head back to Golden State, where he won three NBA Championships and was named Finals MVP in 2015. However, the 37-year-old hasn't done much for managers over recent years, so it's likely he won't be on many fantasy teams heading into the 2021-22 campaign.

Forward Andre Iguodala had his $15 million player option declined by Miami on Sunday, making him a free agent. The 37-year-old has built a reputation for his defensive prowess over the years. However, a reduction in minutes in South Beach significantly lowered what was left of his fantasy season. Nonetheless, he will likely draw interest from teams favored to win an NBA title this season, so it's probable he takes on a role somewhere for a minimum salary. Regarding Iguodala's outlook, he doesn't have much to offer to fantasy managers, although he should get some attention as a streaming option at times during the 2021-22 campaign.

MIAMI (AP) — Pat Riley has identified an immediate priority for the Miami Heat: Do absolutely nothing. After a nonstop year, that’s his requirement. There will be more than enough time for roster decisions, offseason workouts, preparing for the combine and draft even though Miami doesn’t currently have a pick, piecing together a summer league team and free agency. For now, however, Riley wants just about everyone in the organization to take a break after a whirlwind 12 months that saw an NBA Finals appearance one season, an exit from another season in a first-round sweep and all the while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that changed just about everything. “We’ve been at this for a while, so where we’re headed first is rest,” Riley, the Heat president, said Thursday in his annual state-of-the-team address that traditionally comes shortly after the season ends. “Our players, our staff, the people that have been here every day, every single day, they’re mentally worn out more so than... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Pat Riley has identified an immediate priority for the Miami Heat: Do absolutely nothing. After a nonstop year, that’s his requirement. There will be more than enough time for roster decisions, offseason workouts, preparing for the combine and draft even though Miami doesn’t currently have a pick, piecing together a summer league team and free agency. For now, however, Riley wants just about everyone in the organization to take a break after a whirlwind 12 months that saw an NBA Finals appearance one season, an exit from another season in a first-round sweep and all the while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that changed just about everything. “We’ve been at this for a while, so where we’re headed first is rest,” Riley, the Heat president, said Thursday in his annual state-of-the-team address that traditionally comes shortly after the season ends. “Our players, our staff, the people that have been here every day, every single day, they’re mentally worn out more so than... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Not even an hour into the offseason, Jimmy Butler was already looking ahead. There was no run to the NBA Finals this year for the Miami Heat, not even a single playoff victory for the team that rolled through the Eastern Conference in the restart bubble at Walt Disney World last summer. And when it was over, when Miami’s four-game ouster by Milwaukee was complete, Butler quickly summed up the offseason plan. “We can be better,” Butler said. “We’ll be better.” The Heat don’t have a pick in this year’s draft, at least for now, and likely will have somewhere around $25 million in cap space that they can choose to use this summer. Plenty of decisions need to be made about the roster for next season, but the clear cornerstones — Butler and Bam Adebayo, whose $163 million, five-year extension begins this fall — are among the selling points to free agents. Among those who’ll likely be considered, assuming he decides to look for a new team: Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, who insists that he... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem finally played, and made an immediate impact for the Miami Heat. He scored twice, making both his shots. He took a charge. And then he got ejected. Haslem can finally say that he has played in 18 NBA seasons — and it was a memorable, albeit brief, appearance. He got two technical fouls and was ejected with 10:19 remaining in the first half, less than three minutes after getting into a game for the first time all season. “If this is the last one, I finished it the only way Udonis Haslem could — with an ejection," Haslem said. He took offense to getting pulled down by Philadelphia's Dwight Howard, then had words with the 76ers' veteran as they went nose-to-nose. Haslem and Howard both got technicals, then Haslem got a second one and was sent off. His final line: 2 for 2 from the field, four points, one rebound, two technicals, one ejection, in about 2-1/2 minutes. Haslem, who turns 41 on June 9, became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat and the oldest... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem finally played, and made an immediate impact for the Miami Heat. He scored twice, making both his shots. He took a charge. And then he got ejected. Haslem can finally say that he has played in 18 NBA seasons — and it was a memorable, albeit brief, appearance. He got two technical fouls and was ejected with 10:19 remaining in the first half, less than three minutes after getting into a game for the first time all season. He took offense to getting pulled down by Philadelphia's Dwight Howard, then had words with the 76ers' veteran as they went nose-to-nose. Haslem and Howard both got technicals, then Haslem got a second one and was sent off. His final line: 2 for 2 from the field, four points, one rebound, two technicals, one ejection, in about 2-1/2 minutes. Haslem, who turns 41 on June 9, became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat and the oldest to get on an NBA floor for any team this season. Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, 38, was the oldest to... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem can finally say that he has played in 18 NBA seasons. The Miami Heat forward got into a game for the first time this season Thursday night, checking in with 59.3 seconds left in the first quarter of the team’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia. Haslem, who turns 41 on June 9, became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat and the oldest to get on an NBA floor for any team this season. Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, 38, was the oldest to play in the NBA so far in 2020-21; the next-oldest to play this season was Miami’s Andre Iguodala, 37. Haslem got a layup with 2.3 seconds left in the quarter, putting Miami up 38-20 in the early going. It was his first basket at home since Nov. 12, 2019. At 40 years, 338 days, Haslem was 269 days older than Juwan Howard was when he made his final appearance with the Heat on April 17, 2013. Haslem has not said if he will consider retiring this summer; the Heat have told him that he would be welcomed back... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Duncan Robinson scored 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers and the Miami Heat continued their home dominance over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 115-101 victory Saturday night. Bam Adebayo finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Trevor Ariza scored 15 points and Jimmy Butler added 15 points and 11 assists as the Heat won their 20th straight against the Cavaliers in Miami. The Heat finished with 35 assists, including 13 in the first quarter. Robinson hit his first four 3-pointers as Miami shot 10 for 21 from long range in the first half and led 67-54 at halftime. “Everybody has pure intentions about it — just to play off each other, share the game and enjoy each other's success,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You play to your strengths but you do it with the intention to play together, to try to create something better.” Collin Sexton scored 26 points and Taurean Prince finished with a season high 19 points for the Cavaliers, who lost their fifth straight and have... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Duncan Robinson scored 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers and the Miami Heat continued their home dominance over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 1105-101 victory Saturday night. Bam Adebayo finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Trevor Ariza scored 15 points and Jimmy Butler added 15 points and 11 assists as the Heat won their 20th straight against the Cavaliers in Miami. Collin Sexton scored 26 points and Taurean Prince finished with a season high 19 points for the Cavaliers, who lost their fifth straight and have not win in Miami since Jan. 25, 2010. The Heat finished with 35 assists, including 13 in the first quarter. Robinson hit his first four 3-pointers as Miami shot 10 for 21 from long range in the first half and led 67-54 at halftime. Cleveland pulled to 75-70 on Prince’s layup with 4:05 remaining in the third quarter before Miami scored five consecutive points and regained its double-digit advantage. TIP INS Cavaliers: Larry Nance Jr. (illness), Jarrett Allen... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat have turned Meyers Leonard's contract into an opportunity to see if Trevor Ariza can help them for the rest of this season. And for their trouble, the Oklahoma City Thunder got yet another draft pick. Leonard — who had likely played his final game for the Heat, even before drawing widespread criticism for using an anti-Semitic term while livestreaming a video game last week — was traded Wednesday to the Thunder in exchange for Ariza and a second-round pick in the 2027 draft. “Meyers was a key part of our team that made a run to the NBA Finals and we will always be grateful for his contributions and leadership last season,” the Heat said in the statement announcing the trade. “His recent comments were very hurtful and disappointing, but, we are encouraged that he has spent this last week meeting with community leaders, rabbis and Holocaust survivors to greater understand the impact of his words and we hope that his education will continue." The Heat also said... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat have agreed to trade Meyers Leonard and a future second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Trevor Ariza, two people with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. The teams were working to schedule a trade call with the league, which signs off on all deals, according to the people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending. Leonard, who needed to sign off on the trade because of his contract status, has done so, according to one of the people who was familiar with the terms of the agreement. The Thunder are not expected to keep Leonard, who is unable to play the rest of this season because of a shoulder injury and has a team option for about $10.2 million next season. Leonard has been away from the Heat for more than a week after a video surfaced of him using an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming a video game. He apologized for the incident, which was roundly criticized by the Heat, Jewish groups... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic had their arms slung over the other’s shoulders as they walked out of the arena following the final game of Miami’s season, helping each other in the most painful of moments. That was the Heat way all year long. A bunch of strangers at the start of the season forged intense bonds over the next 12 months, and the result was a surprising run to the NBA Finals. Another Eastern Conference championship banner will be swaying in Miami soon, and there is no doubt that the Heat will enter next season — whenever it starts — believing that they’re among the favorites to win the 2021 NBA title. “This season has been a tremendous season for us, for me,” Dragic said. “We had a lot of bonds together. We go through good times, bad times, but we always stay together. And I think that that’s something that it’s really rare to find.” The Heat went from 10th in the East last season to second in the NBA this season, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Michele Roberts planned on being in the NBA’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World for a few days. Three weeks, at the most. She never left. The executive director of the National Basketball Players Association will be in the bubble from start to finish, meaning she’ll be there when either the Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat get their hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the conclusion of the NBA Finals that resume Friday night. Her reason for staying: Her realization of how much work that could be done on matters relating to social justice and the fight against racial inequality, along with the chance to connect with so many players individually on such a regular basis. “I wouldn’t trade having done this for the world,” Roberts said in an interview with The Associated Press. “You have a chance to interact at a level that I, through the last 6 1/2 years, have never had. We’ve had our meetings, around each other for a day and a half or two days, but this was... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Meyers Leonard was bent forward at the waist, standing a few feet away from Miami coach Erik Spoelstra on the Heat sideline, screaming with every bit of the volume that his deep and booming voice can generate. This is his role right now for the Heat. His only role. Leonard is in a tough spot these days; a full-time starter during the regular season, he is now out of the rotation as the Heat have made their run to the Eastern Conference finals. It is a bitter pill for him to swallow — yet to his credit, he hasn’t acted the least bit bitter about his current reality. “My team knows this, and our coaching staff knows this,” Leonard told The Associated Press. “I would do anything to be out there. And I’d be lying if I said that I’m not competitive as hell. I wish I was impacting the game on the floor. I’m not, but as a person and as a player, I want what’s best for everybody.” So for now, the 7-foot, 260-pound, chiseled center is the tallest, strongest and best-paid... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was ruled out of Sunday’s Game 4 of his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat after aggravating a sprained right ankle.Antetokounmpo was driving to the basket with 10:18 left in the second quarter, trying to get past Miami’s Andre Iguodala. He went down and screamed in pain as he grabbed at the ankle, and it didn't take long for most of those on the Bucks' bench to gather around him in concern.Antetokounmpo eventually went to the bench, then went back onto the court to shoot his free throws. He had to take them to have any chance of being able to return to the game, per NBA rules.In the end, it didn't matter: The Bucks announced at halftime that Antetokounmpo would not return to the game. He finished with 19 points in 12 minutes.The Bucks went into Sunday down 3-0 in the series and facing elimination. Antetokounmpo scored 18 of Milwaukee’s first 26 points in Game 4, shooting... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks left Sunday’s Game 4 of his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat after appearing to aggravate a sprained right ankle.Antetokounmpo was driving to the basket with 10:18 left in the second quarter, trying to get past Miami’s Andre Iguodala. He went down and screamed in pain as he grabbed at the ankle, and it didn't take long for most of those on the Bucks' bench to gather around him in concern.Antetokounmpo eventually went to the bench, then went back onto the court to shoot his free throws.It was not immediately clear if he would return.He missed the first free throw, made the second and — after the Bucks took an immediate foul to get him out of the game — limped off for additional evaluation. He had to take the free throws in order to remain eligible to return to the game; had he not taken those shots, NBA rules would not have permitted him to return.The Bucks went into... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Having the NBA's best record during the regular season shows the obvious potential of the Milwaukee Bucks.It also means they haven't dealt with major on-court adversity often.They are now, facing a pivotal Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the rolling Miami Heat on Friday night. The top-seeded Bucks have dropped the first two games to the fifth-seeded Heat, marking just the fifth time this season that they've had a multi-game losing streak.“We've said it many times," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think your character really comes through when you face adversity, when you're tested. I think the character of this group is off the charts."They are being tested now, so that theory better ring true for Milwaukee — or else.The ending of Game 2 was bizarre, a close call looking like it would take a win away from Miami — Goran Dragic’s foul of Khris Middleton with the Heat up by three in the final seconds, a play where Middleton tied... [More]

The restart is about to restart.Basketball will be played again inside the NBA’s bubble at Walt Disney World on Friday, albeit of the practice variety. Playoff matchups are set to resume on Saturday, meaning games will have stopped for three days while players protested the shooting of a Black man by police in Wisconsin earlier this week.To shut up and dribble has never been less of an option for players. LeBron James is helping lead a massive get-out-the-vote effort, and Stephen Curry appeared with his family in a video aired as part of the Democratic National Convention last week. The bubble's purpose was two-fold — crown a champion, and help players seek societal changes that simply haven’t come fast enough for their liking. That was what brought them to Central Florida, and ultimately, that's why they decided to stay now.“There’s a lot of emotions built up with what’s going on," Miami’s Andre Iguodala said Thursday night from the bubble at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.Iguodala, the First... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Making their strongest statement yet in the fight against racial injustice, players from six NBA teams decided not to play postseason games on Wednesday in a boycott that quickly reverberated across other professional leagues.Also called off: Some games in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the three WNBA contests, as players across four leagues decided the best way to use their platform and demand change was to literally step off the playing surface.Players made the extraordinary decisions to protest the shooting by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday of Jacob Blake, a Black man, apparently in the back while three of his children looked on.Kenosha is about 40 miles south of Milwaukee. That city’s NBA team, the Bucks, started the boycotts Wednesday by refusing to emerge from their locker room to play a playoff game against the Orlando Magic.“There has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball,” said Bucks guard Sterling Brown,... [More]