In the moment, it appeared as little more than an innocuous substitution as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra cycled through his rotation in the hopes of finding something that would work while down

That’s because the Spurs — reportedly Fox’s preferred trade destination — currently have nine tradeable first-round picks that they can include in a deal to the Heat’s one tradeable first-round selection. San Antonio also has young talent such as Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and others who it can add to any trade package for Fox.

Five quick for the Magic – a Wagner stepback three and a strong hook finish from Goga Bitadze – pushed it to 14 to open the fourth. Back to the Adebayo-Ware lineup, Ware immediately hitting his fourth three after that, still an eight-point game with eight to play.

Despite an inconsistent six-game road trip, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo saw promising flashes from Miami's younger players

The reason for Larsson starting partly had to do with the Heat suspending Butler for the second time, this one lasting two games as instead of Haywood Highsmith or Nikola Jovic, Spoelstra gave the nod to the 23-year-old. The long-time head coach will continue to see where Larsson can impact the team.

Depending on how you process any recent Heat news, that latter point feels correct, given some of Butler’s relationships with players on Miami’s roster. That is especially true of younger contributors who have grown to see Butler as a mentor no matter his team-related drama or level of candor.

It wasn’t easy for Herro to get over the feelings of resentment and rejection that come with returning to a team that seemed on the verge of trading you. It took some soul-searching and a few candid conversations with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and the front office to get everyone back on the same page.

There's no guarantee star forward Jimmy Butler is traded from the Miami Heat by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Let's assume Butler is not dealt and plays out the re

Assuming Miami considers Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro untouchable in Fox talks (as they should, especially if Jimmy Butler is soon leaving), the Heat’s package for Fox — in addition to a 2028 first-rounder — would be the following four players: Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, and Kel'el Ware.

The Nuggets vanquished the Heat in Jimmy Butler’s return from a seven-game suspension. Jamal Murray lit up everything in front of him. And Nikola Jokić had his 17th triple-double of the season. “I thought our guards did a hell of a job on [Tyler] Herro and [Duncan] Robinson,

NEW YORK (AP) Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and the Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-97 on Saturday night. Nikola Jovic had 17 points, six rebounds ...

Among the unanticipated elements of center Bam Adebayo succeeding Udonis Haslem as Miami Heat captain has been standing as the voice of assurance amid what now stands as three suspensions of