By Tim Bontemps, Brian Windhorst | ESPN, 2025-01-24 20:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
在这个NBA赛季，绝望的情绪开始弥漫在各支球队的管理层。
距离2月6日交易截止日还有两周时间，对于工作保障、合同以及季后赛排名的担忧开始给各队施加压力。不同级别的竞争者都在展现他们孤注一掷的决心，而一些球队则开始计划利用今年夏天自由球员市场的灵活性以及球星效应。
考虑到这一点，以下是我们听到的关于九支球队的消息，联盟决策者已经将他们标记为交易截止日最后阶段的潜在参与者——以及每支球队达成交易的渴望程度。
我们将深入探讨这些，并分析迈阿密热火的新首发阵容，以及来自联盟在巴黎举行的首个两场系列赛的现场报道，该系列赛由维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的圣安东尼奥马刺队和印第安纳步行者队进行。
跳转至情报：
哪些球队渴望交易？
巴黎的风云：别忽视步行者
在巴特勒的闹剧中，一位迈阿密新秀闪耀登场
渴望交易？九支球队的现状
菲尼克斯太阳
渴望程度： 极高
正在西部附加赛名额争夺战中苦苦挣扎的菲尼克斯太阳队，通过用他们2031年不受保护的首轮签换取三个价值较低的首轮签，展现了他们有多么渴望达成交易：今年选秀大会的第29顺位或第30顺位，以及犹他爵士、克利夫兰骑士和明尼苏达森林狼在2027年和2029年选秀中最差的签位。
周二的交易给了太阳队一些在交易中的灵活性，但代价是进一步抵押了他们的未来。也许这样做有助于吉米·巴特勒(Jimmy Butler)来到菲尼克斯——消息人士称，得到这位35岁的前锋仍然是球队的首要目标。
但2031年的选秀权在联盟中具有真正的价值——“在我看来，[它]是目前市场上最有价值的资产，”犹他爵士总经理贾斯汀·扎尼克(Justin Zanik)周三在爵士对阵雷霆的比赛直播中说道——这让人很难想象这笔交易如何增加了太阳队将布拉德利·比尔(Bradley Beal)和他那份拥有交易否决权的合同变成巴特勒的可能性。
密尔沃基雄鹿
渴望程度： 高
消息人士称，雄鹿队在这个交易赛季一直很活跃，克里斯·米德尔顿(Khris Middleton)、鲍比·波蒂斯(Bobby Portis)和帕特·康诺顿(Pat Connaughton)都有可能被交易，以换回一名有影响力的球员。就像太阳队所做的那样，雄鹿队也只有他们2031年的首轮签可以交易，但他们还需要在一笔交易中减少大约650万美元的薪资空间，才能低于第二道奢侈税线，以便能够在交易中合并球员。
正如雄鹿队在去年达米安·利拉德(Damian Lillard)的交易中所展现的那样，他们决心最大限度地利用扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)的争冠窗口期。而且，随着阿德托昆博本赛季再次打出MVP级别的表现，密尔沃基雄鹿队希望在接下来的几周内进行升级，以挑战东部联盟排名靠前的骑士、凯尔特人和尼克斯——雄鹿本赛季对阵这三支球队的战绩为0胜8负。
迈阿密热火
渴望程度： 中等
巴特勒事件双方的消息人士都表示，他们都渴望在截止日期前达成交易。热火队已经与其他球队进行了对话，但到目前为止，收到的报价并没有包括迈阿密想要的：能够立即提供帮助的球员、年轻的天赋、选秀权和2026年夏天到期的合同。
虽然近年来我们没有看到自由球员市场在联盟中发挥很大的作用，但在那个夏天，像凯文·杜兰特(Kevin Durant)、卢卡·东契奇(Luka Doncic)、特雷·杨(Trae Young)、迪亚伦·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)和杰伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson Jr.)这样的球星都可能成为不受限制的自由球员。随着联盟新的电视转播协议的达成，工资帽开始上升，至少有可能在明年夏天看到多位大牌球员更换球队。热火队正试图让自己处于有利的位置，以签下其中一位。
但这种尴尬的局面很有可能会延续到夏天。到那时，对于巴特勒这样薪资的球员来说，会有更多达成交易的途径，也会有更多球队愿意参与到一笔重磅交易中。
纽约尼克斯
渴望程度： 中等
虽然尼克斯队有望30年来首次连续两个赛季取得50胜，并拥有近几十年来打破52年冠军荒的最佳机会，但围绕尼克斯队一个赛季以来一直在讨论的话题是首发球员的出场时间过长。其中有四名球员的总出场时间排名前五——米卡尔·布里奇斯(Mikal Bridges)（第1）、约什·哈特(Josh Hart)（第2）、奥杰·阿奴诺比(OG Anunoby)（第3）、杰伦·布伦森(Jalen Brunson)（第5）——而卡尔-安东尼·唐斯(Karl-Anthony Towns)排名第23。部分原因在于他们的出勤率：布里奇斯、哈特、阿奴诺比和布伦森总共只缺席了两场比赛，而唐斯也只缺席了五场。
虽然这再次引发了关于主教练汤姆·锡伯杜(Tom Thibodeau)倾向于依赖主力球员的长期争论，但也突显了纽约缺乏板凳深度的问题，这是尼克斯队在训练营前夕选择签下唐斯时准备应对的问题。
据消息人士透露，改变这种情况的唯一真正途径是受伤的中锋米切尔·罗宾逊(Mitchell Robinson)——要么是他因脚踝伤势缺席整个赛季后重返赛场，要么是将他纳入交易。
孟菲斯灰熊
渴望程度： 中等
在伤病阻碍了他们上个赛季的征程后，灰熊队已经重新回到了争冠行列，因为总经理扎克·克莱曼(Zack Kleiman)在球星后卫贾·莫兰特(Ja Morant)身边组建了高质量的阵容深度。
但这并没有阻止孟菲斯在截止日期前积极联系其他球队。灰熊队曾向布鲁克林篮网队询问过多里安·芬尼-史密斯(Dorian Finney-Smith)的情况，双方进行了广泛的讨论，但篮网最终还是与洛杉矶湖人队达成了交易。孟菲斯拥有选秀权和中等薪资球员的组合——比如马库斯·斯马特(Marcus Smart)（2000万美元）、卢克·肯纳德(Luke Kennard)（900万美元）和约翰·科查尔(John Konchar)（600万美元）——可以完成交易。
消息人士称，灰熊队潜伏在巴特勒的交易谈判中，并在此过程中与热火队保持联系。联盟其他球队的高管认为，孟菲斯正试图将引进人才与削减未来薪资空间结合起来，以便最早在今年夏天为杰伦·杰克逊促成一份续约合同。
与此同时，巴特勒已经表示，他可能会在今年夏天选择跳出合同，寻求成为自由球员。消息人士推测，如果灰熊队能够得到他来冲击季后赛，同时还能腾出今年夏天的薪资空间，那可能就是他们感兴趣的地方。
芝加哥公牛
渴望程度： 中等
本月与公牛队交谈过的几位高管都将他们的动机描述为“寻求改变”。但这实际上意味着什么？
至少，这将是三年交易截止日不作为后的巨大转变。公牛队有一个欠圣安东尼奥马刺队的受前十顺位保护的选秀权，但他们目前在负场数上比马刺队“领先”三场——比热火队、太阳队和金州勇士队领先四场——并且在总排名中位列第九。
例如，没有人会真的认为费城76人队在这个赛季的这个时候排名会低于公牛队，但很难看到公牛队会通过超越前面的球队来将这个选秀权置于危险之中。
消息人士称，公牛队也明确表示，他们将接受扎克·拉文(Zach LaVine)和尼古拉·武切维奇(Nikola Vucevic)的报价，据我们的ESPN同事沙姆斯·查拉尼亚(Shams Charania)报道，拉文与各种极其复杂的巴特勒多队交易的排列组合有关，而武切维奇与勇士队和其他球队有关联。
布鲁克林篮网
渴望程度： 中等
对于一个处于资产收购模式的球队来说，布鲁克林篮网还没有交易联盟决策者认为最有可能在未来两周内被交易的球员：前锋卡梅隆·约翰逊(Cameron Johnson)。
约翰逊的合同合理（未来三个赛季大约6500万美元），而且正处于职业生涯的最佳赛季（场均19.4分，三分球命中率41.9%）。在过去的几周里，约翰逊因为脚踝伤势缺席了很多比赛，从其他球队的角度来看，这一举动似乎既非常保护性，又非常方便。
然而，消息人士称，篮网队对约翰逊的要价仍然很高——如果达不到这个价格，他们将乐于留住他。这是布鲁克林之前已经表现出愿意做的事情——例如，多里安·芬尼-史密斯在过去一年里一直是一个潜在的交易目标，直到上个月最终被交易到湖人队，尽管只是换来了二轮签。
洛杉矶湖人
渴望程度： 低
连续第二个赛季，湖人队的两位球星都非常健康——总共只缺席了六场比赛。但他们仍然发现自己距离西部第11名还有2.5个胜场差。
虽然查拉尼亚周三报道称勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)和安东尼·戴维斯(Anthony Davis)都“担心”球队提升阵容的能力，但詹姆斯本人在周日惨败给同城对手快船队后，概述了球队可能采取的措施的现实情况。
“这就是我们球队的构成，”詹姆斯说。“我们没有犯错的空间——没有太多犯错的空间。”
消息人士称，湖人队最近与其他球队的讨论几乎没有表现出任何积极的迹象，这些举动说明了他们目前对球星的担忧程度。湖人队在最近几个赛季已经表现出不愿将他们未来的首轮签加入交易的意愿，而且没有迹象表明这种立场已经改变。
交易丹吉洛·拉塞尔(D’Angelo Russell)实际上让湖人队更难进行更大规模的交易，因为它从他们的账面上移除了一份即将到期的大合同。看起来更有可能的是，如果交易真的发生，它将类似于他们为芬尼-史密斯所做的另一笔小规模交易。
金州勇士
渴望程度： 低
排名第11位的勇士队的渴望程度如何？问问斯蒂芬·库里(Stephen Curry)就知道了。
“孤注一掷的交易或孤注一掷的举动会耗尽未来，在让我们结束职业生涯时，有责任让球队保持在一个良好的空间和位置，”库里最近说道。“这并不意味着你不试图变得更好。这并不意味着你不积极主动……
“没有人想停滞不前，或者处于你错失机会的境地。但这并不意味着你会因为想做点什么就到处乱扔资产。”
金州勇士队是否愿意现在就做出有重大影响的举动？当然愿意。在过去的十年里，勇士队已经表现出愿意为球星放手一搏，消息人士称，这一点并没有改变。
很明显：目前没有哪个可以通过交易获得的球员能够改变金州勇士队的命运，足以让他们冲进西部前六。
勇士队愿意等到一个真正的改变者出现，而不是采取太阳队正在采取的方法。虽然他们可以进行类似于上个月从布鲁克林得到丹尼斯·施罗德(Dennis Schroder)那样的交易，但他们几乎没有表现出任何进行更大规模交易的意愿。
在巴黎的另一支球队是NBA最火热的球队之一
温德霍斯特(Windhorst)： 印第安纳步行者队本周带了一架载有200多人的飞机来到巴黎。他们认为这些人是法国唯一对他们获胜感兴趣的人。巴黎的比赛无疑是文班和他的马刺队的展示舞台，挤满雅高体育馆的观众大多穿着银黑色球衣。
但步行者队自1月1日以来取得的八场胜利并列第二多，就最近的表现而言，他们是头条新闻。尽管周四以140分惨败给马刺，但他们一直由防守引领，在同期排名联盟第四。在赛季的前10周，他们的防守排名第23位。
原因没有什么秘密。他们从伤病中找回了侧翼球员安德鲁·内姆哈德(Andrew Nembhard)和亚伦·内史密斯(Aaron Nesmith)，并且在外线立刻变得更加强硬和更有深度。
泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿(Tyrese Haliburton)，尽管他上周因为总是令人担忧的腿筋问题缺席了一场比赛，但正处于他赛季中投篮和助攻的最佳阶段。所有这些因素共同促成了步行者队在东部联盟排名上升至第五位。
在内部，他们认为他们再次出人意料地进入季后赛的最佳策略，部分在于消耗对手。目前排名第七的高速进攻和积极的防守风格可以产生积极的影响。
步行者队的教练们也称赞了帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆(Pascal Siakam)，他一场比赛都没有缺席，并且正处于他职业生涯中投篮最好的赛季。印第安纳，在一年前的这个时候交易得到了西亚卡姆，去年夏天愿意给他一份四年1.9亿美元的顶薪续约合同，这是多伦多猛龙队努力留住他的一个绊脚石。随着西亚卡姆场均得到20.1分，三分球命中率41%，还有7.3个篮板和3.4次助攻，现在关于这个决定的疑问更少了。
迈阿密另一项阵容变化
邦坦普斯(Bontemps)： 在过去的几周里，人们可以理解地关注吉米·巴特勒的事件，但周日下午发生的一项举动，对于球队的长期未来而言，可以说更为重要。那就是热火队主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉(Erik Spoelstra)让新秀中锋凯莱尔·莱特(Kel’el Ware)在对阵马刺队的比赛下半场首发出场，最终热火队大胜对手。
“它奏效了，”斯波尔斯特拉笑着说，当被问及为什么他在那场比赛的下半场让7英尺的莱特和另一位大个子巴姆·阿德巴约(Bam Adebayo)一起出场时。“我们正在努力做出许多复杂的决定。如果有明显的事情，而且它在很大程度上奏效，那就去做吧。”
虽然“复杂的决定”这句话让人想起了斯波尔斯特拉几天前在赛前对媒体的讲话，但迈阿密在下半场让莱特出场的事实——然后在周二输给波特兰的比赛和周四输给密尔沃基的比赛中再次这样做——表明球队至少部分地将注意力转向了未来。
莱特打出了他在早期职业生涯中对阵文班的最佳比赛：25分、8个篮板、2次助攻和2次盖帽。在输给波特兰的比赛中，他又得到了20分、15个篮板和2次盖帽。
“对他来说，没有比这更好的组织了，”一位西部联盟球探谈到莱特在迈阿密的适应性时说。
凭借巨大的身材、流畅的运动能力和敏捷性，以及看起来非常舒服的三分球，莱特拥有成为阿德巴约在迈阿密前场的出色长期搭档的技能。
“你当然可以看到他们如何一起打球，”一位东部联盟高管说。
点击查看原文：NBA trade deadline intel - Suns, Bucks among most desperate to make deal
NBA trade deadline intel - Suns, Bucks among most desperate to make deal
This is the time of the NBA season when desperation can begin to permeate front offices.
With two weeks until the Feb. 6 trade deadline, concerns about job security, contracts and playoff positioning start to apply a squeeze. Contenders of varying levels show just how motivated they are to push in their chips, while some start making plans to capitalize on both the flexibility and star power of this summer’s free agency period.
With that in mind, here’s what we’re hearing about nine teams that league decision-makers have flagged as potential players in the stretch run of trade season – and how desperate each is to swing a deal.
We’ll dive into that, plus break down the new starting lineup in Miami and deliver boots-on-the-ground reporting from the league’s first two-game series in Paris between Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers.
Jump to intel:\
**Which teams are desperate for a trade?\
Windy in Paris: Don’t sleep on the Pacers\
Amid Butler drama, one Miami rookie shines**
Desperate for a deal? Where nine teams check in
Phoenix Suns
Desperation level: Extremely high
Phoenix, fighting for positioning in the West play-in race, showed just how desperate it is by trading its unprotected 2031 first-round pick for three lower-value firsts: either the 29th or 30th pick in this year’s draft, plus the worst of Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota’s picks in both the 2027 and 2029 drafts.
Tuesday’s deal gave the Suns some flexibility in their dealings now but at the cost of mortgaging their future even further. Maybe doing so will help get Jimmy Butler to Phoenix – sources said landing the 35-year-old forward remains the team’s top objective.
But the 2031 pick had real value around the league – “In my opinion, [it’s] the most valuable asset on the market right now,” Utah general manager Justin Zanik said Wednesday during the Jazz-Thunder broadcast – making it hard to envision how this deal increases the likelihood that the Suns can turn Bradley Beal and his no-trade clause into Butler.
Milwaukee Bucks
Desperation level: High
The Bucks have been active this trade season, sources said, with Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton all expected to be available in potential moves to bring back an impact player. Like Phoenix did, the Bucks have only their 2031 first-round pick to trade, but they also need to shed around $6.5 million in a deal to get below the second apron to be able to combine players in a trade.
As the Bucks have shown going back to when they made the Damian Lillard trade last year, they are determined to maximize every bit of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s title window. And, with Antetokounmpo playing at an MVP level again this season, Milwaukee is hoping it can make upgrades over the next couple of weeks to challenge the Cavaliers, Celtics and Knicks atop the conference – against whom the Bucks are 0-8 this season.
Miami Heat
Desperation level: Medium
Sources on both sides of the Butler saga say there’s motivation to get a deal done between now and the deadline. The Heat have had conversations with other teams, but so far, the offers coming in haven’t included what Miami is looking for: players who can help now, young talent, draft capital and salary that expires by the summer of 2026.
While we haven’t seen free agency play a big factor in the league in recent years, that summer could see stars such as Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr. become unrestricted free agents. With the salary cap starting to rise in the wake of the league’s new television deal, there’s at least the possibility of next summer boasting multiple big-name players changing teams. The Heat are trying to position themselves to land one.
But there is a real chance this uncomfortable situation extends into the summer. At that point, there will be more paths to find a deal for a player with Butler’s salary, as well as more teams willing to engage on a blockbuster.
New York Knicks
Desperation level: Medium
While the Knicks are on pace to win 50 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in 30 years and have their best chance in a generation to break a 52-year title drought, a season-long topic of conversation around the Knicks has been the heavy minutes for New York’s starters. Four of them are in the top five in total minutes played – Mikal Bridges (1st), Josh Hart (2nd), OG Anunoby (3rd), Jalen Brunson (5th) – while Karl-Anthony Towns is 23rd. Part of that comes down to their availability: Bridges, Hart, Anunoby and Brunson have combined to miss two games, and Towns has missed only five.
But while that has reignited long-standing debates over coach Tom Thibodeau’s penchant for leaning on his main players, it also has highlighted New York’s lack of depth, something the Knicks were prepared to deal with when they chose to acquire Towns on the eve of training camp.
The one real path to changing that, according to sources, is injured center Mitchell Robinson – either by his return to the court after he has missed the entire season so far with foot and ankle issues, or by his inclusion in a trade.
Memphis Grizzlies
Desperation level: Medium
The Grizzlies have vaulted back into contention after injuries derailed them a season ago, as general manager Zack Kleiman has assembled quality depth around star guard Ja Morant.
But that hasn’t stopped Memphis from working the phones ahead of the deadline. The Grizzlies inquired about Dorian Finney-Smith with the Brooklyn Nets, and both sides had extensive talks before Brooklyn ultimately did a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Memphis has the combination of draft capital and midtier salaries – players such as Marcus Smart ($20 million), Luke Kennard ($9 million) and John Konchar ($6 million) – to get deals done.
The Grizzlies are lurking in Butler trade talks, sources said, and have been in contact with the Heat during the process. Rival league executives believe Memphis is trying to combine a talent influx with offloading some future salary so it can facilitate a contract extension for Jaren Jackson Jr. as early as this summer.
Butler, meanwhile, has made it known that he could opt out of his contract this summer and seek free agency. Sources have theorized that if the Grizzlies can acquire him for a playoff run and also free cap space this summer, that’s where their interests might lie.
Chicago Bulls
Desperation level: Medium
Several executives who have spoken to the Bulls this month have described their motivation as “seeking change.” But what does that actually mean?
At a minimum, it would serve as a dramatic shift after three years of trade deadline inactivity. The Bulls have a top-10 protected pick that they owe the San Antonio Spurs, but they currently sit three games “ahead” of the Spurs – and four ahead of the Heat, Suns and Golden State Warriors – in the loss column, and are in the ninth spot overall.
No one, for example, would have realistically had the Philadelphia 76ers sitting below the Bulls in the standings this late into the season, but it’s hard to see the Bulls putting that pick in danger by leapfrogging the teams in front of them.
The Bulls have also made it known they will take offers on both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, sources said, with LaVine being linked to various permutations of extremely complicated multiteam Butler trades and Vucevic being linked to the Warriors and others, according to our ESPN colleague Shams Charania.
Brooklyn Nets
Desperation level: Medium
For a team in asset acquisition mode, Brooklyn has yet to move the player whom league decision-makers have labeled as the most likely to be traded over the next two weeks: forward Cameron Johnson.
Johnson has both a reasonable contract (roughly $65 million over the next three seasons) and is having a career season (19.4 points per game with 41.9% from 3). Johnson has been sitting an awful lot over the past couple of weeks with an ankle issue, a move that seems both very protective and very convenient, from opposing teams’ perspectives.
Sources said, however, that the Nets’ price for Johnson’s services remains high – and that they’ll be content to hang on to him if that price isn’t met. That is something Brooklyn has shown a willingness to do before – Dorian Finney-Smith, for example, had been a potential trade target for the past year before eventually being traded to the Lakers last month, albeit for second-round picks.
Los Angeles Lakers
Desperation level: Low
For the second straight season, the Lakers’ two stars have been remarkably healthy – missing a combined six games. But they still find themselves 2.5 games out of 11th place in the West.
While Charania reported Wednesday that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are “concerned” about the team’s ability to make roster upgrades, James himself outlined the reality of what the team might be able to do about it after Sunday’s blowout loss to the crosstown-rival Clippers.
“That’s how our team is constructed,” James said. “We don’t have room for error – for much error.”
The Lakers’ recent discussions with teams show little sign of aggression, sources say, and those actions speak to their concern level about their stars at the moment. The Lakers have shown a reticence to put their future first-round picks into trades in recent seasons, and there’s no indication that position has shifted.
Moving D’Angelo Russell actually made it more difficult for the Lakers to swing a bigger deal because it removed a large expiring salary from their books. It seems more likely that if a trade does materialize, it will be along the lines of another smaller move like the one they made for Finney-Smith.
Golden State Warriors
Desperation level: Low
What is the desperation level for the 11th-place Warriors? Just ask Stephen Curry.
“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done,” Curry said recently. "Doesn’t mean that you’re not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean that you’re not active. …
“Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But it doesn’t mean that you’re desperate just flinging assets all around the place just because you want to do something.”
Would Golden State love to make a big impact move now? Of course. Over the past decade, the Warriors have shown a willingness to make a swing for a star, and sources have said that hasn’t changed.
What is clear: There is no player available via trade right now who will change Golden State’s fortunes enough to spark a run into the West’s top six.
Rather than the approach the Suns are taking, the Warriors are willing to wait until a true difference-maker becomes available. While they could make a move similar to the one that brought them Dennis Schroder from Brooklyn last month, they’ve shown little inclination to do anything bigger.
The other team in Paris is one of the hottest in the NBA
Windhorst: The Indiana Pacers brought a plane with more than 200 people in their traveling party to Paris this week. They believe those are the only people in France who have any interest in them winning. The Paris games are unquestionably a showcase for Wembanyama and his Spurs, and the crowds packing the Accor Arena have mostly been wearing silver and black.
But the Pacers, whose eight wins are tied for the second most since Jan. 1, are the headliner when it comes to their recent play. Despite giving up 140 to the Spurs in a rout Thursday, they’ve been led by their defense, which ranked fourth in the league in that span. The defense had ranked 23rd over the first 10 weeks of the season.
There is no secret to why. They got wings Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith back from injury and instantly became more physical and deeper on the perimeter.
Tyrese Haliburton, though he missed a game last week with an always-concerning hamstring issue, is having the best shooting and assisting stretch of his season. All this together has contributed to the Pacers’ rise to No. 5 in the East.
Internally, they believe their best strategy to make another surprising playoff run is, in part, wearing out their opponents. The high-speed offense, currently ranked seventh in pace, and aggressive style on defense can have a positive effect.
Pacers coaches have also credited Pascal Siakam, who hasn’t missed a game and is having the best shooting season of his career. Indiana, which traded for Siakam a year ago this week, was willing to give him a four-year, $190 million max extension last summer, a stumbling block for Toronto’s efforts to keep him. With Siakam scoring 20.1 points a game on 41% 3-point shooting with 7.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, there are fewer questions now about that decision.
The other lineup change in Miami
Bontemps: There has been an understandable focus on the Jimmy Butler saga over the past several weeks, but arguably a more consequential move when it comes to the long-term future of the franchise occurred Sunday afternoon. That’s when Heat coach Erik Spoelstra started rookie center Kel’el Ware for the second half of what became a blowout win against the Spurs.
“It was working,” Spoelstra said with a smile, when asked why he went with the 7-foot Ware and fellow big man Bam Adebayo together for the second half of that game. “There’s a lot of complex decisions that we’re trying to make. If there’s something that’s obvious, and it’s working in a big way, let’s do it.”
While the “complex decisions” line was a call back to Spoelstra’s pregame speech to the media a couple of days earlier, the fact Miami went with Ware in the second half of that game – then again in Tuesday’s loss to Portland and in Thursday’s loss to Milwaukee – is an indication of the team turning its attention, at least partially, to the future.
Ware played the game of his early career against Wembanyama: 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. He followed that with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks in the loss to Portland.
“There’s not a better organization for him to have gone to than that one,” a Western Conference scout said of Ware’s fit in Miami.
With a huge frame, smooth athleticism and agility and a very comfortable-looking 3-point shot, Ware has the skills to be an outstanding long-term complement to Adebayo in Miami’s frontcourt.
“You certainly can see how they can play together,” an Eastern Conference executive said.
By Tim Bontemps, Brian Windhorst | ESPN, via ESPN