NBA

Miami Heat center Kevin Love "has made it clear" he plans to return for the 2025-26 NBA season, according to the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds.

The Heat's first-round elimination by the Cleveland Cavaliers marked the end of Love's 17th NBA season and third with Miami.

He has one year remaining on his contract and is set to hit unrestricted free agency ahead of his age-38 campaign.

Love, who joined the Heat after his buyout by the Cleveland Cavaliers and went to start for the Heat during the team's 2023 run to the NBA Finals, re-signed on a two-year deal ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Injuries and personal reasons limited him to 23 games this season. When available, he averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists while playing 10.9 minutes per game, mostly off the bench.

Love missed most of the final month of the Heat's season to be with his father, Stan Love, who recently died at age 76.

When discussing the impact of Love's absence during the Heat's postseason run, Bam Adebayo said Saturday that the team "could use his voice," per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Love previously told the Herald's Barry Jackson in March that he "wasn't ready yet" for a bench role when seeking his buyout from the Cavaliers in 2023, but that he now has an "understanding of his role."

"I want to keep pouring into this team and doing whatever I can. Stay ready, and if I do or do not get time, I’m going to keep being a mentor or sounding board," Love told Jackson.

Love continued, “I’m trying to create a really great ecosystem here where we can celebrate each other, celebrate small wins, and build guys up."

Adebayo said after the Heat's first-round sweep by the Cavaliers, he expects "a lot of changes this summer." If Love is sticking around, Miami will likely look for him to take on a similar mentorship role amid what is likely to be roster turnover.

Love began his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and spent nine seasons in Cleveland, where he helped lead the franchise to the 2016 NBA title. He said the Cavaliers have informed him his jersey will be retired following his playing career, per Withers. It sounds like the Cavs will need to wait at least one more season to raise No. 0 to the rafters.

Even though Jalen Green's shot remains a work-in progress for the Houston Rockets, Fred VanVleet is extremely confident in the 23-year-old's potential to play at an All-Star level.

Speaking to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, VanVleet hyped up Green by comparing his upside to that of Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker:

"I don't know if you can go get another 2 guard with the upside or the talent level. [Anthony Edwards] maybe in Minnesota. I don't know, does Book have more talent than Jalen or is he more skilled and more polished and more experienced and older? ... I don't know what Jalen will look like when he's 26, 27, 28 after playoff series. And that's the upside, where it's like potential can get a little intoxicating. He has the talent. There's no reason for him not to reach that level. He's got to go through it; he's got to fail."

Green's first postseason experience has been a microcosm of the good and bad in his game. His best performance against the Golden State Warriors was a 38-point outing in Houston's 109-94 victory in Game 2.

In the three games around that one, though, Green has scored a combined total of 24 points on 10-of-34 shooting (2-of-14 from three-point range).

There were positive signs of progress with Green's shooting touch this season. He made a career-high 35.4 percent of his attempts behind the arc, while leading the Rockets in scoring average with 21.0 points per game.

Green's efficiency still leaves a lot to be desired. He ranked 164th out of 185 qualified guards with a 54.4 true shooting percentage.

Booker is an interesting player to compare with Green because his career got off to a slow start. The Phoenix Suns star shot just 43.7 percent from the field and 35.4 percent behind the arc during his first four seasons.

Since the 2019-20 season, Booker has been one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. He has averaged 26.5 points on 48.0 percent shooting (35.4 percent from three) with four All-Star selections over the past six seasons.

Green will be entering his age-23 season in 2025-26 having shot 42.2 percent overall and 34.2 percent behind the arc in his first four seasons.

Expecting a Booker-level leap from Green is unfair, but the Rockets bet on his ceiling four years ago when they made him the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

It's also interesting that VanVleet mentioned Booker since he has been linked to the Rockets as a potential trade target if they flame out in the playoffs and Phoenix decides to start looking toward the long-term future.

Suns governor Mat Ishbia has said in no uncertain terms he won't trade Booker, so it could be a moot point for Houston.

If a Booker trade were to materialize, Green would almost certainly have to be involved both for financial purposes and to give the Suns an established young player with the upside to be a star.

Of course, if the Rockets truly believe Green can reach his full potential, they might not be ready to give up on him this summer. It's not uncommon for a young player in his first postseason to struggle, then come back the following year even better.

While there will be plenty of time for the Rockets to think about the future, their immediate outlook is focused on extending their season. They trail the Warriors 3-1 and will host Game 5 on Wednesday needing a win to stay alive.

Tyler Herro says his reported comments about needing Jimmy Butler before the Miami Heat's Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday were taken out of context.

Herro wrote in a Wednesday post on his Instagram story that he had been asked a question "in the timeframe of Jan-Feb when the 'Jimmy saga' was happening."

"I said I had came into the season thinking I was playing off of Jimmy, to him getting [traded] and I had to switch my mindset from needing Jimmy to me being the lead guy, and I spoke about the things I learned from JB," Herro wrote. "Never said I need anyone to win games."

Herro was quoted in a Saturday article by The Athletic's Jared Weiss as saying: “Obviously, I know I need Jimmy to win. If we had Jimmy right now, I feel like it’d be a completely different situation. We probably wouldn’t even be the eighth seed. So finding that middle balance of like, damn, we need him, but also understanding, s--t, that’s his career and what he wants is ultimately his right to want what he wants. It was just tough to be in the middle of both sides.”

The Heat were eliminated from the 2025 playoffs on Monday night with a Game 4 blowout by the Cavaliers.

Herro was held to four points on 1-of-10 shooting in the 138-83 defeat, which marked the biggest margin of loss in a series-clinching game in NBA playoff history.

That same night, Butler posted a team-high 27 points for the Golden State Warriors as the Warriors took a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets.

Butler was traded to the Warriors in February after a contentious split with the Heat that led to him receiving multiple suspensions from the team before the move.

The paths of the Heat and Warriors have diverged since the trade. Butler became a fit with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and Golden State climbed the Western Conference standings with a 23-8 record since the trade.

The Heat finished the season 12-20 after the Butler trade, slipping down to the No. 8 seed in the East and setting themselves on track for a matchup with the top-seeded Cavaliers.

The early exit leaves Miami with a series of key roster decisions to make this offseason, including a potential extension for Herro. The guard is eligible to sign a three-year, $150 million max deal between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20. If he waits another year, he would be eligible for a four-year, $207 million deal in 2026, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

With the possibility of an extension on the line, Herro is likely looking to cement his status as the Heat's top player heading into next season. He helped himself in that regard by averaging a career-high 23.9 points and 35.4 minutes per night through 77 games of his sixth NBA season.

Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone suggested Wednesday that if he were to make a blockbuster trade this offseason, it would have to check a lot of boxes for him and the team as a whole.

When asked by ESPN's Tim MacMahon about the possibility of swinging a huge deal, Stone said, "It's a very high bar to do a transaction that changes things."

The Rockets finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record this season and earned their first playoff appearance since the 2019-20 campaign.

Most of Houston's top contributors this season are 23 or younger, including Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Cam Whitmore. That doesn't even include rookie Reed Sheppard, who played a limited role off the bench after the Rockets selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

Houston also got major contributions from veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, but youth ruled the day for the Rockets this season.

While it wouldn't be unreasonable for the Rockets to largely keep the same roster together and expect the young players to progress even more next season, the result of their first-round playoff series could conceivably shape that decision.

The Rockets trail the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors 3-1 in their series ahead of Wednesday's Game 5.

Golden State is a veteran-laden team led by Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, and the Warriors have thrived in big moments because of that.

Should the Warriors eliminate the Rockets, it may be worth it for Stone to consider a trade for an established veteran superstar. The most obvious target might be Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.

All signs point toward the Suns rebuilding this offseason after missing the playoffs, and Durant is their biggest trade chip.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported two weeks ago that there is a "level of mutual interest" between Durant and the Rockets, which comes as little surprise.

The Rockets could provide Durant with the chance to compete for another championship, while KD could be the missing piece for Houston since he is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.

Even at the age of 36, Durant is still a highly productive player, as he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season.

To acquire Durant, the Rockets would likely have to part with draft capital and at least one or two of their promising young players. But if they believe they are just one big piece away from a championship, it could be a risk worth taking.

The confrontation between Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton's father after Tuesday's Game 5 reportedly wasn't the first time that the elder statesman stepped out of line.

During Wednesday's episode of First Take, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reported that John Haliburton has been the subject of complaints to the NBA for quite some time now (6:30 mark of video below).

"Agents have complained about him. Other players have complained to the league about him," Smith said. "Call the league office. They have complained about him."

After Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning layup in the Pacers' 119-118 overtime win over the Bucks to close out the first-round playoff series 4-1, John Haliburton approached Antetokounmpo on the court to brag about the victory. Antetokounmpo responded in kind and exchanged words with John Haliburton in a video that immediately went viral on social media.

In the aftermath, Antetokounmpo criticized the elder Haliburton for being "disrespectful" in his celebration. Tyrese Haliburton also made it clear that he didn't condone his father's actions, saying, "I don't think my pops was in the right at all there." John Haliburton tweeted an apology to Antetokounmpo as well:

Smith explained that John Haliburton is no stranger to overstepping his bounds, whether he's defending his son to the media or otherwise.

"Everybody in the league knows he talks a lot of smack about his son. All the time. Everybody in the league knows that most times it's unsolicited. A lot of times, he's not clapping back at people who said something about his son," Smith said. "He's clapping at people about his son who never talked about his son. Who never said a negative word about his son. So we got to take that."

Smith went on to add that while John Haliburton's passion for the game is unquestioned, he needs to understand when he crosses the line.

"He is one of those individuals, no matter how much of a great man he may be, and unquestionably a great father who dearly loves his son," Smith said. "Because of that, there is an extra level of bravado he has exercised where I spoke to the legal office this morning. You've had some people. They've heard a lot about some of the things that he has said to players and others. Agents have called complaining about him."

The Houston Rockets are reportedly expected to explore a trade for a superstar-caliber player during the upcoming offseason, but it sounds like one of their key players is off the table in any potential negotiations.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that even though "a blockbuster trade would require the Rockets to give up some of that young talent," the team "has made it known to other front offices" that second-year wing Amen Thompson is "considered untouchable."

The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Thompson has already established himself as a dominant force on the defensive end. His offensive skills have shown signs of progress as well, as he surpassed the 20-point mark 14 times this year and finished the regular season with averages of 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks across 69 games with 42 starts.

After finishing second in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record, the Rockets are on the brink of elimination from the playoffs after falling into a 3-1 hole in their first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. A disappointing playoff exit could be the impetus for Houston to pursue a blockbuster deal for a big-name player this summer.

Stars like Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson have been the subject of trade rumors heading into the offseason, so the Rockets could try to enter the market for one of them.

However, it appears that the one player that Houston will be unwilling to give up in exchange for any of those players is Thompson.

After the Milwaukee Bucks fell in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year, many are wondering about star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the franchise.

However, ESPN's Jamal Collier reported that there's a belief that Antetokounmpo would be content to stay with the Bucks and continue his partnership with star guard Damian Lillard.

"Multiple sources have indicated to ESPN throughout the season that Antetokounmpo remains happy in Milwaukee, that he deeply respects Lillard and was pleased with the progress they made as a duo this season, when they were the highest-scoring twosome in the NBA, averaging 58.4 points per game, and helped rally Milwaukee from 2-8 to win the Emirates NBA Cup in December," Collier stated.

Milwaukee's season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion on Tuesday night when Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton converted a game-winning layup in overtime to secure a 119-118 victory in Game 5, closing out the first-round series 4-1.

Antetokounmpo did all he could to try to keep the season alive for the Bucks, dropping 30 points, 20 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals and two blocks. However, the loss left him dissatisfied despite his epic performance.

"It doesn't feel good, man," Antetokounmpo said after the game. "It doesn't feel good. I just got to look myself in the mirror and I just have to be better. I have to be better."

After winning the NBA championship in 2021, the Bucks have gone just 1-4 in postseason series. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2022, but they haven't won a playoff series since.

Milwaukee had hoped that acquiring Lillard prior to the 2023-24 campaign would pay dividends, but untimely injuries derailed those dreams. Antetokounmpo was sidelined during last year's playoffs, and Lillard suffered a torn Achilles in Game 4 against the Pacers this year that puts his status for the 2025-26 campaign in serious jeopardy.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Bucks, Antetokounmpo refused to answer whether he thinks he will be forced to chase his second championship ring elsewhere.

"I'm not going to do this," Antetokounmpo said. "I'm not going to do that. I know how it's going to translate. I don't know, man. I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back and working out. I don't know."

The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo expect to meet after the team's playoff elimination "to discuss both his future and the future plans for the team," according to ESPN's Shams Charania (h/t ESPN's Jamal Collier.)

Collier notes that this is an annual meeting, but one that "carries a different tone" after the Bucks' Game 5 elimination by the Indiana Pacers.

Antetokounmpo put up 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists on Tuesday night, but was unable to carry a Bucks team missing an injured Damian Lillard to a season-extending victory.

The Bucks have been eliminated from the first round in three straight seasons, including twice to the Pacers.

According to Collier, "Multiple sources have indicated to ESPN throughout the season that Antetokounmpo remains happy in Milwaukee, that he deeply respects Lillard and was pleased with the progress they made as a duo this season."

Lillard's injury status calls into question when Antetokounmpo can expect to play with his star teammate again— and when this team can expect to contend for its first deep playoff run since the franchise's 2021 title win.

In Game 4, Lillard suffered a torn left Achilles. It takes NBA players an average of 10 months to recover from similar injuries, per ESPN's Stephania Bell.

That puts Lillard's availability for the 2025-26 season in jeopardy, and that's the final campaign during which he is locked in with Milwaukee. Lillard currently holds a player option for the 2026-27.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo has two more years under contract with the Bucks before he could potentially opt out of his own 2027-28 player option.

Antetokounmpo will be heading into his age-33 season by the time his current contract expires. He has said repeatedly, and as recently as just before the Bucks' five-game playoff run, that his priority is to win a second championship.

Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers after 11 seasons in part because he wants to contend for a title.

Bucks fans will now wait to see if the team's uncertain future leads to a similar push from Antetokounmpo.

Former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry divulged Wednesday that his decision to sell his stake in the team in 2023 was partially influenced by superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's unclear future with the organization.

Speaking to Front Office Sports, Lasry said cost was a factor in his decision, as was Antetokounmpo, adding: "The team was getting older and would Giannis stay?"

Lasry first became part owner of the Bucks in 2014, and shortly after watching Giannis lead the Bucks to the second championship in franchise history in 2021, he sold his 25 percent stake in the team to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.

Although there were questions about Giannis' loyalty to the Bucks in the past, he signed a five-year, $228.2 million extension in 2020, followed by a three-year, $175.37 million extension in 2023.

However, Antetokounmpo is only guaranteed to be under contract for two more seasons before a player option emerges for the 2027-28 campaign.

With Giannis leading the way, the Bucks have reached the playoffs in nine straight seasons, and he has been a dominant force individually with nine All-Star selections, two NBA MVP Awards and one NBA Finals MVP Award to his credit.

Playoff success has been hard to come by for Milwaukee since winning a championship, though, as the Bucks got knocked out in the second round in 2022, followed by three consecutive first-round exits.

In hopes of extending their championship window, the Bucks acquired superstar guard Damian Lillard in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers prior to the 2023-24 season.

Antetokounmpo missed the 2024 playoffs due to injuries, though, leading to a first-round exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

Lillard then missed the start of the Bucks' first-round series against the Pacers in this year's playoffs, and he tore his Achilles in Game 4, putting his status for the 2025-26 season in question.

Indiana closed Milwaukee out in Game 5 on Tuesday, leading to plenty of commentary regarding the possibility of the Bucks' days as championship contenders being numbered.

Lillard could potentially miss all of next season and center Brook Lopez is set to hit free agency during the offseason and Bobby Portis has a player option, leaving the Bucks with a core of Giannis and Kyle Kuzma.

Unless Giannis is able to carry the team, that may not even be enough to reach the playoffs next season, so it could be time for both Giannis and the Bucks to consider their future.

Giannis is still a force at 30 years of age, so he figures to command a massive return on the trade market. That would perhaps be the best thing for the Bucks' future, but immediate interest in the Bucks would plummet, which may speak to Lasry having impeccable timing with regard to his decision to sell.

Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton proved a point to the rest of the NBA by leading his team past the Milwaukee Bucks with a game-winning bucket in Tuesday's Game 5 to close out their first-round playoff series.

After the game, Haliburton, who was voted the league's most overrated player in The Athletic's annual player poll, took to social media with a brief message that was reminiscent of the late, great Kobe Bryant:

Bryant memorably had a similar message 12 years ago after he dominated the Dallas Mavericks following comments from their former majority owner Mark Cuban that suggested the Los Angeles Lakers use the amnesty clause on him:

Haliburton led the Pacers with 26 points and nine assists while adding five rebounds, three steals and three blocks in Tuesday night's 119-118 overtime win. He converted a go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give Indiana the victory after a wild sequence:

The Athletic's anonymous player poll had 90 players respond to the "most overrated player" question. Haliburton received 14.4 percent of the votes, finishing well ahead of Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (10.0 percent) and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (8.9 percent). Still, Haliburton didn't allow the results of the poll to affect his mindset as he tries to lead the Pacers through the postseason.

"I must be doing something right if that’s the case," Haliburton said of the poll last week, per The Athletic's James Boyd. "I don’t have a big speech or comment on it. All I care about is this locker room and winning games, and we’re in position to go to Milwaukee and continue this series on. … I know who I am. I’m confident in my own skin and not worried what anybody thinks."

This marks the second straight year that Haliburton led the Pacers past the Central Division rival Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. After being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Indiana will surely be motivated to have a better finish this time around.

Haliburton and the Pacers will try to pull off a monumental upset when they face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.