The PJ Tucker and Miami Heat reunion lasted less than 14 hours as he was traded for Davion Mitchell of the Toronto Raptors.
The Heat traded Tucker, a second-round pick, and cash considerations for Mitchell, dropping the Heat below the first apron.
Mitchell averaged 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on 43.4 percent shooting and 35.9 percent from three-point range with the Raptors.
His playstyle is similar to Dru Smith, who had a breakout season for the Heat before tearing his achilles earlier in the year. Without Smith, the Heat lost a major defensive piece to their team and one of their only point-of-attack defenders.
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The Heat’s defense has been inconsistent since Smith went down, and Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins are great additions under Erik Spoelstra’s system. He has led the Heat to being ranked top 10 in defense in seven of his last eight seasons.
Mitchell is a restricted free agent and can be a long-term piece after this season if they choose to resign the fourth-year guard.
MIAMI HEAT BROADCASTERS SHARE FINAL THOUGHTS ON JIMMY BUTLER’S HISTORIC TENURE
After Jimmy Butler once said he would like to retire with the Miami Heat, his tenure with the team ended as he was traded to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday.
The news broke during the Heat’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, so many couldn’t share their final thoughts during the game. John Crotty and Eric Reid spoke afterward to give their opinions on Butler’s historic run with the franchise.
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Reid began first sharing his view of the situation and how, despite the success, it was unfortunate how things ended between Butler and the Heat.
“The Jimmy Butler journey has ended with Miami,” Reid said. “Butler has been traded to the Golden State Warriors. The details will get flushed out overnight, and we’ll find out who is staying and who is going. But we know Jimmy Butler’s time in Miami has ended. I just want to say this about Butler. History and time will pass on. He will go down as one of the great players in franchise history, but it was a difficult, sad, and sort of ugly ending. But it’s over now, and that clarity is good for everybody.”
Crotty finished their farewell sentiments by comparing his experience as a former player being traded and how both the Heat and Butler can move on with their futures.
“I think the clarity is important,” Crotty explained. “As a former player, the perspective is you feel like okay. Now, we can move forward. He’s not coming back. There’s the ability now to understand these are the players that we have, and the coaching staff is going to embrace us. There’s a youthful feel with guys like Kel’el Ware coming into the mix. You see a reinvigoration in Bam Adebayo, who’s moved to the four spot. And he’s playing his best basketball now with Kel’el. And I think it’s exciting for what can potentially transpire.”
HEAT VS. SIXERS TAKEAWAYS: MIAMI HEAT’S YOUNG CORE FLOURISHED IN A VICTORY
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The Miami Heat (25-24) start the post-Jimmy Butler era undefeated, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers (20-30) 108-101.
Here’s a look at four major takeaways from the matchup:
1. Tyler Herro shakes off two inefficient games with another 30-point game.
Herro finished with 30 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists on 55 percent shooting and 45.5 percent from three-point range. This was his 11th 30-point game of the season. Without Butler, Herro remains the Heat’s primary scorer as teams start their defensive coverages with him being their main priority.
2. Bam Adebayo continues his surge back into All-Star form.
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Adebayo finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists on 50 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Although he ended his streak of four consecutive games, scoring at least 20 points, he was still largely impactful on the boards. He is three double-doubles away from being the Heat’s franchise leader in this category. Another reason for his recent success is his mid-range shot has been pure and consistent.
3. Nikola Jovic is continuing his breakout season in every aspect.
Jovic finished with 23 points, five rebounds, and seven assists on 88.9 percent shooting and 75 percent from three-point range. This is back-to-back games with at least 20 points on 70 percent shooting. He has become a very consistent shooter and a reliable playmaker when he has the ball in his hands. He has only missed four shots total over the last two games.
4. Terry Rozier redeemed himself after an awful game the night before.
After going 2-12 from the field against the Chicago Bulls and having fans question why he was still in the game, he bounced back significantly. Rozier finished with 20 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 47.1 percent shooting and 42.9 percent from three-point range. A major flaw of Rozier’s offense in several bad games this year, beyond his struggles from the perimeter, was his inability to convert on layups. This was not an issue for either tonight, as he got whatever he wanted against the Sixer’s defense.
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Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.
MIAMI – Fans, celebrities and media flocked to Nu Stadium on Saturday to experience opening night at Inter Miami CF’s brand new, soccer-specific venue.
The Herons were up for the occasion, throwing an epic housewarming party capped by a 2-2 comeback draw against Austin FC.
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Club legends Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez provided the goals that paced Miami to a dramatic start to life in their new home.
“Today, it’s clear that for the last 20 to 25 minutes, we took a lot of risks,” head coach Javier Mascherano told reporters post-match.
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“But we’re at home. We’re MLS [Cup] champions, and we have to show it.”
Electric atmosphere
The Herons went all out to make Nu Stadium’s opening match one to remember, christening their state-of-the-art Downtown Miami digs with fireworks and rousing pre-game speeches from co-owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham.
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Famed Miami resident and four-time Grammy Award winner Marc Anthony then belted out a stirring rendition of the national anthem, setting the stage for 90-plus minutes of non-stop chanting, cheering, and drumming from the sellout crowd of 26,700.
“It was beautiful. A sold-out crowd of people who made the effort to come and see us. And honestly, they cheered us from beginning to end,” said defender Maxi Falcón.
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“For them to welcome us like that, with today’s spectacle, it was beautiful for us.”
That electric atmosphere helped the Herons recover quickly from Guilherme Biro’s sixth-minute opener for Austin, with Messi responding four minutes later to score Miami’s first-ever goal at their new home with a precise header.
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A similar scenario played out in the second half, with fans spurring the Herons on as Suárez came off the bench to cancel out Jayden Nelson’s go-ahead strike by rifling home from close range in the 82nd minute.
Nu Stadium briefly erupted in pandemonium after Suárez appeared to score a last-gasp winner, only for the goal to be called off.
“On the field, you could definitely feel the atmosphere – especially when you score a goal to tie it up late,” said goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
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“We pushed for the winner as well, and we felt that the crowd was really with us and pushing and kind of suffocating them.”
World-class venue
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While Saturday’s draw wasn’t the result they wanted, Inter Miami can take pride in boasting one of the best sporting venues in the world, according to MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
“They’ve done the unthinkable. The stadium is spectacular, it’s breathtaking,” Garber said. “Jose and Jorge [Mas] spoke to me this morning and they said, ‘I wish I could be with you when you walk in because it will take your breath away.’ And it did. It’s absolutely spectacular.”
“It feels to me like a building that can rival any sports facility anywhere in the world. Not just soccer stadiums, but any sports building. I’m very proud of them.”
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For Mas, the venue that anchors the broader Miami Freedom Park project could launch the club to transformative heights.
“Today we’re home,” Mas told the crowd during his pre-game speech. “I think this is a personification of what’s possible. I think it’s an amazing stadium, an amazing environment.
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“And, listen, our goal is to lift trophies and win championships, and I think this will be a proper home to do that with and for our fans.”
Made in Miami
Saturday’s match carried extra meaning for Miami beyond the outcome.
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After six years playing 30 miles to the north in Fort Lauderdale, the Herons are now officially setting roots in Miami proper.
“[For the] fans to be able to have a permanent home where they know they’ll be here,” said St. Clair. “So I think for us, you just want to be able to reward the fans and give them wins and show them the effort. And be willing to do everything for the badge and for the club.”
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Beckham, who helped plant the seeds of Inter Miami over a decade ago, was especially proud.
“To see this stadium come to life after years and years of trying to get this stadium up and running in Miami is something very special,” said the England and LA Galaxy legend. “I came to America and the MLS 20 years ago and I made a lot of promises. And 13 years ago, I made a lot of promises again, announcing that I was coming to Miami.
“And today is just a dream come true for us.”
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In with the Nu
With Nu Stadium’s first match in the books, Inter Miami are looking to build on the legacy they’ve already created with MLS Cup 2025, 2024 Supporters’ Shield and Leagues Cup 2023 titles.
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“I think the favorite part is still to come,” said Mas. “Everything to now has been frankly extremely stressful, the last few months. But I think the culmination of lifting an MLS Cup, us together here in December, would be a great shining cap off to an amazing year.”
Miami’s players, meanwhile, are more focused on the short-term.
“We’re a little bitter about not taking all three points because we know we’re a strong team,” said Falcón.
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“…. We showed it last year, especially towards the end of the season. We have to get back to that, get our heads together and prepare well for our next game.”
A driver was detained in Northwest Miami-Dade on Saturday after being accused of striking a deputy’s vehicle during a fatal crash investigation, authorities said
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, at around 11:55 p.m. on Friday, a vehicle crashed into a tree on Northwest 135th Street and 57th Avenue, where it caught on fire.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the scene, extinguished the flames, and the driver was pronounced dead.
Their identity was not released.
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During the investigation, deputies blocked the intersection when a vehicle went through the intersection and struck a cruiser.
MDSO said the cruiser sustained damage, and the deputy had minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The driver was then detained.
No arrests have been made as the investigation remains active.
