Heat
The Heat remain in the mix for LeBron James, though team president Pat Riley admits he doesn’t know where things stand.
Speaking Thursday while introducing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Riley told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk that Miami has had productive conversations with James’ agent, Rich Paul, but acknowledged the waiting game continues.
“I don’t know, I’ll be honest with you,” Riley said. “Obviously, we’ve had conversations with Rich and they were very good.”
Riley then made one final recruiting pitch.
“If that happens and he wants to come to the ‘305,’ we got a golf course,” he said. “The weather’s nice. Steve Kerr, same thing down here. And there’s no state tax.”
Antetokounmpo echoed Riley’s enthusiasm, telling ESPN he’d be “very, very excited” to team up with James.
“He’s one of the best players to ever play this game, if not the best,” Antetokounmpo said. “(I’d) be able to learn so much from him.”
League sources continue to tell Hoops Wire that the Cavaliers remain the team many around the NBA believe has the inside track, though the Heat, 76ers and Warriors are very much in the mix.
Pistons
The Pistons may not be finished adding to their roster.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Detroit is considering a run at free-agent forward DeMar DeRozan once it gains more clarity on restricted free agent center Jalen Duren‘s contract situation.
The Pistons aren’t aggressively pursuing DeRozan at this point, Stein reported, but the veteran scorer remains under consideration as Detroit looks to add another offensive creator alongside Cade Cunningham.
DeRozan has also been linked to the Raptors, Lakers, Heat, Warriors and Trail Blazers, though Stein noted the market could come into sharper focus once LeBron James announces his free-agency decision.
Several teams pursuing James are expected to pivot quickly if they miss out.
International
Tyson Etienne is taking his game to Europe.
Paris Basketball announced it has signed the former Nets guard, who spent last season on a two-way contract with Brooklyn.
Etienne, 26, appeared in 24 NBA games in 2025-26, averaging 7.9 points while shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc.
He also enjoyed another productive season in the G League, averaging 16.3 points for Long Island.
The move marks Etienne’s first opportunity overseas as he joins a Paris club that competes in both France’s top domestic league and the EuroLeague.
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