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Speaking with ClutchPoints after the second day of Miami's training camp at Florida Atlantic University, Mitchell spoke about the expectations that he has for the team. While some may debate whether the team could avoid the play-in tournament or not, Mitchell's view is higher, feeling that they have what it takes to win a championship. “I mean, I think we expect a championship,” Mitchell said. “I think that getting to the Finals is our goal. We're not thinking about just getting out of the first round. That's not really our thing. We just try to win a championship, and we have the depth to do it. We have the players to do it, I mean, hopefully we can stay healthy and have a good run.”
Heat captain Bam Adebayo also makes sure to stay on top of Kel’el Ware, continuing to push for more from the ultra-athletic and skilled 21-year-old 7-footer. “I’m hard on Kel’el,” Adebayo said, with the Heat holding its second training camp practice at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton on Wednesday. “He probably looks at me like I’m crazy sometimes. Y’all don’t see it, but yelling and screaming in the gym and being somebody who wants more from him because he has so much potential.”
“It’s not as important as you all think, I will say that,” Herro said of potential final numbers, with the Heat opening training camp Tuesday at Florida Atlantic University. “It’s not that important to me. Being here is important — but being here at a respectable number, I should say. And for me, I have a number in my mind, as I did on the last contract extension. And that’s why I didn’t accept the max, because I wasn’t pressed on it, and I’m not pressed on it now. “And I feel like a lot of people have put out that it’s $50 million or nothing. And it’s not that. You know what I mean? And at the end of the day, I want to be here, as I’ve said. But it’s about respect at the end of the day. So we’ll see what happens.”
Elisburg made it out and is expected to be with the Heat for training camp practices at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton this week, but he’s endured a lot to get to this point. “When we got to the hospital, I was a mess,” recalls Elisburg, who is a Heat original employee of 37 years. “I’ve got an infection in my foot, an infection in my back, infection in my knee, infections throughout my body. It’s affecting my liver, affecting my kidneys. My kidney level was basically at dialysis level. There were a lot of things that were really wrong, and they began a bunch of surgeries.”
While questions remain regarding guard Terry Rozier’s future with the Miami Heat, the expectation is Rozier will be an active participant in Heat training camp next week. There have been internal discussions about the options the team has with Rozier’s contract and there have even been trade discussions involving Rozier this offseason. But the Heat’s plan, barring something unforeseen, is to begin training camp Tuesday at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton with Rozier on its roster, according to multiple league sources.
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Still, Spoelstra indicated that Larsson has earned a rotation role, which would be a step up from last season’s limited action. “We just want to have him as an all-around player,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat to open training camp Sept. 30 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. “Now, he’s a very smart player, he’s a heady player, very skilled. And so during summer league we just had him handle the ball for us, more for his player development. It’s not that we’re trying to turn him into a point guard. But the more skills he can add, it can help your team. “And he’s a physical player. We call him a bully with the basketball. He knows how to draw fouls. He knows how to get into the paint. He’s improving his passing. And we think with improved ballhandling, he’ll be able to take advantage of those skills even more.”
Jaquez has focused on getting in a better headspace after his frustrating second NBA season. He has spent most of the summer in the Los Angeles area, where he was born and raised. “I’m feeling great right now,” Jaquez said Saturday, with the Heat six weeks away from opening training camp on Sept. 30 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. “I’ve been doing a lot of work. I’ve been in Los Angeles just training every day and it’s been great. It’s been great to get away. It was good to be home for quite a significant period of time. But I’m feeling great, my head is in the right place. I’m just super excited to get this season started and go win some games.”
For the first time since Norman Powell was traded to the Miami Heat in early July, the veteran guard is in South Florida. But he’s in South Florida as a member of the Jamaican national team. With Jamaica’s men’s basketball team holding training camp at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton to prepare for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas pre-qualifiers, Powell has been in South Florida for more than a week. Powell will leave the country on Wednesday to play the first of Jamaica’s three FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas pre-qualifier games in Mexico on Friday against Barbados before facing Costa Rica on Saturday and Mexico on Sunday.
The Miami Heat on Wednesday formally announced the signing of former Florida Atlantic University center Vladislav Goldin to a two-way contract. Terms were not revealed, with an NBA source confirming to the Sun Sentinel that Goldin’s contract is for one season.
Artem Komarov: FAU center Vlad Goldin is declaring for the NBA Draft.
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Barry Jackson: Heat announces training camp will be at FAU Oct. 3 to 7. No Bahamas this year
The Heat continues to hold forward James Johnson out of contact work in practice as he recovers from May surgery to repair a sports hernia. But Johnson said he has participated in “all the 3-on-0, 5-on-0, fast break, defense against coaches” drills, which do not involve contact. “I’m feeling better,” Johnson said following Friday’s training camp practice at FAU. “I’m getting better every day. I’m getting stronger every day and I can’t wait to come back healthy.”
But as the days passed in July, the same thought kept running through Ellington’s head: “Why would you ever leave something that has been really good to you?” “I knew what I wanted,” Ellington said this week after a training camp practice at FAU. “The Heat have always expressed that they wanted me back. It was just a weird summer. The offer was on the table early. It was more of me and my agent kind of waiting it out and seeing what was going on.”