NBA Notes: Heat, Andrew Wiggins, Spurs, Thunder, Jalen Williams

Heat

After arriving from Golden State at the trade deadline, Andrew Wiggins spent the final stretch of last season trying to find his footing in Miami while battling minor injuries and adjusting to a new system without Jimmy Butler.

This summer, Wiggins made South Florida feel like home. He brought his family to live with him, spent the offseason around the facility, and worked to build chemistry with his new teammates, per The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.

“When I first got here, it was more so just trying to get situated,” Wiggins said. “Now, just getting a summer under my belt, being at the facility almost every day, being with the team, the coaches, any chance to build up that chemistry and be comfortable with the team and with what we have going on.”

That comfort level showed in Miami’s preseason opener against Orlando, where Wiggins scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 12 minutes. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said he’s pleased with the shape Wiggins is in and the opportunity he has to be “an impactful two-way player” after a full offseason with the Heat.

Spurs

Mitch Johnson is very much in charge in San Antonio. After spending most of last season as the Spurs’ acting head coach, Johnson enters 2025–26 with the permanent title — and the chance to fully implement his own vision.

Veteran forward Harrison Barnes says that last year’s group was largely focused on maintaining what was in place under Gregg Popovich. This year, Johnson is laying new building blocks.

“(Last season) we were all just trying to maintain what was already going on, the things we put in during training camp, the principles we had,” Barnes said, via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “He can say, ‘OK look, I have full ownership of the things that are going on.'”

Thunder

The Thunder return nearly their entire championship roster from a year ago, with training camp focused less on new faces and more on internal growth. At just 23, Jalen Williams has already been an All-Star, All-NBA Third Team member, and the No. 2 scorer on a title team.

Williams spent the summer rehabbing torn ligaments in his wrist, undergoing surgery after the postseason. The injury forced him to approach training creatively.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” Williams said, via Ryan Stiles of SI.com. “It allowed me to take care of my body and not go full throttle. With the short offseason, it’s kind of hard to manage how much you want to work out. So it actually made me take a break, which was nice.”