So… You hearing anything interesting about the Heat lately?
We are exactly one month away from the NBA’s trade deadline and Jimmy Butler is currently the talk of the league after demanding a trade out of Miami last week. He’s been suspended by the team and won’t be in the lineup for tonight’s contest against the Kings.
For Sacramento, De’Aaron Fox ($10,400; glute) is a question mark after missing Sunday’s victory over the Warriors due to injury. It’s currently unclear if he’ll miss both legs of the Kings’ back-to-back set, but I have my doubts he’ll suit up this evening.
Let’s break down everything else you’ll need to know from a Showdown perspective.
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SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
Malik Monk ($12,600 CP) – While Domantas Sabonis ($11,400) is the easy way to go, I like the salary flexibility putting Monk in the Captain’s slot gives the rest of your lineup. The former lottery pick has seen his game expand and flourish since leaving the Hornets, and it’s all culminated in an impressive 2024-25, with Monk currently posting career-bests in points per game (16.8) and assists per game (5.2). With the aforementioned Fox sidelined on Sunday evening, Monk stepped into the role of lead facilitator for the Kings, dishing out 12 assists with a team-high 28.2% usage rate. That was all without playing a single possession in the fourth quarter, too. In three starts in January, Monk is averaging 25.7 points. The ceiling here is obvious.
FLEX Plays
Nikola Jovic ($6,000) – It’s unclear if the Heat will be looking to replicate anything from their embarrassing 136-100 loss to the Jazz, but Jovic did find himself back in the starting lineup with Butler suspended and away from the team. Jovic was also one of Miami’s lone bright spots. The former first-round pick scored a team-high 17 points in just 23.5 minutes and his 26.4% usage rate sat behind only Tyler Herro ($11,000). Jovic would finish with 32.25 FPTS — the third time he’s eclipsed 30 FPTS in his last seven games. The Heat need to change a lot about their performance from Saturday, but Jovic isn’t one of those things.
Devin Carter ($2,000) – Carter was the 13th-overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, yet an injury delayed his debut until last Friday. Still, he hasn’t wasted any time showcasing what he can do on a basketball court. Heck, even his tune-up in the G League was extremely impressive, as Carter averaged 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his two games in Stockton. With Fox unavailable on Sunday, Carter logged 23.3 minutes off the bench for Sacramento, registering 13 points, seven rebounds and 26.75 FPTS. He likely won’t see the court for as much run in a more neutral script, but Carter’s also clearly earned a spot in this rotation. His salary doesn’t reflect that fact. Take advantage while you can.
Fades
Tyler Herro ($11,000) – I’m not saying you Herro is a complete stay-away, but there’s no world where he should be just $400 cheaper that Sabonis. For context, Sacramento’s All-Star big man is averaging 1.43 FPTS per minute played with Fox off the court this season. Herro is producing just 1.18 FPTS per minute with Butler unavailable in 2024-25 and he’s directly on the heels of a very underwhelming performance against the Jazz. Herro’s more that a pure scorer, as he’s averaging over five rebounds and assists per contest this season, yet if I only have the funds for one or the other, there’s zero doubt that I’m siding with Sabonis in my lineups.
THE OUTCOME
The Kings are 13-22-1 ATS this season, which is the second worst mark in the whole NBA, ahead of only the Suns. It’s been less that two weeks since they fired their head coach amid non-stop De’Aaron Fox trade rumors. I say all this only to illustrate how weird it is that Sacramento is now clearly the stable team in this matchup on Monday night. The Heat were discombobulated against the Jazz and I’m not sure how much is going to change in 48 hours. Meanwhile, the Kings have won four in a row. They keep the streak going. Light the beam.
Final Score: Sacramento 119, Miami 107
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
