Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Herro, Ball, Harrell, Hornets, Beal

July 16th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat guard Tyler Herro is eligible to sign a multi-year extension this offseason, which may cause a sense of urgency within the team to trade for Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

Miami is known to covet Durant and Mitchell, both of whom would require giving up several assets in a trade. The main piece of any deal would likely be Herro, who averaged 20.7 points per game as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season.

The Heat and Herro have until mid-October to reach an extension, which could be worth as much as $188MM across five seasons. A more realistic ballpark for Herro would be somewhere in the four-year, $100MM+ range. That, coupled with the poison pill provision, would make it difficult to trade Herro next season, as Chiang explores.

Here are some other notes from the Southeast:

Hornets summer league player LiAngelo Ball remains hopeful for a true shot with the team, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Ball is playing summer league with Charlotte for the second straight year. “Every little chance I get, I’ve got to come in and do everything right and play hard,” Ball said as part of a larger quote. His brothers, LaMelo and Lonzo, currently start for the Hornets and Bulls, respectively.
Montrezl Harrell‘s court date has been pushed back until August, according to Sara Coello of the Charlotte Observer. Harrell was caught driving with three pounds of marijuana in Kentucky back in May. As Coello notes, Harrell’s offense could result in getting one-to-five years in prison, plus receiving a fine of up to $10K. Harrell finished last season with the Hornets and is now an unrestricted free agent.
Despite receiving interest from the Warriors last summer, Bradley Beal had no interest in being traded to Golden State, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on The Dan Patrick Show (hat tip to RealGM). The Warriors ultimately won the championship, while Beal re-signed with the Wizards on a five-year, $251MM deal.

Heat Sign Garrett, Days To Two-Way Deals; Waive Smart, Mulder

July 16th, 2022 at 12:36pm CST by JD Shaw

The Heat have signed Marcus Garrett and Darius Days to two-way contracts, the team announced in a press release. Miami had to waive Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder to create space for Garrett and Days, who signed ahead of the club’s final summer league game.

Garrett, a defensive-minded guard, has impressed the Heat with his effort and athleticism. Miami signed him to a two-way contract after last year’s summer league, then waived the 23-year-old in January.

Days, 22, went undrafted this year after spending four seasons at LSU. He averaged 13.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his senior year. At 6’7″ and 245 pounds, he possesses the size to play and defend multiple positions for Miami.

Days had been playing summer league with the Spurs, and a report last month indicated that he had reached an agreement to sign San Antonio. Either their deal was only for summer league, or Days decided to take a two-way offer from Miami over an Exhibit 10 contract from the Spurs.

Smart struggled during the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, but he is only 23 years old. Mulder, 28, is a proven three-point specialist who shot 40% from deep with the Warriors in 2020/21.

The Heat remain in the hunt for Nets superstar Kevin Durant and Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, both of whom would require Miami to part with several young assets. The team appears eager to examine two young players as the possibility of a blockbuster deal looms.

Latest On Donovan Mitchell

July 16th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

A potential Donovan Mitchell trade could be an “extended process” rather than an imminent event, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link).

Utah is “talking throughout the league,” but there are not everyday negotiations going on involving the All-Star guard, according to Wojnarowski, who says the Jazz have “time on their side” due to Mitchell being signed through the 2025/26 season (including a player option in the final year).

Utah exec Danny Ainge has a reputation of waiting teams out to get the best possible trade package. “I think it’s going to be the same thing with Donovan Mitchell,” Wojnarowski said, though he added that the Knicks are a “motivated suitor.”

We have more on the Mitchell trade front:

According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, the notion that the Jazz were not open to offers for Mitchell prior to this week is a false narrative. They had discussed Mitchell trades before Rudy Gobert was dealt to the Timberwolves.
ESPN’s Insiders look at five potential Mitchell deals involving the Knicks, Heat, Raptors, Thunder and a four-way swap. Responding to ESPN’s proposed trades, Larsen tweets that the proposed packages from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Oklahoma City would all fall short of what the Jazz are seeking. ESPN’s hypothetical four-team deal involving Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Deandre Ayton might’ve appealed most to Utah, according to Larsen, but it’s no longer an option now that Ayton is back under contract with Phoenix.
With the Knicks apparently ready to give up a boatload of assets for Mitchell, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post looks at past deals for star players that failed to turn the fortunes of the franchise.
Dealing Mitchell would be the best thing for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines. After dealing Gobert, the Jazz would have to give up numerous assets in trades just to remain in the playoff picture if they retain Mitchell.
A group of ESPN analysts explored some potential trade packages for Mitchell on NBA Today (video link).

Stein’s Latest: Mitchell, Knicks, Sixers, Lakers, Beverley

July 15th, 2022 at 7:46pm CST by Rory Maher

New York’s impending pursuit of Jalen Brunson became obvious once a Knicks contingent led by Julius Randle, William Wesley and Allan Houston was spotted at Game 1 of the first-round series between the Mavericks and Jazz. However, as Marc Stein writes in his lastest article for Substack, it’s clear now that New York had designs on pursuing Donovan Mitchell as well as Brunson.

Recent reports from Tony Jones of The Athletic and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune indicate that the Jazz are looking for six first-round picks and young players in exchange for Mitchell, but the Knicks balked at that asking price. According to Stein, even if the Knicks have more draft picks to offer at the moment, they should be “careful not to underestimate” the Heat and Nets as potential Mitchell suitors.

Under president Leon Rose, the Knicks have unsuccessfully pursued other star players, which is why it’s so important to the incumbent regime to land a player of Mitchell’s stature, Stein says.

Here’s more from Stein:

Mitchell has multiple ties to the Knicks, Stein adds. Mitchell is “very close” with Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant, who was an assistant with the Jazz for several seasons and recently had multiple interviews for Utah’s head coaching job. He’s also friends with Brunson due to their shared connection with Eric Paschall, who is Mitchell’s closest friend in the NBA and was college teammates with Brunson at Villanova, per Stein.
Like the Knicks’ pursuit of Brunson, the Sixers are likely to face a tampering investigation due to the signing of P.J. Tucker, according to Stein, who reported four days before free agency opened that several rival teams were convinced that Tucker would land with Philadelphia. Stein and others had linked Tucker to the Sixers even before the draft, a week before free agency opened, and Stein notes that Tucker’s agent informed Shams Charania of The Athletic that he was heading to Philly a minute after free agency opened.
It has been rumored that the Lakers might be interested in Jazz guard Patrick Beverley, but a source tells Stein that L.A. has no plans to deal Talen Horton-Tucker for the veteran. The Lakers have been prioritizing speed and youth in the offseason, so swapping a 21-year-old for a 34-year-old would detract from that, Stein notes. Horton-Tucker had been floated as a possibility because the Lakers don’t have any other mid-size contracts for salary-matching purposes — he’ll make $10.26MM in 2022/23, while Beverley will earn $13MM.

Heat Sign Jamal Cain To Exhibit 10 Contract

July 15th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have signed undrafted rookie Jamal Cain, the team announced. According to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Cain received an Exhibit 10 contract.

Cain spent four seasons with Marquette, averaging 5.2 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 18.3 MPG across 120 games (31 starts). After graduating, he transferred to Oakland University, where he had a breakout season in 2021/22.

The 6’7″ forward averaged 19.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 1.8 SPG on .499/.298/.841 shooting in 30 games (35 MPG) for Oakland, earning first-team All-Horizon honors and Horizon League Player of the Year. He’s appeared in three total games with the Heat’s Summer League squad, averaging 7.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.3 SPG.

As Jackson and Chiang detail, Cain had to isolate for six days in a San Francisco hotel after contracting COVID-19, causing him to miss some Summer League action. He said the Heat “like how I can guard multiple positions, the way I can defend, the way I can rebound, the way I can kind of be all over the floor. Just play to my strengths, trying to be athletic on the rim, trying to take advantage of mismatches and stuff like that.”

Cain has also spoken to Kendrick Nunn, a former Heat guard and Oakland University product, about his experience with Miami and what it takes to be successful there, per Jackson and Chiang.

While Cain is probably a long shot to earn a spot on Miami’s 15-man regular season roster, an Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins. It also makes a player eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the season and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Haslem, Mitchell, O. Robinson

July 15th, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat center Bam Adebayo plans to be more aggressive in looking for shots next season, according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Responding to a recent call from team president Pat Riley to take a greater role in the offense, Adebayo appeared on a radio broadcast during a Summer League game and said he’s ready for that challenge.

“They call me ‘No Ceiling’ for a reason,” Adebayo said. “Just being a more efficient scorer. I feel like my shot attempts are going to go up. The guys want the ball in my hands. They want me to score more. My job is really easy this summer.”

Adebayo averaged career highs with 19.1 points and 13 shots per game last season while finishing fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, but Riley believes there’s another level he can reach. The long-time executive wants him to become more consistent in creating his own shots, and Chiang and Jackson note that Adebayo’s shot totals fluctuated wildly during the Eastern Conference Finals.

Adebayo also discussed the Heat’s offseason moves, saying that keeping continuity on the roster will provide the best chance to chase another title.

“It’s mandatory to get back to where we were and have a different result,” Adebayo said. “It haunts you. Because you get that close to something, one shot away and you look at the game, there were so many moments where we could have taken advantage of the game.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Udonis Haslem lashed out at critics who say he doesn’t deserve a roster spot, Chiang and Jackson add in the same story. Haslem, 41, hasn’t played much during the past six seasons, but he claims his work with young players makes it worthwhile to keep him on the team. “People don’t know we have the most undrafted people in the NBA in our team,” Haslem said on Duncan Robinson‘s podcast. “There is something going on here people, but you dumb [expletives] can’t understand. You are so focused on my age and why I’m here. There’s a reason why I’m [expletive] here. Look at Caleb Martin. Caleb Martin just got paid.”
Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune confirms that Miami made an offer for Donovan Mitchell that the Jazz considered “insufficient.” The Heat don’t have the draft assets to compete with the Knicks, Larsen notes, with only their 2023, 2027 and 2029 first-rounders available, plus pick swaps in other years. The Jazz and Heat agreed that a third team would likely be needed to get a deal done, according to Larsen.
Orlando Robinson was disappointed to be passed over on draft night, but he’s grateful for the opportunity he’s getting with Miami on an Exhibit 10 contract, Chiang writes in a separate story.

Heat Sign Jamaree Bouyea To Exhibit 10 Contract

July 14th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14: Bouyea’s deal with the Heat is now official, the team announced in a press release.

JULY 13: The Heat will bring rookie free agent guard Jamaree Bouyea to training camp, where he’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), Bouyea is signing an Exhibit 10 contract.

Bouyea wasn’t selected in the June 23 draft after spending five years at the University of San Francisco. In his last two college seasons, he averaged 17.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 1.7 SPG with a solid shooting line of .483/.368/.755 in 59 games (35.1 MPG).

After going undrafted, Bouyea has suited up for the Heat at both the California Classic Summer League and the Las Vegas Summer League.

While Bouyea is probably a long shot to earn a spot on Miami’s 15-man regular season roster, an Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins. It also makes a player eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the season and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Heat Notes: Martin, Durant, Two-Ways, 2023 Cap

July 13th, 2022 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Before Caleb Martin re-signed with the Heat, he drew interest from another team that was preparing to give him an offer sheet which would’ve exceeded the three-year, $20.4MM deal he received from Miami, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Martin spoke several weeks ago about wanting to remain with the Heat and ultimately stuck to that stance, accepting a deal that used up the taxpayer portion of the team’s mid-level exception.

“There were options, for sure,” Martin said. “But I just kind of laid back and just waited to see what would happen. Obviously my first priority was wanting to stay (with the Heat). So that’s my biggest thing, is I wanted to stay here. But obviously I had to keep all options open and see what the best option was and the financial situation.”

With P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris no longer in the picture in Miami, Martin will likely be asked to play more minutes at power forward in 2022/23. He said this week that he doesn’t have any problem with that assignment and plans to “bulk up” this offseason to prepare to match up against stronger players.

“I think that’s part of being versatile, is me being able to do something like that,” Martin said. “You could sit here and say that I’m not a four or a wing or whatever, but I think I’m a basketball player and I adjust to any position. So if the guys need me to play the four, it might look a little bit different. But I’m going to get the job done and I’m going to learn the things I need to pick up on.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

A league source tells Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that initial discussions between the Heat and Nets about a possible Kevin Durant trade were “hot and heavy,” but those talks cooled off when Brooklyn wasn’t satisfied with Miami’s package.
At least one of the Heat’s current two-way players (Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart) seems likely to be replaced before the season begins, according to Jackson and Chiang, who say the team may be eyeing a power forward to fill a two-way slot.
Addressing the Heat’s free agent moves during a radio appearance on 790 The Ticket, general manager Andy Elisburg said the team recognized it was “unrealistic” to bring back all its free agents due to various Bird rights limitations, but was happy to re-sign Martin, Victor Oladipo, and Dewayne Dedmon. “We hoped to bring back at least one, but certainly two or three of our guys,” Elisburg said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “And so, being able to do that, is great.”
In a separate story for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman looks ahead to the Heat’s 2023 cap situation, noting that the team already projects to be over the cap and could reduce its flexibility further if Tyler Herro signs a lucrative new extension.

Jazz Rumors: Mitchell, Sexton, Conley, Vanderbilt, Beverley, More

July 13th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are reportedly open to listening to trade inquiries on Donovan Mitchell, but that doesn’t mean they’re shopping the All-Star guard or that he’s likely to be moved this offseason, according to reports from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Both Fischer and Jones say the Jazz remain focused on keeping Mitchell and building around him, but would consider changing their stance if they get a significant enough trade offer. Fischer suggests such an offer would have to “rival or even surpass” what Utah got for Rudy Gobert.

The front office has been in constant contact with Mitchell’s representatives, according to Jones, who says those conversations have been positive and the 25-year-old hasn’t asked to be dealt. However, Jones acknowledges that the Jazz will likely take a step back in 2022/23 after moving Gobert, and Mitchell “wants to win at a high level,” so the team’s next moves will be crucial.

Fischer likens the situation to James Harden‘s final year in Houston, when the Rockets rebuffed trade offers for P.J. Tucker and made moves to try to convince Harden to stick around, only to see him eventually request a trade. That doesn’t mean Mitchell will take the same path, but some executives around the league believe he and the Jazz are headed for a break-up, whether it happens this offseason or in a year or two.

Although Jones says several other teams have made “serious overtures,” the Knicks have long been viewed as one of the primary suitors for Mitchell. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during an appearance on Get Up (video link) that “some people” view it as inevitable that the former lottery pick will ultimately end up in New York.

“New York can offer some combination of multiple picks, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, and that’s probably the benchmark any team is going to have to beat in order to get Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz,” an assistant general manager told Bleacher Report.

The Heat have also been frequently linked to Mitchell, but Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune says Miami made an offer for the former Louisville standout earlier in the offseason and the Jazz found it “insufficient.”

According to Fischer, who polled about two dozen executives in Las Vegas, Barrett has more trade value than Tyler Herro, Miami’s most logical trade centerpiece, though it’s unclear whether Utah has serious interest in either player — both are expected to be seeking maximum-salary (or near-max) extensions that would begin in 2023/24.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

The Jazz have explored a potential sign-and-trade deal for Collin Sexton that would send Mike Conley to Cleveland, sources tell Bleacher Report. However, Fischer admits that Conley may not fit the Cavaliers‘ roster and suggests that if those talks gain serious traction, another Utah player would probably have to be involved. Conley did generate some interest from the Clippers before they signed John Wall, Fischer adds, but it’s trickier to find a logical landing spot for him at this point.
Leading up to the June 23 draft, the Jazz were looking for first-round picks in the 15-to-25 range for Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, or Royce O’Neale, Fischer reports. The team ended up moving O’Neale for a 2023 first-rounder.
All of the players the Jazz acquired from Minnesota in the Gobert trade are considered available, Fischer says. “They are open to moving everyone,” one assistant GM told Bleacher Report.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley are among the players from that Gobert trade who have drawn interest, per Fischer. Sources tell Bleacher Report that the Lakers and Heat are a couple of the teams with some interest in Beverley.

Jazz Willing To Listen To Offers For Donovan Mitchell

July 12th, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz are willing to listen to offers for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Utah had previously turned aside calls regarding Mitchell but is now willing to listen to trade scenarios.

In fact, the Jazz are open to making trades involving anyone on their roster, but Mitchell is obviously the most coveted piece, Wojnarowski adds in a separate tweet.

Following the Rudy Gobert blockbuster with the Timberwolves, reports stated that the Jazz were looking to build around Mitchell. However, it’s not all that surprising Utah may shift gears and go into rebuild mode after the Mitchell-Gobert partnership failed to get the Jazz to a Finals appearance.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that rival executives had heard Utah executive Danny Ainge isn’t convinced Mitchell can be the face of a contending franchise. GM Justin Zanik didn’t label Mitchell as “untouchable” but made it clear last week that moving the All-Star guard wasn’t part of the team’s current plans.

Earlier last week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that Mitchell wasn’t on the verge of asking for a trade.

Mitchell signed a designated rookie max extension in 2020 and has four years left on his contract ($30.4MM, $32.6MM, $34.8MM and $37.1MM, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes in a tweet. The last year is a player option.

Despite the addition of Jalen Brunson, the Knicks can be expected to try to put together a package and make a serious offer for Mitchell, sources told Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, the Jazz’s asking price is sky high, Jones adds.

The Heat could be in the mix, too. The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes that the Heat have avoided triggering a hard cap in their offseason moves in order to keep their options open for a blockbuster deal involving a player such as Mitchell (Twitter link). Miami has made its interest in Mitchell clear to Utah, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets, with speculation that such a deal would involve Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and draft picks.

The Jazz got a major haul for Gobert and presumably would want as much, or more, for Mitchell. He’s averaged 23.9 PPG, 4.5 APG and 4.2 RPG in 345 NBA regular-season contests. He’s also had some big postseason performances, averaging 28.3 PPG, 4.9 APG and 4.2 RPG in 39 playoff games.