Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Yurtseven, Todd, Anthony, Butler, Vincent

January 29th, 2022 at 2:24pm CST by JD Shaw

With the return of Bam Adebayo (thumb) and Dewayne Dedmon (knee), Heat center Omer Yurtseven has effectively fallen out of the team’s rotation for now, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

Yurtseven started 10 games as Adebayo and Dedmon dealt with injuries, logging double-digit rebounds in every contest. Miami went 7-3 during that stretch. On the season, the 23-year-old has averaged 6.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game, shooting 52% from the floor.

“It’s hard, obviously, because you catch that rhythm and you have that raging fire to just keep going,” Yurtseven said. “But I trust in the coaches and the Heat culture, and I believe if they want me and need me in the game that they know that I’m ready.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division today:

The Wizards suspended Isaiah Todd one game for conduct detrimental to the team, the club announced in a press release. Todd, who has been on a G League assignment for most of the month, served his suspension during the Capital City Go-Go’s game against the Ignite on Friday. The 20-year-old was selected No. 31 overall in last year’s draft.
Magic guard Cole Anthony is committing to the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest on All-Star Weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Anthony has seen his role increase with Orlando this season, averaging 17.9 points on 39% shooting from the floor.
In a separate article for the Miami Herald, Anthony Chiang examines some takeaways from the Heat‘s Friday night victory over the Clippers. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler, who finished with a game-high 26 points, as well as Gabe Vincent, who finished with 23 points in the absence of Kyle Lowry (personal). Lowry will also miss Saturday’s contest against Toronto, marking the seventh straight game he’s missed due to personal reasons.

Butler Questionable To Play Friday

January 27th, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable for the Heat‘s game on Friday’ against the Clippers because of left big toe irritation, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes against the Knicks on Wednesday. Kyle Lowry will be out for a sixth straight game because of personal reasons and there’s no definitive timetable for the point guard’s return.
Heat forward P.J. Tucker, who holds a $7.4MM player option on his contract for 2022/23, plans to play beyond next season, he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “Two or three (years) is easy. My question is do I want to go past five,” Tucker said. “Next three or four will be easy. If we go past three or four, then we start talking.”

Rockets Rumors: Gordon, Wood, Theis

January 27th, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

A report earlier this week stated that the Rockets appear increasingly likely to hang onto Eric Gordon through this season’s trade deadline, but Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report hears that Houston – in discussions with rival teams – has conveyed confidence about receiving a first-round pick in exchange for Gordon.

Unless the pick is heavily protected or they’d have to take a really bad contract or two back in return, it’s hard to imagine the Rockets would turn down the opportunity to acquire a first-rounder for the 33-year-old guard, who doesn’t fit the their rebuild timeline.

While there may have been some truth to The Athletic’s report about the Rockets’ desire to keep Gordon for his leadership abilities, I suspect the team is posturing at least to some extent in an effort to get teams to increase their offers.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

An earlier report on Christian Wood linked him to the Heat, stating that Miami has been one of the most “persistent” teams engaging with Houston in conversations about Wood. Fischer confirms the Heat have been frequently mentioned recently as a potential suitor for the big man.
According to Fischer, word of a possible Wood/Duncan Robinson framework has circulated around the league, but the Rockets would certainly require a far greater return for their leading scorer, rebounder, and shot-blocker, who is on a very team-friendly contract (Wood will earn $13.7MM this season and $14.3MM in 2022/23).
Rockets center Daniel Theis has been generating significant interest, Fischer reports, naming the Hornets, Bucks, and Raptors as teams that have inquired on the big man. Fischer also confirms that the Celtics have checked in on Theis, as previously reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Checking In On Active 10-Day Contracts

January 25th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

For a brief period in late December and early January, there were more than 60 active 10-day contracts around the NBA, as COVID-19 outbreaks resulted in teams completing more 10-day signings in the span of a couple weeks than are usually completed in an entire season.

In the last couple weeks, however, the transaction wire has slowed down. At the moment, there are just nine active 10-day contracts, and no team is carrying multiple 10-day signees.

With the help of our 10-day contract tracker, we’re taking a closer look at those active deals, examining how much longer they’ll run and what might be next for the players on 10-day pacts.

Let’s dive in…

Hardship 10-day contracts:

Shaquille Harrison, Grizzlies (runs through Jan. 28)
Chris Silva, Heat (runs through Jan. 30)
Cassius Stanley, Pistons (runs through Jan. 30)

Harrison, Silva, and Stanley all signed 10-day hardship contracts via the NBA’s COVID-related allowance. Their earnings don’t count against team salary for cap or tax purposes and they can sign more than just two hardship contracts with the same team — Silva and Stanley are both on their third deals with their respective clubs.

However, if a team no longer has any players in the health and safety protocols, that team isn’t permitted to activate any players who are on COVID-related 10-day hardship contracts. That’s the situation Silva finds himself in now that Heat guard Tyler Herro has exited the protocols. Silva will be ineligible for Miami’s next three games unless the club places another player in the protocols.

The Grizzlies and Pistons are the only NBA teams that still have two players currently in the protocols, so Harrison and Stanley can remain active.

Still, assuming those players in the protocols (Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk, Kyle Anderson, and Tyus Jones) are cleared relatively soon, Memphis and Detroit won’t be able to re-sign Harrison and Stanley to new hardship contracts. And because they both have full 15-man rosters, the Grizzlies and Pistons can’t re-sign Harrison and Stanley to standard 10-day contracts unless they waive or trade someone else.

Standard 10-day contracts:

Stanley Johnson, Lakers (runs through Jan. 26)
Danuel House, Jazz (runs through Jan. 27)
Ryan Arcidiacono, Knicks (runs through Jan. 28)
DeMarcus Cousins, Nuggets (runs through Jan. 30)
Mamadi Diakite, Thunder (runs through Jan. 30)
Lance Stephenson, Pacers (runs through Feb. 2)

Some of these players signed hardship 10-day contracts earlier in the season, but they’re on standard 10-day deals now. Their contracts count against team salary and they’re occupying spots on their teams’ 15-man rosters.

Johnson, Arcidiacono, and Stephenson are the key players to watch here, since they’re all on their second standard 10-day contracts with their respective clubs and won’t be able to sign a third. Assuming the Lakers, Knicks, and Pacers don’t become eligible for hardship signings soon, they’ll have decide whether they want to sign Johnson, Arcidiacono, and Stephenson for the rest of the season or let them go.

It may seem obvious that Johnson and Stephenson, in particular, would get rest-of-season offers, but the Lakers and Pacers are two teams expected to be active at the February 10 trade deadline. They may prefer to keep their 15th roster spots open to maximize their flexibility for potential trades. Still, I’d be surprised if Johnson doesn’t sign a rest-of-season deal sooner or later with the Lakers and Stephenson doesn’t do the same with Indiana.

House, Cousins, and Diakite are all on their first standard 10-day contracts with their respective teams, so they could each sign another one before any longer-term decisions must be made.

Heat Notes: Herro, Silva, Oladipo, Vincent, Lowry

January 25th, 2022 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Tyler Herro has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who tweets that Herro was in attendance at the team’s practice on Tuesday. Herro initially entered the protocols last Wednesday and has missed Miami’s last three games.

The Heat haven’t released their injury report yet for Wednesday’s contest vs. New York, so it’s unclear if Herro will be reactivated for that game or if he’ll need a little more reconditioning time. Either way, it’s good news for the Heat that they no longer have any players in the COVID-19 protocols.

Here’s more out of Miami:

Assuming Herro is able to play on Wednesday and no other players enter the health and safety protocols, the Heat will have to make forward Chris Silva ineligible for the rest of his 10-day contract, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Silva is on a hardship deal and can only be active if at least one Miami player is in the protocols. His contract runs through Sunday night.
Victor Oladipo, who is still recovering from quad surgery, moved around well on the Heat’s practice court on Tuesday, taking part in a “vigorous” workout and running without a limp, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson suggests there’s a chance Oladipo could make his Heat debut in February. “He’s itching to get back,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. “… We’ll see what happens. He’s starting to be at practice more and more. We’re starting to hear his voice and he’s starting to get opportunities to run in transition. When he’s able to suit up, it’s going to be a big day for all of us.”
There was some concern entering the season about whether the Heat had sufficient depth at point guard behind Kyle Lowry, but Gabe Vincent has proven capable of handling the position despite having previously played more of a combo guard or shooting guard role. “He has improved as much as anybody as I’ve ever seen, seriously, in my entire career. I really mean that, too,” Heat forward Duncan Robinson said of Vincent, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I remember playing against him in the G League and honestly he kind of played like me. Catch-and-shoot and shooting threes. Obviously, he still shoots it at a high level. But he just does everything. He passes, he defends, he makes all those little plays in between. He’s just a guy that you love to play with, he really is.”
Lowry, who has missed the Heat’s last four games, remains away from the club for personal reasons, tweets Jackson, so Vincent is expected to continue starting at point guard.

Rockets Rumors: Gordon, Wood, Wall, Theis, Nwaba, Augustin

January 24th, 2022 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have received multiple trade offers for veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, but have turned them down, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Iko suggests that unless they get an offer that “simply can’t get ignored,” it’s becoming more plausible that the Rockets will simply hang onto Gordon through the trade deadline.

Houston is in the early stages of a rebuild and Gordon is having his best shooting season as a pro, with career highs in FG% (.506) and 3PT% (.452) — the time seems right to make a deal. However, Iko says the team admires how Gordon carries himself on and off the court and believes he’s a positive influence on Houston’s young players, so there’s no rush to ship him out.

It still seems possible that Gordon will be on the move by February 10 if a potential trade partner meets the Rockets’ reported asking price of a first-round pick. But if Gordon remains in Houston, the club will have more opportunities to trade him before his contract expires — he’s owed a $19.6MM guaranteed salary in 2022/23 and a $20.9MM non-guaranteed salary in ’23/24.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Unless they’re blown away by an offer, the Rockets will likely hang onto Christian Wood through the trade deadline, says Iko. Sources tell The Athletic that the Heat have been one of the most “persistent” teams that has engaged with Houston in conversations about Wood.
Although the Rockets have received some inquiries about John Wall, his contract makes a trade unlikely, and most teams that have registered interest continue to simply monitor the situation rather than actively pursuing the point guard, Iko writes. The Clippers expressed genuine interest earlier in the season, sources tell The Athletic, but their goals as the deadline approaches are unclear. I’d be pretty shocked if the Clippers sought a trade for Wall.
With no guarantees that the Rockets will make a trade involving Gordon, Wood, or Wall, Iko indicates smaller deals around the edges are more likely. Daniel Theis, David Nwaba, and – to a lesser degree – D.J. Augustin – have all drawn some interest, Iko reports.

Southeast Notes: Robinson, Hawks, Martin, Gafford

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by JD Shaw

The Heat are encouraging Duncan Robinson to stay confident despite his three-point shooting declining this season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Robinson is shooting just 35% from deep on 8.5 attempts this season, down from 41% on 8.5 attempts last season.

“People panic every time he doesn’t have an amazing game, he doesn’t make every shot,” teammate Tyler Herro said of Robinson. “But the thing about Duncan is he comes in every day with the same attitude, whether he has 26 or if he has five points.

“He’s going to come in no matter what the next day and he’s going to treat every day the same. Get his work in and just continue to go about his business how he does. That’s what I really respect about him.”

Robinson is in the first season of a five-year, $90MM deal signed with Miami last offseason. His impact goes beyond his scoring. Since he’s shot over 40% from deep these past two seasons, teams still honor him as a serious threat behind-the-arc, opening driving lanes for other players on the Heat.

Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:

Chris Kirschner and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic project the Hawks‘ future, examining whether anyone should be considered untouchable. In part two of their series, Kirschner and Vecenie explored the possibility of Atlanta acquiring Ben Simmons, along with some other possible trade targets. The Hawks, who have dealt with several injuries on the season, currently rank 12th in the East at 20-25.
The Heat may struggle to retain Caleb Martin in free agency, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explains. Martin is currently on a two-way contract with Miami, averaging 9.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 23.1 minutes per game. He’s also shot 52% from the floor and 37% from three-point range. In order to make him eligible for the playoffs, the team will have to convert Martin from his two-way deal.
Wizards center Daniel Gafford has seen his playing time decrease in recent games, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. The return of Thomas Bryant has resulted in a minutes decline for Gafford, who signed a three-year, $40MM extension with the Wizards last October.

Examining Player Reunions Ahead Of Lakers-Heat

January 22nd, 2022 at 3:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines several notes related to the Heat, including the team’s upcoming game against the Lakers on Sunday. Current Lakers players LeBron James, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Kendrick Nunn all hold experience with the Heat, though only James, Bradley and Ariza played in Los Angeles’ win over Orlando on Friday. Ellington received a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision), while Nunn continues to rehab a bone bruise.

Checking In On Traded 2022 First-Round Picks

January 21st, 2022 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

We’re over halfway through the 2021/22 NBA regular season, which means it’s a good time to take a look at where things stand with 2022’s traded first-round picks. Many of the traded first-rounders for the ’22 draft come with protections, so there’s a chance they might not change hands this year after all.

Using our list of traded first-round picks for 2022 and our reverse standings tool, here’s our breakdown of which of those traded picks are most and least likely to change hands, and which ones remain up in the air:

Picks that will definitely change hands:

Thunder acquiring Clippers‘ pick (unprotected).

When the Clippers traded a series of first-round picks and swaps to the Thunder in the Paul George blockbuster in the 2019 offseason, they weren’t counting on losing both George and Kawhi Leonard to long-term injuries in the same season. That’s the case this year though, and it could result in Oklahoma City receiving an extra lottery pick.

The Clippers are currently in a play-in spot, so their pick could move to No. 15 or lower if they make the playoffs, but for now it’s projected to be No. 11 or No. 12 (they’re tied with the Knicks in the NBA standings).

Thunder acquiring Suns‘ pick (top-12 protected).

The Thunder will also receive a first-round pick from another Pacific team, though that selection appears likely to end up at the very end of the round — the Suns have the league’s best record so far, so their pick would be at No. 30.

Grizzlies acquiring Jazz‘s pick (top-six protected).

The pick the Grizzlies are getting from the Jazz will fall near the end of the first round too. For now, it projects to be No. 25 or No. 26, as Utah is tied in the standings with the Heat.

Grizzlies or Pelicans acquiring Lakers‘ pick (unprotected).

The Lakers will send their first-rounder to the Pelicans if it lands in the top 10 or to the Grizzlies if it’s between 11-30. It’s certainly possible things continue to go south in Los Angeles and the pick moves up into the top 10 — if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs, their pick could even jump into the top four via the lottery.

For now though, the more likely scenario is that Memphis will get the Lakers’ pick — it would be No. 15 or No. 16 (they’re tied with Minesota) if the season ended today and L.A. clinched a playoff spot in the play-in tournament.

Picks that definitely won’t change hands:

Thunder acquiring Pistons’ pick (top-16 protected).
Hawks acquiring Thunder‘s pick (top-14 protected).

There’s still a lot of basketball to be played this season, but it seems pretty safe to pencil in the Pistons and Thunder as non-playoff teams, which means they’ll keep their first-round picks in 2022. Right now, Detroit’s at No. 2 in the lottery standings, while Oklahoma City’s at No. 4.

Given how weak the bottom half of the Western Conference has been, the Thunder could theoretically sneak into a play-in spot and make the playoffs, but it’s an extreme long shot — the teams ahead of them in the standings will be more motivated to push for the postseason.

Assuming they keep their pick this year, the Pistons will owe the Thunder their top-18 protected first-round pick in 2023. If the Thunder’s own pick is protected, they’ll instead send the Hawks their 2024 and 2025 second-round selections.

Still up in the air:

Hornets acquiring Pelicans‘ pick (top-14 protected)
Bulls acquiring Trail Blazers‘ pick (top-14 protected)

At this point, it looks more likely than not that the Pelicans and Trail Blazers will keep their own lottery-protected first-round picks.

Portland, despite holding the West’s No. 10 seed for now, has a tenuous hold on a play-in spot with Damian Lillard sidelined for a while. New Orleans may have some potential for a second-half surge, especially if Zion Williamson returns, but the team is on the outside looking in for the time being. Either team would have a difficult path to a playoff spot as a lower seed in the play-in tournament.

Currently, the Pelicans’ first-rounder projects to be No. 6 or No. 7 (they’re tied with San Antonio), pending lottery results. Assuming that pick ends up in the top 14, New Orleans would instead send their 2022 and 2024 second-round selections to the Hornets.

If the Trail Blazers keep their first-round pick, currently projected to be No. 9, they’d owe the Bulls their top-14 protected first-rounder in 2023.

Hawks acquiring Hornets‘ pick (top-18 protected)

The Hornets‘ first-round selection, which was just traded from New York to Atlanta in the Cam Reddish deal, is right on the edge and could go either way. It’s top-18 protected and is currently projected to be at No. 19, meaning the Hawks would receive it if the season ended today (as long as the seventh-seeded Hornets clinched a playoff spot in the play-in tournament). That could change quickly though.

Rockets acquiring most favorable of Heat‘s or Nets‘ pick (Heat get least favorable).

Finally, the Rockets will control the two most favorable picks of the following three: their own first-rounder, the Nets first-rounder, and the Heat‘s first-rounder; Miami will get the least favorable of the three, unless the Heat’s own pick lands in the top 14 (in which case Miami would keep it and Houston would get the other two picks).

It seems safe to assume at this point that the Rockets will keep their own selection and the Heat will make the playoffs, so it’ll come down to whether Brooklyn or Miami finishes higher in the standings. Currently, the Heat are a half-game ahead of the Nets, so Houston would get Brooklyn’s pick (No. 24) and Miami would hang onto its own (No. 25 or No. 26).

Chris Silva Signs Third 10-Day Deal With Heat

January 21st, 2022 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 21: Silva has officially signed a third 10-day hardship contract with the Heat, the team announced today in a press release.

JANUARY 20: Chris Silva‘s second 10-day hardship contract with the Heat expired overnight, but the expectation is that he’ll sign a third 10-day deal, according to reports from Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).

Silva, 25, appeared in seven games with the Heat during his first 20 days with the team, averaging 3.4 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 9.0 minutes per contest. The 6’8″ forward was on a 10-day deal with Minnesota earlier in the season.

Since guard Tyler Herro entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday, Miami remains eligible for a hardship exception. The league permits teams to add one replacement player for each player in the protocols, with the replacement’s 10-day hardship contract not counting against team salary for cap or tax purposes.

The Heat don’t play today, so they’ll likely re-sign Silva on Friday prior to their game in Atlanta. Based on the reporting from Winderman and Chiang, it sounds like the only way the two sides won’t complete another deal is if Herro tests out of the protocols quickly, making the team ineligible for a hardship addition.

Miami does technically have an open spot on its 15-man roster and could re-sign Silva to a standard 10-day contract, but such a deal would count against the team’s cap and tax. The Heat don’t have much breathing room below the luxury tax line, so they’ve kept their 15th roster spot open for the entire season to date. They’ll likely continue to do so until they can safely promote two-way player Caleb Martin to the 15-man roster without going into tax territory.