Heat Rumors

Southeast Notes: Yurtseven, Harrell, Wizards, Herro, Lowry

Heat rookie center Omer Yurtseven has only played 11 minutes so far this season, but time and place are still the questions for the 23-year-old, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Yurtseven, who is eligible to spend time with the team’s G League affiliate. is currently behind starter Bam Adebayo and veteran Dewayne Dedmon in the club’s rotation. As Winderman notes, regularly practicing against against those big men and staying available at the NBA level might benefit Yurtseven more than playing in the G League.

“I think this is where I want to be at ultimately,” Yurtseven told the Sun Sentinel. “And I think that I’m adjusting to it and doing whatever is necessary to conquer this beast.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

  • Speaking of the Heat, Ira Winderman examines whether Pat Riley‘s best move this offseason was choosing to keep Tyler Herro. Herro has started the season on a strong note, scoring 26 off the bench against Charlotte on Friday night.
  • Wizards big man Montrezl Harrell has quickly connected with his new team’s fans, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. “I’m from North Carolina. It’s only like three hours from here, so I feel like I’m kind of in my backyard,” Harrell explained. “This is down south, homegrown people that love the hard work, the grittiness, the toughness, the coming in and putting on your hard hat every day just ready to work. You’re not really coming in and thinking you’re better than someone or just going off your name. You’re coming in ready to work and they’re gonna get behind that.”
  • Veteran guard Kyle Lowry is actively helping the Heat return to contention, Dan Devine of The Ringer writes. Lowry — along with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo — have formed Miami’s newest “big three,” and led the team to four wins in five games. The Heat’s only loss has come when Lowry didn’t play (sprained ankle).

Heat Notes: Morris, Garrett, Martin, Haslem

After being used mostly as a floor-spacing big man with the Lakers over the last couple seasons, Markieff Morris is happy he’s getting more opportunities to operate inside the three-point arc with the Heat this season, says Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“I’m finally back to basically where I had success at in the league early in my career,” Morris said this week. “For me personally, the game has changed a lot from when I first came in to now. Over here, these guys are doing a great job of letting me just play my game, and they’re playing to my strengths.”

Morris, who said he played a bit of a “one-dimensional” role in Los Angeles, averaged 3.4 three-point attempts and 2.8 two-pointers per game last season. So far this season, he’s attempting 2.3 threes and 5.3 two-pointers per contest.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • With G League training camps underway, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said the plan is for Marcus Garrett to spend plenty of time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBAGL affiliate, this season, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, the team’s other two-way player, Caleb Martin, is less likely to be sent on assignments to Sioux Falls, since Spoelstra views him as a “plug-and-play guy” for the Heat.
  • Asked why he decided to re-sign with the Heat again this summer, Udonis Haslem told Tyler R. Tynes of GQ that he believes he can inspire young players fighting to earn their place in the NBA. “I coulda quit a long time ago. But there’s (always) been another guy that comes in that reminds me of me: that wants an opportunity, that needs an opportunity, that deserves an opportunity,” Haslem said. “Every year I can find another Udonis Haslem that walks in that locker room. And I’m re-inspired and re-energized. I still have game to give. I still have my passion. I see those guys walk in the locker room and I’m just reborn again. It goes to the Bam Adebayos and Tyler Johnsons and the habits we create in this organization.”
  • Within an extensive conversation with Tynes, Haslem discussed “Heat Culture,” the team’s Big Three era, and the evolution of his role in the locker room over the years. The veteran big man, who is in his 19th season, also suggested that he’d like to play one more season beyond 2021/22: “If I can get 20 years, it’ll be an amazing career for a kid that no one thought would play in the league. All my sacrifices, everything I’ve given, the only thing I’ve asked for is to try to get to 20. I wanna give that to myself, and I wanted to give it to my father (who recently passed away).”

Southeast Notes: Harrell, Wall, Artest III, Hornets

New Wizards reserve big man Montrezl Harrell has emerged as one of the team’s most important emotional leaders, according to Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. As Wallace writes, Harrell is one of the more vocal members of the team, a consistently talkative teammate who makes a point to discuss on-court issues during every practice.

“I tell people all the time, the guy who leads the charge in our group is Bradley Beal, but Brad’s one of those guys who kind of does it by example,” Harrell said. “He’s not going to really voice it. So I want to be that one on that backstop for him to voice it because I’m not really scared of what nobody really has to say or how nobody really feel.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines that John Wall could be a solid fit for the Heat in a reserve role behind starter Kyle Lowry if the currently-shelved Rockets point guard ever become available after a buyout. As Winderman observes, Wall does his offseason training in Miami.
  • The Heat‘s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, have added Ron Artest III, son of the NBA All-Star swingman formerly known as Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest), per Ira Winderman. The younger Artest is a 22-year-old alum of California State Northridge. The 6’7″ forward spent his final collegiate season, his junior year in 2020/21, averaging 4.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.7 BPG in just six games with the club.
  • The Hornets are benefiting from having players with significant wingspans relative to their heights and weights, writes Sam Perley of Hornets.com“Any time you have more length, you should be a better defensive team, a better rebounding team,” said Charlotte head coach James Borrego. “We can play more defensive, protect the paint more, the rim more, rebound better. It allows us to switch and stay in front of the ball a little bit more. Make plays at the rim, deflect the ball more. It’s going to be really important for us this season.” New additions like James Bouknight, Kai Jones, JT Thor, Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumlee all fit this ethos.

Southeast Notes: Knight, Lowry, Ball, Heat

Veteran NBA guard Brandon Knight was selected by the Heat‘s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with the No. 4 pick in the G League draft on Saturday. Knight is hoping to make a comeback, as the 29-year-old last appeared in a game in March of 2020.

“I think it’s great. We’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). “I’ve just enjoyed my conversations with him, just talking hoops, talking about trying to get back in the league. And then the last six weeks or so, it shifted to this possibility.”

Knight most recently played Summer League with the Nets. He holds eight years of NBA experience, making past stops with the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, Rockets and Cavaliers during his career.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

  • Speaking of the Heat, Miami doesn’t have a Plan B at point guard without Kyle Lowry, Winderman writes for the Sun Sentinel. Lowry missed Saturday’s contest against the Pacers with a sprained ankle, giving Gabe Vincent the opportunity to start. Vincent struggled, recording just three points (1-for-3 shooting), three assists and three turnovers in nearly 25 minutes. Spoelstra has also used Tyler Herro at point guard when Lowry sits.
  • LaMelo Ball‘s jump shot looks improved this season, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Ball shot 8-of-12 from deep during the Hornets‘ first two games, though the 20-year-old made just 1-of-6 threes in the club’s win on Sunday.
  • Ira Winderman examines a number of Heat-related notes for The Sun Sentinel, including a prominent voice joining Pat Riley in labeling the team as a contender. Miami has started the season 1-1 and will host the Magic on Tuesday.

Heat Willing To Go Into Tax If Necessary

  • The Heat are starting the season without a 15th man on their roster because carrying another player would push them over the luxury tax line. However, team president Pat Riley said ownership would be willing to go into the tax this season if the Heat show they’re a legit contender and it makes sense to do so. “(Not) paying the tax, it’s never been a mandate, but it’s always been on my mind,” Riley said, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I’m not just going to say, ‘Every year we’re going into the tax,’ and then we don’t win and (team owner) Micky (Arison)‘s writing these big checks. I don’t think that’s fair. But, when we have a real contender, which I think we have, then we’ll entertain that. I think we’ll entertain it this year, too.”

2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Miami Heat

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves, examine what still needs to be done before opening night, and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Miami Heat.


Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.

  • Duncan Robinson: Five years, $90MM. Fifth-year early termination option (partially guaranteed). Re-signed as restricted free agent using Bird rights.
  • Kyle Lowry: Three years, $85MM. Acquired via sign-and-trade.
  • P.J. Tucker: Two years, $14.35MM. Second-year player option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • Max Strus: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Gabe Vincent: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Omer Yurtseven: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Dewayne Dedmon: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Udonis Haslem: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Markieff Morris: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Victor Oladipo: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Marcus Garrett: Two-way contract.
  • Caleb Martin: Two-way contract.

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • None

Contract extensions:

  • Jimmy Butler: Three years, maximum salary. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2023/24.
    • Note: Butler’s starting salary in 2023/24 will be the lesser amount of $45,183,960 or 35% of the ’23/24 salary cap.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Victor Oladipo is recovering from quad tendon surgery and won’t play until sometime in 2022.
  • Being investigated by NBA for possible gun-jumping violation in Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade.

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
  • Carrying approximately $136.3MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $143MM.
  • $2,536,000 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($7MM used on P.J. Tucker).
  • Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.

The Heat’s offseason:

The Heat engaged in Kyle Lowry trade talks with the Raptors at last season’s deadline, but ultimately couldn’t agree to terms on a deal. The team pivoted to Victor Oladipo, who appeared in just four games for Miami before missing the rest of the season due to knee and quad problems. The Heat were subsequently swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the eventual-champion Bucks.

That sounds like a disaster, but it may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Pat Riley‘s team. The Raptors were reportedly seeking a package centered around Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson in exchange for Lowry at the trade deadline — their asking price dropped substantially once the veteran reached free agency and decided he wanted to join the Heat.

Rather than giving up Robinson, who signed a new five-year contract with Miami, or Herro, who could be poised for a breakout year, the Heat only had to surrender Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa in their sign-and-trade for Lowry.

Dragic is a solid, reliable player and Achiuwa, a 2020 first-round pick, still has a good deal of upside. But Achiuwa wasn’t one of the Heat’s cornerstone building blocks like Herro, Robinson, or Bam Adebayo, and Dragic isn’t at the same level as Lowry, one of the league’s most underappreciated stars.

It’s possible the last year of Lowry’s three-year, $85MM contract will look bad by 2023, but in the short term, the 35-year-old makes the Heat a more serious contender. While Lowry’s play-making ability and outside shooting acumen will make him a nice addition to Miami’s offense, it’s his effort level, toughness, and defensive ability that make him a perfect fit for the Heat.

After acquiring Lowry, the team doubled down on those traits by dedicating most of its mid-level exception to P.J. Tucker, a versatile defender who has shown a willingness over the years to handle some of the toughest assignments on the floor, whether that means guarding an elite wing scorer or a seven-foot center.

The mid-level exception was the only bullet the Heat really had left in the chamber after committing big money to Robinson and Lowry, so it’s fair to question the decision to spend most of it on Tucker, a player who contributes next to nothing on offense. But as long as he’s sharing the floor with players like Jimmy Butler, Lowry, Adebayo, Herro, and Robinson, Miami should have enough firepower, and head coach Erik Spoelstra will be able to form some tenacious defensive lineups.

To supplement Tucker at the power forward spot, the Heat signed Markieff Morris to a minimum-salary contract. Like Tucker, Morris isn’t much of an offensive threat, but he’s a tough, versatile big man who played an important role for the champion Lakers in 2020.

In order to remain below the tax line, the Heat filled out their roster with minimum-salary players, opting not to re-sign Kendrick Nunn or use their bi-annual exception. As a result, there are some questions about the team’s depth.

With Oladipo sidelined for the foreseeable future and Udonis Haslem not expected to play much, if at all, Miami will be leaning on KZ Okpala, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Omer Yurtseven, Caleb Martin, and Marcus Garrett, a group of relatively inexperienced youngsters. The club will also be counting on veteran center Dewayne Dedmon to carry over his second-half performance from 2020/21.

If Dedmon plays well and a couple of the young players emerge as reliable rotation pieces, the Heat should have enough depth to get by. If not, or if there are injury issues, the club may have to ask its starters to play big regular-season minutes.


The Heat’s season:

The Heat’s top six or seven players should be able to compete with just about any other top six or seven in the NBA, which bodes well when the postseason arrives and coaches shorten their rotations. The challenge will be to get through the regular season in a safe playoff position without wearing out the veterans too much.

A realistic projection for Miami probably has them finishing in the No. 3-6 range and perhaps winning a single series before being knocked out of the playoffs. But if everything goes right, the Heat could be a legitimate threat to upset top-tier Eastern Conference teams like the Nets and Bucks and make a deeper playoff run, like they did in the Orlando bubble in 2020.


Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

With the NBA regular season underway, most teams are taking full advantage of their ability to carry up to 17 players, including 15 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals. As our roster counts page shows, 23 of the league’s 30 teams have full 17-man squads.

Most of the teams not carrying a 15th player on a standard contract are either over the luxury tax line or are bumping up against it, and have opted for financial savings for now. Those clubs are all decent bets to add a 15th man by season’s end, but likely won’t be in any rush to do so unless they face depth issues.

Here are the teams that are currently carrying just 14 players on their standard rosters:

  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Utah Jazz

Of these six teams, three – the Bucks, Blazers, and Jazz – project to be taxpayers, while the Heat and Wolves would go over the tax line if they were to add a 15th man. The Suns are the only team in this group with no pressing tax concerns.

Meanwhile, there are two teams with an open two-way contract slot:

  • Orlando Magic
  • Phoenix Suns

The Magic’s inclusion here is a little surprising. They’re a rebuilding team with their own G League affiliate — it seems as if they’d benefit from taking a shot on a young prospect with that spot, and perhaps they will soon.

It’s less surprising that Phoenix is on this list. The Suns sold their G League affiliate last year, so they don’t have their own NBAGL team where they could send two-way players. Phoenix’s lone two-way player, Chandler Hutchison, will essentially serve as the team’s de facto 15th man for the time being.

Central Notes: Tucker, Brogdon, Pistons, Bulls Offseason

Forward P.J. Tucker was surprised and disappointed the Bucks didn’t make a competitive offer to retain him, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Tucker wanted to stay but Milwaukee didn’t show interest in doing so despite his contributions to its championship run.

I was pretty surprised,” said Tucker, who signed a two-year, $15MM deal with the Heat. “You win a championship and you are part of winning something special like that, you would expect that. A chance of it not happening? There’s a chance. It didn’t happen. … You watch role guys in series in the past, usually those guys go back.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • One of the reasons why the Pacers agreed to an extension with Malcolm Brogdon is the way he embraces his leadership role, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files notes. “Malcolm Brogdon is a special player and a special person, and he’s our leader,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “And one of the reasons I feel so great about this extension is that he really wants to be here. He wants to be in a position of high responsibility and leadership. He’s stepped those things up to a very high level.” Brogdon signed a two-year, $45MM extension.
  • The Pistons could have the youngest starting five in the league this season and coach Dwane Casey hopes they can establish a hard-nosed identity this season, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. “We’ve got to be patient. We’re a young group,” Casey said. “One thing we can control is how hard we come out and compete. We’re going to coach to win each and every possession – not every game, every possession – and compete as such. We want to establish who we are.”
  • The Suns’ ability to make the Finals with a young group fortified by key veteran additions helped convince Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to take an aggressive approach to the offseason, Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated writes. “It was very motivating to see how big a jump a team like Phoenix was able to make,” Karnisovas said. Herring takes a close look at how the pieces acquired by the Bulls could fit together.

Heat Notes: Herro, Vaccine, Two-Way Spots, Roster

After an impressive preseason, Heat guard Tyler Herro has given the team a reason to be optimistic entering the 2021/22 season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Herro poured in more than 25 points in three of his five outings, scoring from all three levels. The 21-year-old is coming off a campaign where he averaged 15.1 points, five rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He’s expected to be the team’s sixth man this season.

“I mean it feels good, a lot of hard work this offseason,” Herro said. “We’ve got a great group of guys, just feeding life into me, really putting me in positions to be successful, whether it’s the coaching staff or the players around me. So just continuing to work and one day at a time.”

There’s more out of Miami tonight:

  • Every player on the Heat is fully vaccinated, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “We’re a fully vaccinated team, so we can do different things than last year,” Herro said when asked about the first preseason road trip. “It was a little different. Getting on the road was really good for us. Just being on the road and experiencing that for the first time together was good.”
  • Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald examines how filling both two-way spots impacted the team’s Exhibit 10 players. Miami waived Javonte Smart, Dru Smith, Micah Potter and D.J. Stewart on Friday, which was procedural since Caleb Martin and Marcus Garrett already occupy the club’s two-way spots.
  • Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explores whether the Heat might’ve moved too quickly with its current roster. Miami is looking to contend again this season — just one calendar year removed from reaching the NBA Finals.

Heat Waive Potter, Smart, Smith, Stewart

The Heat have waived Micah PotterJavonte Smart, Dru Smith, and D.J. Stewart, per a team press release. All four players were on Exhibit 10 contracts.

All four players were undrafted rookies, and if they spend at least 60 days with the Heat’s G League squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, they could earn a bonus of up to $50K.

Potter, 6’10”, played two seasons with Ohio State before transferring to Wisconsin. He showed an impressive shooting touch for a big man, connecting on 38.6% of his three-point attempts and 84% of his free throws as a senior. He also had a strong preseason showing with the Heat, appearing in three games with averages of 10.3 PPG and 11.3 RPG in 24.0 minutes.

Smart, a 6’4″ guard, played college ball at LSU, averaging 16.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 4.0 APG (35.6 MPG) in 28 games as a senior. He appeared in five preseason contests with the Heat.

Smith, a 6’3″ guard, played for Evansville before transferring to Missouri. He averaged 14.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG (34.1 MPG) in 26 games as a senior. He appeared in three preseason games with the Heat.

Stewart, a 6’6″ wing, declared for the draft after two seasons at Mississippi State. He averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.1 APG (35.0 MPG) in 28 games as a sophomore and appeared in four preseason contests with the Heat.

The moves leave the Heat with 14 players on guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled.