Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Markieff Morris Signs With Heat

August 3rd, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: The Heat’s flurry of Friday press releases continued with an announcement of Morris’ new deal with the team.

“Markieff Morris has been a player that we’ve followed closely for a number of years,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He can play multiple positions, shoot the three, defend and post-up. To be able to add him to our nucleus was a big move. I want to thank Markieff for coming to Miami.”

AUGUST 3: Veteran forward Markieff Morris has agreed to a one-year deal with the Heat, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’ll be worth the veteran’s minimum, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

A report on Monday indicated that the Heat had made a contract offer to Morris. A day later, he has accepted it, becoming the latest free agent to make a commitment to Miami this week.

The Heat have focused on adding tough, savvy veterans, having reached deals with Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker in addition to Morris. The club also reached an agreement to re-sign sharpshooter Duncan Robinson and is bringing back center Dewayne Dedmon.

Morris, who figures to share minutes with Tucker at the four, spent the last two seasons with the Lakers, playing a rotation role on the championship roster in 2020. This past season, he averaged 6.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG on 4.05/.311/.720 shooting in 61 games (19.7 MPG). He’s typically a slightly more reliable three-point shooter, having made 34.5% of his career attempts prior to 2020/21.

The Heat still have some of their mid-level exception and their full bi-annual exception available, but they don’t have a ton of breathing room below their hard cap to fill out the roster, so they may prefer minimum-salary signings.

Heat Pull Qualifying Offer On Kendrick Nunn

August 3rd, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by JD Shaw

The Heat have pulled the $4.74MM qualifying offer on point guard Kendrick Nunn, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Miami no longer has the ability to match an offer for Nunn, who can now sign outright with a new team.

Nunn, 26, is coming off an inconsistent stint with Miami, seeing his role fluctuate during his two seasons with the team. He still managed to average 15 points and 3.0 assists in 123 regular-season games (29.4 MPG), shooting 46% from the floor.

The Heat signed Nunn at the end of the 2018/19 season, developing him as a young player behind starting point guard Goran Dragic. Miami is also expected to deal Dragic as part of a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry, the team’s prized free-agent acquisition of the summer.

In addition to Lowry, the Heat agreed to re-sign four of its own free agents and landed P.J. Tucker on a two-year, $15MM contract. The team has 10 players under contract and will likely fill its remaining roster spots on minimum-salary deals or something close to it — in addition to two players on two-way contracts.

Free Agency Rumors: DeRozan, Bulls, Wizards, McLaughlin, Rose, Heat

August 3rd, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A sign-and-trade deal that sends DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls remains a possibility for the veteran free agent wing, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Chicago has previously been mentioned as a possible suitor for DeRozan, and Stein’s report suggests the team remains interested even after reaching agreements with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.

A Monday report from Brian Windhorst of ESPN suggested that a double sign-and-trade sending DeRozan to the Bulls and Lauri Markkanen to the Spurs could be one possibility that the two sides would explore. Chicago also expiring contracts belonging to Thaddeus Young ($14.19MM) and Al-Farouq Aminu ($10.18MM), both of which would theoretically make for good salary-matching pieces.

Here are a few more rumors related to free agency:

As Spencer Dinwiddie and the Wizards continue to work toward a possible agreement that would land the point guard in D.C., Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says (via Twitter) that Washington has begun exploring the possibility of trading Chandler Hutchison and a second-round pick as part of a potential sign-and-trade deal for Dinwiddie.
Jordan McLaughlin and his camp are optimistic about reaching a new multiyear contract agreement with the Timberwolves, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). McLaughlin, a restricted free agent, met face-to-face with the Wolves when free agency opened on Monday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
The Knicks are expected to re-sign Derrick Rose using his Early Bird rights, which means they can keep his smaller cap hold on their books for now and then eventually go over the cap to complete his deal, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper estimates that New York could still have upwards of $9MM in cap room to work with, or even more if the team waives Luca Vildoza‘s non-guaranteed salary.
The Heat had interest in Rudy Gay, but weren’t going to match Utah’s two-year, $12MM offer, preferring to commit most of their mid-level to a strong defensive player in P.J. Tucker, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Heat Re-Sign Dewayne Dedmon

August 3rd, 2021 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: The Heat have officially re-signed Dedmon, the team announced today in a press release.

“We love Dewayne and his aggressive attitude at the center position,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He’s a great screener, rebounder and can stretch the floor. He came in after missing most of the season and had a tremendous impact for us. His veteran presence and physicality are going to help anchor our defense and with a whole year under his belt, he will be even better.”

AUGUST 3: Dedmon’s new deal will be worth the minimum, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

AUGUST 2: The Heat have agreed to terms with free agent center Dewayne Dedmon, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that it’ll be a one-year contract.

Dedmon, who will turn 32 this month, joined the Heat for the home stretch of the 2020/21 season and played well, averaging 7.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG with a .708 FG% in 16 games (13.1 MPG).

Miami reportedly had interest in re-signing him but wasn’t sure about its chances, since the team only held Non-Bird rights and Dedmon had been on a minimum-salary contract, limiting his ability to get a raise. While the details of the deal haven’t yet been reported, it seems likely it’ll be either another minimum deal or something close to it.

It has been a busy first day of free agency for the Heat, who have now secured commitments from Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, P.J. Tucker, and Dedmon. The team is also lining up a maximum-salary extension for Jimmy Butler.

Heat Re-Sign Gabe Vincent

August 3rd, 2021 at 12:04am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 6: Vincent’s deal is now official, the Heat announced today in a press release.

“Gabe has proven to us that he is more than just a point guard,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He’s a two-way guard that can run the offense, make threes and pretty much defend any guard in this league. It’s good to have him as part of our young core of players that we feel blend perfectly with our veterans.”

AUGUST 3: The Heat are set to bring back free agent point guard Gabe Vincent on a two-year, $3.5MM minimum contract, Vincent’s agent Bill Neff informs Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Vincent, 25, appeared in 50 games for the Heat during the 2020/21 season, including seven starts. Vincent averaged 4.8 PPG, 1.3 APG and 1.1 RPG in 13.1 MPG last year.

After going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2018, Vincent played with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate, for the 2018/19 season.

He then latched on with the Heat as a two-way player for the 2019/20 season. Vincent appeared in just nine games for Miami during his rookie season, spending most of his time with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

He was named the Most Improved Player in the G League for 2019/20 while with Sioux Falls, after averaging 21.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG, while pouring in a .450/.406/.923 slash line. At the NBA level, he has been a gritty, defense-first option on the perimeter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Rumors: Oubre, Mills, Dinwiddie, Carmelo, More

August 2nd, 2021 at 10:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent swingman Kelly Oubre received interest from the Heat after free agency began, but didn’t set a meeting with Miami because he is hoping to net a contract “well above” the mid-level exception, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

Now that Miami has committed to using most of its mid-level exception on P.J. Tucker, Oubre is almost certainly off the table for the Heat, even if his asking price drops.

Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA world:

Free agent sharpshooting combo guard Patty Mills has received interest from the Lakers and Nets, per Marc Stein of Substack (via Twitter). Anthony Slater of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Warriors could also pursue Mills and posits that he may fetch a deal that within range of the taxpayer mid-level. Jordan Schultz of ESPN tweets that the Nets are apparently a distant third in the sweepstakes to sign Mills.
Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports (Twitter link) that free agent point guard Spencer Dinwiddie appears unlikely to sign with the Mavericks.
37-year-old free agent forward Carmelo Anthony continues to weigh interest from the Lakers and Knicks, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Before Alex Caruso finalized his four-year agreement with the Bulls, Caruso’s camp checked back in with the Lakers and was told L.A. wouldn’t be putting a counter-offer on the table, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Newly re-signed Nuggets reserve power forward JaMychal Green fielded richer offers in free agency than the two-year, $17MM contract he ultimately signed to remain in Denver, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. Singer says the Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Spurs were the other teams most interested in Green.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Heat Re-Sign Max Strus To Two-Year Contract

August 2nd, 2021 at 9:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 6: The Heat and Strus have made it official, per a team release.

“As one of our young developing players, Max proved he can be very productive for us,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He stepped up when needed last season and produced. His shooting and overall game is going to help our team immensely.”

AUGUST 2: The Heat will re-sign third-year free agent swingman Max Strus on a two-year contract worth $3.5MM, his agent Mark Bartelstein informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). This sum is in line with the amount of a veteran’s minimum deal for Strus.

After going undrafted in 2019 out of DePaul, the Hickory Hills, Illinois native joined his home state Bulls on a two-way contract for the 2019/20 season. Strus suited up for 13 games with Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, and had a two-game cameo with Chicago, before suffering a season-ending left ACL tear.

Strus then inked a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 camp deal with the Heat ahead of the 2020/21 season, and later was brought on as a two-way player for the rest of the year. The Heat extended a $50K qualifying offer to the 6’5″ wing this summer, making him a restricted free agent under team control.

During his 39 games with Miami, the 25-year-old Strus averaged 6.1 PPG in 13.0 MPG, while nailing 45.5% of his field goal looks, 33.8% of his three-point tries, and 66.7% of his free throws.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Re-Sign Bobby Portis

August 2nd, 2021 at 6:38pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: The Bucks have officially re-signed Portis, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 2: The Bucks have agreed to a two-year, $9MM contract with free agent forward Bobby Portis, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal will include a second-year player option, according to Charania.

It’s a team-friendly rate for Portis, who played an important role in Milwaukee’s championship run this summer. As Charania explains (Twitter links), Portis turned down potential deals from the Mavericks and Heat in order to remain in Milwaukee because he appreciated the organization’s culture and winning environment and the way the community embraced him.

The Bucks were limited in their ability to offer Portis much more than what he’s getting, since they only held his Non-Bird rights. That meant the team couldn’t give him more than a 20% raise on last year’s $3.623MM salary without dipping into its mid-level exception.

It appears Milwaukee will indeed use its Non-Bird rights to bring back Portis — his two-year deal should start at about $4.35MM. If he opts out in 2022, the Bucks would have his Early Bird rights and could sign him to a more lucrative contract.

Among qualified players, only two had a higher three-point percentage in 2020/21 than Portis’ 47.1% mark. He also contributed 11.4 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 66 games (20.8 MPG).

Heat To Acquire Kyle Lowry, Re-Sign Duncan Robinson

August 2nd, 2021 at 5:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat will add Kyle Lowry in free agency via a sign-and-trade with the Raptors and will also re-sign Duncan Robinson, as Marc Stein reports (via Twitter). Both deals had been widely expected, and Lowry has confirmed on Twitter that he’s Miami-bound.

Lowry’s new three-year contract with the Heat will be worth approximately $90MM, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). All three years will be fully guaranteed, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Robinson, meanwhile, has agreed to a five-year, $90MM contract with Miami, his agent Jason Glushon tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal includes an early termination option after year four.

The Heat have been after Lowry since at least the trade deadline in March. While they were unable to land the six-time All-Star at the time, they’ll add him to the mix now, beating out other rumored suitors such as the Mavericks, Pelicans, and Sixers. The move will unite Lowry with his close friend Jimmy Butler, who is expected to sign a lucrative new contract extension of his own.

While a three-year, $90MM investment is a risk for a player who is entering his age-35 season, Lowry has championship experience and is an ideal fit for virtually any team due to his ability to handle the ball, knock down outside shots, and provide strong defense. He averaged 17.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 5.3 RPG on .436/.396/.875 in 46 games (34.8 MPG) in his final season as a Raptor.

While the exact terms of the sign-and-trade that will send Lowry to Miami haven’t been reported, the expectation is that the deal will include Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa, with the Raptors perhaps rerouting Dragic elsewhere.

As for Robinson, he’s a career 42.3% shooter from three-point range, which put him in line for a long-term deal in the range of $16-18MM per year — that’s what sharpshooters Joe Harris and Davis Bertans received in free agency a year ago and the 27-year-old Robinson is a little younger than both players.

The Heat still have the mid-level exception at their disposal as they look for additional rotation upgrades around Lowry, Robinson, Butler, and Bam Adebayo.

Free Agency Rumors: Bulls, Galloway, Bullock, Caruso, Dinwiddie, Theis

August 2nd, 2021 at 4:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bulls appear to be aware that they need to upgrade their playmaking. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports (Twitter video link) that Chicago could be looking to add Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan to their roster.

Windhorst notes that the Bulls may be able to extract Ball from the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade deal, provided the Pelicans can add a point guard replacement for Ball either in the trade or elsewhere. The notion of DeRozan joining the Chicago backcourt as well is intriguing. “From what I am told, [the Bulls] are also interested in DeMar DeRozan, and are interested in pulling off a possible double sign-and-trade where they would send [Chicago’s restricted free agent power forward] Lauri Markkanen to San Antonio,” Windhorst said in an ESPN segment.

Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA, with the official start of the signing season just moments away:

After averaging a career-low 4.8 PPG in a career-low 40 games as essentially a part-time player for the eventual 2021 championship runner-up Suns, Langston Galloway appears ready to move on. “I was on a team that made it to the finals, but my biggest thing is getting an opportunity to play,” Galloway told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “Being on a team like that, I learned a lot, and all I need is someone that’s going to believe in me. That’s going to go a long way, and it’s going to pay dividends for whatever team I get the chance to play for next year.”
Free agent Knicks shooting guard Reggie Bullock may have suitors offering him new deals in the range of a three-year mid-level contract, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks still hope to bring Bullock back. Berman adds that the Knicks are also rumored to have interest in free agent shooting guard Evan Fournier, and if they were to add him and Bullock, the incumbent Bullock would be demoted to the New York bench.
Unrestricted free agent Lakers reserve point guard Alex Caruso will speak with several clubs and is intent on picking a free agent destination expediently, writes Marks Medina of USA Today (Twitter link). Medina writes that the Lakers, who hold Caruso’s Bird rights, could look to retain him, especially since he could provide their suddenly top-heavy roster with some much-needed shooting and defense in the backcourt.
Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie apparently will decide between the Pelicans, Knicks and Wizards, though the Celtics could also a candidate, reports Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link). Sources inform Schultz that the Pelicans at least are prepared to offer Dinwiddie a long-term deal that could pay $20MM or more annually. Shams Charania reports (Twitter video link) that Dinwiddie will meet with the Wizards at the start of free agency. “They have made him an ultimate target early in this free agency process,” Charania said.
Free agent Bulls center/power forward Daniel Theis could be a target for several clubs looking for a big man upgrade, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto lists teams like the Rockets, Spurs, Raptors, Pistons and the playoff-contending Heat as candidates for Theis this summer.