Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

QO Updates: Wanamaker, Hernangomez, Fall, Chiozza, More

November 19th, 2020 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics won’t be making a qualifying offer to guard Brad Wanamaker, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The decision will ensure that Wanamaker becomes an unrestricted free agent on Friday, rather than an RFA.

The decision is a little surprising, as Wanamaker’s QO would only have been worth about $1.82MM. And he was a fairly reliable bench contributor in Boston in 2019/20, averaging 6.9 PPG and 2.5 APG on .448/.363/.926 shooting in 71 games (19.3 MPG). However, with Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard entering the mix, the Celtics don’t have a ton of roster spots to go around.

There’s still a chance that Wanamaker could return to the Celtics, particularly if Gordon Hayward ends up elsewhere, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Here are several more updates on qualifying offer decisions from around the NBA:

The Timberwolves, as expected, tendered a qualifying offer to power forward Juan Hernangomez, making him a restricted free agent, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). That QO is worth about $4.6MM. Hernangomez could accept it, but is more likely to try to negotiate a new, longer-term deal with Minnesota.
The Celtics extended qualifying offers to both of their two-way players, Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters, the team announced in a press release. Those QOs are for new two-way deals with $50K guarantees.
The Pacers won’t extend qualifying offers to big man Alize Johnson or two-way players Brian Bowen and Naz Mitrou-Long, tweets Scotto. All three players will become unrestricted free agents.
Among other two-way players, Nets guard Chris Chiozza will receive a qualifying offer, but Pelicans guard Josh Gray won’t, according to Scotto (Twitter links). The Heat also won’t send a QO to two-way player Kyle Alexander, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Free Agency Notes: Heat, Gibson, Beasley, Millsap

November 19th, 2020 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat president Pat Riley provided a major hint on his free agency plans during his post-draft availability on Wednesday night, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who tweets that Riley said he hopes to “run this thing back.”

The Heat can essentially go one of two directions this weekend. One direction is renouncing most of their own free agents and opening up cap room to pursue outside FAs. The other is remaining over the cap and making an effort to bring back several of their own free agents, starting with Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic. It sounds like Riley is prepared to take the latter path.

Here’s more on free agency:

Although the Knicks waived Taj Gibson and turned down Bobby Portis‘ option, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) hears that the team still has some mutual interest with both players, who could return on more modest salaries. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News suggests (via Twitter) that the Suns, Clippers, and Warriors are among the other clubs to watch for Gibson.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said today during an appearance on The Chad Hartman Show in Minnesota that drafting Anthony Edwards doesn’t mean the team doesn’t plan to re-sign Malik Beasley. “We hope that relationship (with Beasley) continues,” Rosas said (Twitter link via Dane Moore of News Talk 830 WCCO). Wolfson (via Twitter) thinks that the Wolves and Beasley could work out a two-year deal.
Paul Millsap plans to weigh his options at the start of free agency and see what kind of market develops before making a decision, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. No deal is imminent yet for Millsap, who is expected to receive interest from the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, among others.
Suns GM James Jones said on Wednesday night that his front office will be looking for “Suns fits” in free agency, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. “I feel really good about our ability to build on the rest of our roster,” Jones said.

Raptors’ Boucher Among Players Receiving Qualifying Offers

November 19th, 2020 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors big man Chris Boucher is receiving a qualifying offer from the team, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The QO, which is worth just shy of $2MM, will make Boucher a restricted free agent this offseason. As long as that offer remains in place, he’ll have the option of accepting it and playing out the season in Toronto, or negotiating a new contract with the Raptors or another team. If he signs an offer sheet with a rival suitor, the Raps would have the opportunity to match it.

Unlike his teammate, Raptors wing Malcolm Miller won’t be getting a $2MM qualifying offer, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Instead of becoming a restricted free agent, Miller will be unrestricted, free to sign outright with any team.

Here are a few more updates on qualifying offers being issued across the NBA:

The Kings extended a qualifying offer to two-way player DaQuan Jeffries, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic, who tweets that Sacramento coaches like Jeffries’ defense and energy. Jeffries’ QO will be another two-way deal with a $50K guarantee.
The Wizards have made a qualifying offer to two-way shooting guard Garrison Mathews, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Matthews averaged 5.4 PPG with an impressive .413 3PT% in 18 games (12.6 MPG) for Washington as a rookie. His QO is another two-way contract with a $50K guarantee.
Two-way guard Gabe Vincent received a qualifying offer from the Heat, making him a restricted free agent, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Vincent didn’t see much time in the NBA last season, but the Heat apparently liked what they saw enough to offer him a second two-way deal.

Kelly Olynyk Exercises 2020/21 Player Option

November 19th, 2020 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 19: Olynyk’s move is official, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who adds that the Heat are now roughly $45MM below the tax line and are expected to move forward as an over-the-cap team. That will enable them to exceed the salary cap to bring back free agents Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder and possibly Meyers Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr.

NOVEMBER 18: Heat big man Kelly Olynyk is exercising his player option for 2020/21, as expected, a league source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The move will guarantee Olynyk’s $13.2MM salary for next season and put him in line to reach unrestricted free agency in 2021.

Olynyk, 29, came off the bench for most of last season in Miami, averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG with a solid shooting line of .462/.406/.860 in 67 games (19.4 MPG). Assuming Olynyk returns to the Heat for next season, he should once again be a regular part of the rotation, especially if center Meyers Leonard departs in free agency.

It’s also worth noting that once he opts into his contract, Olynyk will also be eligible to be traded, and his expiring contract could make a good salary-matching piece for the Heat as they explore their options this fall and perhaps during the season.

Since Olynyk was expected to opt in, the move doesn’t affect the Heat’s cap outlook. Miami still has he opportunity to open up some room, though the team is considered more likely to stay over the cap, attempting to re-sign players like Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder, and potentially using the mid-level exception.

Heat Could Benefit From Targeting Danilo Gallinari

November 18th, 2020 at 12:29pm CST by JD Shaw

With the hopes of signing Giannis Antetokounmpo next offseason potentially starting to fade, the Heat could benefit from pivoting their attention to Danilo Gallinari, Bryan Toporek of Forbes writes. Antetokounmpo has the option of signing a five-year, $228MM supermax extension with the Bucks, who elevated their roster by acquiring Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic earlier this week. Gallinari will enter unrestricted free agency on Friday and shared mutual interest with the Heat on a trade last February, but Miami was unwilling to extend the 32-year-old and surrender cap space. He averaged 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 29.6 minutes per game with the Thunder last season, shooting 40.5% from three-point range.

Southeast Notes: Gordon, Magic, Hawks, Heat

November 17th, 2020 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Before the Trail Blazers reached an agreement with Houston to acquire Robert Covington in exchange for Trevor Ariza, this year’s No. 16 pick, and a protected 2021 first-round selection, Portland used similar assets to attempt to acquire Aaron Gordon from the Magic, according to Mitch Lawrence of SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link), who says Orlando didn’t bite.

Gordon is believed to be available, with one recent report suggesting the Magic are attempting to move up in the draft by attaching the forward to the No. 15 pick. However, it makes sense that Orlando would be lukewarm on an offer made up of an expiring contract and two mid-to-late first-rounders. If the Magic do move Gordon, they’d likely want to get an impact player in return, or at least create a path to land one (ie. securing a high lottery pick).

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman confirmed on Monday that his team has explored the possibility of trading up or trading down in the draft, but said the “greatest likelihood” is that the club remains at No. 15, per Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel.
Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said something similar in his Monday conference call, suggesting that staying put at No. 6 is most likely for his club, followed by trading down. As Chris Kirschner of The Athletic relays, Schlenk also spoke about Atlanta shifting from “asset accumulation to hopefully talent accumulation” using its cap room this offseason, suggesting the team is no longer prioritizing accommodating salary dumps with its cap space.
Texas Tech guard Jahmi’us Ramsey conducted a personalized workout on Zoom with the Heat, he told reporters today (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Ramsey added that he also did a Zoom workout that about 22 teams watched.

Heat Guarantee Salaries For Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson

November 17th, 2020 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have guaranteed the 2020/21 salaries for guard Kendrick Nunn and forward Duncan Robinson, a league source tells John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link). Previously, their matching minimum salaries ($1,663,861) for next season had been fully non-guaranteed.

Given the impact Nunn and Robinson had for the Heat in 2019/20, guaranteeing those salaries was always considered a mere formality.

Nunn, a contender for Rookie of the Year, averaged 15.3 PPG and 3.3 APG in 67 games (all starts), while Robinson emerged as one of the NBA’s most dangerous outside shooters, knocking down 44.6% of 8.3 three-point attempts per game in 73 contests.

Both Nunn and Robinson will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2021. Meeting the starter criteria next season would increase the value of their qualifying offers and accompanying cap holds. However, those holds will still be modest enough that they shouldn’t be an impediment to Miami maximizing its cap room to pursue a star free agent.

Goran Dragic Will Explore Market In Free Agency

November 15th, 2020 at 1:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Goran Dragic would like to return to the Heat, but tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link) he plans to listen to other offers when free agency starts Friday.

The veteran point guard was used mainly as a reserve last season, but moved into the starting lineup for the playoffs and played a huge role in helping Miami reach the NBA Finals. He averaged 19.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the postseason, showing he still has some value left at age 34.

“For me, the most important thing is that I be respected because I put a lot of hard work in my game, and I think I play hard,” Dragic told Charania. “So, of course, I know Miami wants to bring me back. I’m hoping we can finish this championship run next season, but I know this is part of the business. It’s a lot of options here and we’ll see. I’m open to all suggestions, and from there on, we’re gonna see which one is the best possibility for me and for my family. So, yeah, Miami’s up there. They were great to me and we’ll see. Hopefully, we can make a deal.”

If Dragic wants to remain with the Heat, he may have to accept a one-year contract. Miami is trying to preserve cap space for next summer’s free agent class and is expected to be in the running for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available. Dragic earned $19.2MM last season in the final year of a five-year extension.

Also in the interview, Dragic discusses his adjustment to being a sixth man during the season and says he has fully recovered from the plantar fascia tear that sidelined him during the NBA Finals.

Lakers Expected To Pursue Wesley Matthews

November 15th, 2020 at 12:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are interested in signing shooting guard Wesley Matthews to replace Danny Green, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Matthews holds a $2.69MM player option on his contract but he’s expected to decline it so that he can become an unrestricted free agent.

Green is headed to the Thunder in an agreed-upon deal that will send Dennis Schroder to Los Angeles. Matthews, 34, started 67 regular-season games for the Bucks last season and averaged 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.4 APG. Matthews also averaged 7.2 PPG in 10 postseason starts for Milwaukee.

The Bucks have reportedly made retaining Matthews a priority. Other playoff-caliber teams, such as the Heat, could also get in the mix.

Matthews’ value is mainly as a floor spacer. He’s a 38.1% career 3-point shooter, though his success rate dropped to 36.4% last season.

Heat Hire Caron Butler As Assistant Coach

November 14th, 2020 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 14: The move is official, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

NOVEMBER 13: The Heat are hiring former NBA forward Caron Butler as an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff, a source tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

Having last appeared in the NBA in 2016 and having announced his retirement in 2018, Butler has spent the last few years working as a basketball analyst. When he retired, Butler said he intended to remain involved in the game “in some form or another” — this will be his first coaching role.

Butler, 40, averaged 14.1 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 881 career regular season games between 2002 and 2016, racking up 12,430 points over the course of his 14 NBA seasons. The two-time All-Star also appeared in 65 postseason games, winning a title with the Mavericks in 2011, though he was unable to suit up for Dallas during those playoffs due to an injury.

Although Butler only spent the first two years of his playing career with the Heat, he had a significant impact in those two seasons, per Reynolds, who notes (via Twitter) that Dwyane Wade credited Butler for teaching him everything he knows “about how to be a professional.” Spoelstra was an assistant on Miami’s staff during Butler’s stint with the team, so their relationship dates back nearly two decades.

Butler will help fill the hole on the Heat’s sidelines created when veteran assistant Dan Craig left for the Clippers.