Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

23 Trade Exceptions To Expire Within Next Month

January 20th, 2020 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

As NBA teams consider their trade options before the February 6 deadline, it’s worth keeping in mind that a number of clubs hold traded player exceptions. These traded player exceptions allow over-the-cap clubs to acquire a player – or multiple players – whose salary fits within the TPE without having to send out any salary in return.

Traded player exceptions can’t be combined with another salary or exception and often aren’t worth much, so most of them ultimately go unused. Still, they can come in handy every now and then, particularly for under-the-tax clubs that don’t mind adding a little more money to their books.

Last season, a total of 23 trades were completed between January 22 and February 7, resulting in 23 trade exceptions that haven’t yet been used or renounced and will expire if they’re not used by this year’s trade deadline.

Here are those traded player exceptions, listed in order of value, with the expiration date noted in parentheses for each TPE:

Dallas Mavericks: $11,825,694 (2/7)
Miami Heat: $6,270,000 (2/7)
Houston Rockets: $3,620,016 (2/7)
Houston Rockets: $3,206,160 (2/7)
Toronto Raptors: $2,536,898 (2/7)
Detroit Pistons: $2,500,000 (2/6)
Portland Trail Blazers: $1,740,000 (2/7)
Houston Rockets: $1,621,415 (2/7)
Toronto Raptors: $1,569,360 (2/6)
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1,544,951 (2/7)
Houston Rockets: $1,544,951 (2/7)
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1,544,951 (2/3)
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1,512,601 (2/7)
Houston Rockets: $1,512,601 (1/22)
Houston Rockets: $1,512,601 (2/7)
Memphis Grizzlies: $1,512,601 (2/7)
Toronto Raptors: $1,512,601 (2/7)
Dallas Mavericks: $1,233,152 (1/31)
Detroit Pistons: $1,140,682 (2/7)
Washington Wizards: $311,913 (2/6)
Cleveland Cavaliers: $266,728 (2/4)
Memphis Grizzlies: $184,467 (2/7)
Washington Wizards: $183,148 (2/7)

For the full list of traded player exceptions currently available, including a Warriors TPE worth $17MM that probably can’t be used until July, click here.

Heat Notes: Nunn, Winslow, Butler

January 19th, 2020 at 5:26pm CST by JD Shaw

Impressive rookie guard Kendrick Nunn has regained his hot hand by staying true to himself, not becoming overconfident and continuing to push the action, Khobi Price of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Nunn, a Rookie of the Year candidate, was averaging 16 points on 46% shooting entering Sunday’s game against San Antonio. He’s provided solid production as starting point guard with Justise Winslow still rehabbing from a back injury.

“He has to [pick his spots offensively] because there are a lot of guys that are very similar, that are efficient with their shooting attempts,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said, as relayed by Price. “Our team is built, the success is built on the more guys having an impact. But he’s ignitable. He’s finding his own way to fit into this offense, but fit in with Jimmy [Butler]. Kendrick can score in a lot of those random situations because he has a great feel for getting the ball in the basket.”

Nunn finished with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting against the Spurs, also recording four assists and two steals in 36 minutes of work. Miami will continue relying on his production as the team shoots for a high playoff seed this spring.

“We want Kendrick to be aggressive and we try to put him in the right spots to have a quality shot,” Goran Dragic said. “He’s great at reading those situations and you can see he can make shots.”

Here are some other notes from Miami tonight:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether the timing of Justise Winslow‘s back injury has sabotaged potential trade options, with the forward set to be re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff in two weeks. Winslow would likely play just a few games before the February 6 trade deadline, and that’s only if he returns after his evaluation. Miami currently holds a 29-13 record, but the team is just 5-5 in its last 10 games.
Winderman listed his mid-season report cards for each Heat player in a separate Sun Sentinel article, giving Jimmy Butler the highest grade of an A+. Butler has struggled in clutch situations and behind-the-arc this season, but the veteran forward has propelled Miami to the second-best record in the East on All-Star-level play.
Despite a very strong first half, Miami remains focused on improving throughout the rest of the campaign, Price writes in a separate story. “We got something special in the making,” All-Star hopeful Bam Adebayo said. “We just have to keep our heads down and keep the same mentality we’ve been having and we’ll be okay.”

Heat Notes: 2021 Cap Room, Aldridge, DeRozan

January 17th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald suggests that preserving 2021 cap room isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker for the Heat if they find a trade they like, since the team believes it can acquire star free agents even without cap space, as it did last summer with Jimmy Butler.
Within the same article, Jackson also explores several trade options for the Heat, citing one source who says the team will likely be in touch with San Antonio. The Spurs haven’t given any indication they want to move LaMarcus Aldridge or DeMar DeRozan, but would consider Miami a potential trade partner if they do consider dealing either veteran star, says Jackson.

Lowe: Heat Looking For Missing Piece

January 17th, 2020 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN’s Zach Lowe thinks the Heat are one player away from being “really dangerous” and hears from sources that the team is actively looking for that piece. According to Lowe, there has been plenty of speculation around the NBA about Miami – and other teams – targeting Jrue Holiday, but potential suitors don’t expect the Pelicans to move him this season.

Justise Winslow Out At Least Two More Weeks

January 17th, 2020 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Justise Winslow will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, who said today that the team will re-evaluate Winslow’s back injury at the end of the month (Twitter link via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald).

Winslow was previously on the shelf for a month due to a bone bruise in his back. He returned to the court last Wednesday, but re-aggravated the injury during that game and visited a specialist this week. Having missed Miami’s last three contests, Winslow will remain out for at least the team’s seven remaining games in January. He has only appeared in 11 games on the season.

The Heat, who currently hold the No. 2 seed in the East, are 21-8 without Winslow in their lineup this season, so it’s not as if his absence should have a major impact on their push for a top seed in the East. Still, even if he’s able to return two weeks from now, the team won’t have much of an opportunity to evaluate his fit in the current rotation before the trade deadline.

Because Miami has traded away two future first-round picks and has no interest in moving young, inexpensive contributors like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson, league observers have viewed Winslow as the club’s most logical trade chip. He’s just 23 years old and still has real upside while also earning a salary ($13MM) that would give the Heat a number of trade options.

If Winslow has yet to show by February 6 that he’s fully healthy, the odds of him being included in a major deadline deal are slim, so the Heat may simply have to hope he can contribute down the stretch after getting back to 100%.

Details Of Chris Silva's Contract Released

January 15th, 2020 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Silva‘s new three-year contract with the Heat is fully guaranteed at $1.6MM for next season, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Silva’s guarantee date for $1.8MM in 2021/22 will occur shortly after the end of next season.

How Riley, Butler Revitalized Heat; Olynyk Falls Out Of Rotation

January 15th, 2020 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

For the five years following LeBron James‘ departure in 2014, the Heat were almost exactly a .500 team, averaging just under 42 wins per season. However, the club is on pace to rack up 56 wins in 2019/20. In an entertaining feature, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps take a look at how team president Pat Riley and free agent addition Jimmy Butler – along with rising star Bam Adebayo – have helped revitalize the franchise.
After spending most of the season outside of the Heat‘s rotation, James Johnson has played rotation minutes in three of the team’s last four games, while it’s Kelly Olynyk who finds himself getting DNP-CDs. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines the evolving roles for the two Miami bigs and how they’re responding.

Heat Sign Kyle Alexander To Two-Way Contract

January 15th, 2020 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 15: The Heat have formally finalized Alexander’s two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

JANUARY 14: With Chris Silva ticketed for a spot on the Heat‘s 15-man roster, the team will fill his two-way contract slot by signing forward Kyle Alexander, sources tell Andre Fernandez of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Alexander, 23, signed a training camp deal with the Heat last July after going undrafted out of Tennessee. Having reported to Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, once he was cut by the NBA club in the fall, he has averaged 10.6 PPG and 9.0 RPG with a .692 FG% in 23 NBAGL games (25.1 MPG).

According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), Alexander will remain with Sioux Falls after signing his two-way deal. However, he’ll be eligible to spend up to 24 days with the NBA team until the G League regular season ends.

Once the Heat’s series of moves is complete, the team will have a full roster for the first time this season. Silva’s three-year contract will make him the 15th man on the standard roster, while Alexander and Gabe Vincent will fill Miami’s two-way slots.

Heat Sign Chris Silva To Three-Year Deal

January 15th, 2020 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 15: It happened one day later than initially expected, but Silva has officially signed his new NBA contract with the Heat, the team announced today (Twitter link). Miami can now move forward with its two-way deal for Kyle Alexander.

JANUARY 13: The Heat intend to promote Chris Silva to their 15-man roster on Tuesday, ending his two-way contract and finalizing a new three-year deal, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

The move has long been expected, as Silva has outplayed his two-way deal this season and Miami has an open roster spot on its 15-man squad. Jackson reported over the weekend that the move was coming, while cap expert Albert Nahmad (Twitter link) predicted a three-year contract would be finalized by Wednesday.

Because they’re only $855K away from their hard cap, the Heat have thus far been unable to promote Silva, but they’ll be able to do so on Tuesday — at that time, a prorated minimum-salary contract for him will only count for about $851K for tax purposes.

Miami will use a portion of its mid-level exception to complete a three-year deal, which will give the team Bird rights on Silva in 2022 if he plays out the full contract. It’s unclear how much – if any – money will be guaranteed beyond 2019/20.

Silva, 23, has already appeared in 30 games for Miami this season despite being on a two-way contract, as the club has maximized his 45-day NBA limit. The forward is averaging 3.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG with a .691 FG% in 8.3 minutes per contest.

By converting Silva’s contract before January 15, the Heat will have the opportunity to add a second two-way player to their roster in advance of Wednesday’s deadline. Currently, Gabe Vincent occupies the team’s other two-way contract slot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Notes: Winslow, Haslem, Silva

January 13th, 2020 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing a month due to a bone bruise in his back, Heat forward Justise Winslow returned to action last Wednesday, logging 16 minutes against Indiana. However, he complained of discomfort after the game and has been back on the shelf since then, having returned to Miami before the club’s road trip was finished.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the decision to send him Winslow early was made by the team, rather than the player. However, it was not disciplinary in any way — the Heat simply wanted to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment process for Winslow, who is consulting with a specialist regarding his back injury.

Now that the Heat are back in Miami following Sunday’s loss in New York, head coach Erik Spoelstra expects to have more information soon on Winslow’s latest setback, Jackson writes.

“He’s going to shut it down a little bit, but he’s taking it well. He’s in the right state of mind,” Derrick Jones said of his Heat teammate. “He was good with (leaving the road trip early). He’s going home to get better and healthy.”

Here’s more out of Miami:

Udonis Haslem hasn’t officially announced that this will be his final NBA season, but Dwyane Wade‘s upcoming three-day jersey retirement proceedings got the big man thinking about what his own farewell would look like, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “I mean, mine’s going to go forever, because I’m from there,” the Miami native said, joking that he’ll need at least a week. “I haven’t even thought about it. I just saw that he got two or three days. Mine’s going to be parties in a lot of different areas of Miami when I retire.”
In a separate mailbag article, Winderman explores whether the current Heat roster is built to win in the playoffs, given its reliance on young players like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson.
As we relayed earlier today, the Heat and Chris Silva have reached an agreement on a three-year deal that they’ll finalize on Tuesday. Andre Fernandez of The Athletic tweets that the contract will be fully guaranteed for the rest of this year and next season, but not for 2021/22.