- Heat forward James Johnson believes he’ll suit up for the opener, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Johnson has returned for workouts after a team-imposed suspension when he failed to meet their conditioning standards. Johnson said he just needs to get his body fat percentage down a little more. “You know, body fat takes a long time to drop. So I’m just waiting for that to get down,” he said. “I know my numbers. My weight is good, my conditioning is good, I’m just waiting for my numbers to drop.”
The Heat have filled one of their open two-way slots, announcing in a press release that rookie forward Chris Silva has had his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel first reported the move.
Silva, a 6’9″ forward, went undrafted out of South Carolina this year after averaging 15.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.9 BPG in 32 games (26.7 MPG) as a senior. He also showed off an improve three-point stroke, knocking down 23-of-46 attempts from beyond the arc.
After joining the Heat’s Summer League team, Silva signed an Exhibit 10 deal and participated in training camp and the preseason with Miami. While he only played 9.8 minutes per game in five preseason contests, he was impressive in those limited minutes, averaging 5.2 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a .692 FG%.
The Heat’s 14-man regular-season roster is essentially set, and the team has now filled one of its two-way contract slots, but there’s still one more two-way opening. Davon Reed, Daryl Macon, and Kyle Alexander appear to be the contenders for that spot.
Victor Oladipo will begin participating in some full-contact 5-on-5 half-court scrimmages in the coming days but he still has more hurdles to clear before he’ll return to action, Tyler Kraft and Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star report. The Pacers have yet to announce a target date for the star guard, who suffered a ruptured quad tendon last season.
“He’s been doing some things 1-on-1,” Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. “But this is a good sign. They’re going slowly to try to work him into being able to go every day, but it’s good news to know he’ll be able to participate in that first part of practice.”
We have more Eastern Conference news:
- Raptors swingman Patrick McCaw had an MRI on his left knee which revealed no structural damage, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. McCaw suffered the injury during a preseason game last weekend. The Raptors re-signed McCaw to a two-year deal in July.
- The Sixers were interested in acquiring Josh Richardson last season from the Heat before they traded for Jimmy Butler, Michael Lee of The Athletic reports. The Sixers were open to being a third party when the Heat were in trade talks with the Timberwolves for Butler with Philadelphia targeting Richardson. When those talks collapsed, the Sixers eventually worked out a trade for Butler. Those two swingmen were the main components of the sign-and-trade this summer when Butler agreed to join Miami.
- Forward Taurean Prince is hopeful that he can reached an extension agreement with the Nets prior to Monday’s deadline, as he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. “I want to be here as long as I can. And whatever happens, happens, but I’m just happy to play good basketball,” Prince said. “One hundred percent, yeah. For sure. This is the best organization I’ve been in.”
Bradley Beal‘s decision to sign a two-year contract extension with the Wizards on Thursday surprised many NBA observers, since Beal could have potentially signed a more lucrative contract in a year or simply chose not to extend his stay with his rebuilding franchise. Speaking to reporters, including David Aldridge of The Athletic, the All-Star shooting guard explained why he opted to sign the new deal, which will lock him up through at least the 2021/22 season.
“I guess legacy at the end of the day,” Beal said. “This is where I’ve been for the last seven years, going on eight. I have an opportunity to be able to turn this thing around. A lot of people doubt that. I view it as a challenge. I view it as something that I feel a lot of D.C. sports have been a part of, rebuilding something and kind of building them into championship-caliber teams. Why not me? Why kind of sell myself short of a great opportunity that I have in my hands right now?”
While the extension is a big win for the Wizards and new general manager Tommy Sheppard, it’s worth noting that Beal only tacked on one guaranteed season to his current deal, so his commitment to the organization isn’t as long-term as it could have been.
One person with knowledge of Beal’s thinking tells Aldridge that the 26-year-old is “giving [Sheppard] a chance now that he’s in charge.” If the Wizards don’t show real progress in the next year or two, it’s still possible that Beal will have second thoughts about whether he wants to remain in D.C. long-term.
Here’s more on Beal’s new deal:
- Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington hears that Sheppard and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, along with other Wizards executives, flew to Chicago last month to meet with Beal and agent Mark Bartelstein. Beal had the opportunity at that meeting to ask questions about the franchise’s direction. “I just felt comfortable with where we were going,” Beal said. “I talked to Ted and they kind of projected the future and gave me the layout of what we can do in the future.”
- Fred Katz of The Athletic explores how Beal’s extension affects the Wizards’ rebuilding process, noting that having the two-time All-Star under contract for at least the next three years gives the team some extra security to be patient with its roster moves.
- Ben Golliver of The Washington Post digs into what the extension means to Sheppard, a first-time general manager who was placed in a tough situation.
- The Heat were known to be one team that would have serious interest in Beal if the Wizards changed course and decided to trade him, but that will no longer be an option for Miami, at least during the 2019/20 season, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.
The 2019/20 NBA regular season will get underway in just six days, which means it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.
With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
Having already looked at the Atlantic, Northwest, Central, and Pacific, we’re moving onto the Southeast today…
Miami Heat
- 2018/19 record: 39-43
- Over/under for 2019/20: 43.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, Tyler Herro, KZ Okpala
- Lost: Josh Richardson, Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside, Ryan Anderson, Yante Maten
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Heat poll.
Orlando Magic
- 2018/19 record: 42-40
- Over/under for 2019/20: 41.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Al-Farouq Aminu
- Lost: Timofey Mozgov, Jerian Grant, Jarell Martin
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Magic poll.
Atlanta Hawks
- 2018/19 record: 29-53
- Over/under for 2019/20: 33.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Hawks poll.
Washington Wizards
- 2018/19 record: 32-50
- Over/under for 2019/20: 26.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Davis Bertans, Ish Smith, Rui Hachimura, Moritz Wagner, Isaiah Thomas, C.J. Miles, Isaac Bonga, Admiral Schofield
- Lost: Bobby Portis, Tomas Satoransky, Jabari Parker, Trevor Ariza, Jeff Green, Dwight Howard, Sam Dekker, Chasson Randle
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Wizards poll.
Charlotte Hornets
- 2018/19 record: 39-43
- Over/under for 2019/20: 23.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington, Cody Martin
- Lost: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Tony Parker, Frank Kaminsky, Shelvin Mack
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Hornets poll.
Previous voting results:
- Philadelphia 76ers (54.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
- Boston Celtics (49.5 wins): Under (57.0%)
- Toronto Raptors (46.5 wins): Under (59.1%)
- Brooklyn Nets (43.5 wins): Over (58.3%)
- New York Knicks (27.5 wins): Under (54.9%)
- Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (51.8%)
- Utah Jazz (53.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (46.5 wins): Over (78.7%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (35.5 wins): Under (57.5%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (32.5 wins): Under (55.1%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (57.5 wins): Over (63.5%)
- Indiana Pacers (46.5 wins): Over (56.6%)
- Detroit Pistons (37.5 wins): Over (69.8%)
- Chicago Bulls (33.5 wins): Under (56.2%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (24.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
- Los Angeles Clippers (54.5 wins): Over (53.9%)
- Los Angeles Lakers (51.5 wins): Over (50.3%)
- Golden State Warriors (48.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
- Sacramento Kings (38.5 wins): Over (66.2%)
- Phoenix Suns (29.5 wins): Under (61.8%)
Miami had talks with the Thunder on at least two occasions this offseason, discussing Russell Westbrook – before OKC dealt him to Houston – and Chris Paul. Sean Deveney of Heavy.com hears that the Heat were reluctant to include Tyler Herro in that deal or any deals over the summer.
“They’ve been firm on him and (Bam) Adebayo being untouchable,” one GM told Deveney. “Maybe they would move off of that as the season goes on, but as it stands, they think they’ve got the second coming of Klay Thompson offensively. They have not had a lot of useful guys on rookie contracts in past years and that’s killed their cap. They’ve got two now, they don’t want to let them go.”
Herro was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Adebayo, who is set to take over the team’s starting center spot, was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 draft. Both players give the franchise hope for the future and are long-term building blocks on a roster that has the necessary pieces to compete for the playoffs now.
Yet, in order for the Heat to take the next step toward title contention, they may have to acquire another established star (such as Bradley Beal). Miami will have trouble putting together a legit trade package worthy of one without including their young prospects since the team already owes a pair of first-round picks to Oklahoma City and can’t deal another first-rounder earlier than its 2025 pick.
The Heat have signed a pair of players with an eye on stocking up their G League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Guards Skyler Flatten and Bubu Palo have inked contracts with Miami, as the team’s website relays.
The two contracts are likely Exhibit 10 deals similar to the pacts Jeremiah Martin and Mychal Mulder had before the team waived them earlier today. Martin and Mulder are likely to end up with the club’s G League affiliate.
Miami still has a pair of two-way deals available, as our tracker shows, though there’s no word yet on the Heat’s plans for those contracts.
The Heat have waived a pair of camp invitees, announcing in a press release that they’ve released guards Jeremiah Martin and Mychal Mulder.
Martin signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat in July, while Mulder did so in September. Miami is up against a hard cap and can’t afford to carry a 15th man, so neither player was considered a candidate to end up on the regular season roster. However, they were believed to be in the running for one of the Heat’s two-way contract slots. Instead, they may be on track to join the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League.
With Martin and Mulder on waivers, the Heat are now carrying 18 players, including four non-guaranteed camp invitees: Kyle Alexander, Daryl Macon, Davon Reed, and Chris Silva. Miami is expected to convert the contracts for two players from that group into two-way deals.
- It’s still undecided whether Dion Waiters will start or come off the bench for the Heat this season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Waiters is still working his way back into top shape, Jackson adds. Waiters, whose contract runs through the 2020/21 season, was limited to 44 games last season after recovering from ankle surgery and faces a logjam at the wing positions.
Veteran forward James Johnson reported back to the Heat today after being away from the team for more than a week, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Johnson was banished from training camp by Miami at the start of the month, with initial reports suggesting that he failed to meet the team’s strict conditioning standards. Agent Mark Bartelstein later said that Johnson passed his conditioning test but had failed to meet the weight requirements set by the team. Either way, upon rejoining the team today, the 32-year-old was eager to show he’s ready for the coming season.
“It was Day 1 of earning my respect back,” Johnson said, per Winderman. “… It’s good to be back home. I got exactly what I needed; I got exactly what I needed to hear. Hopefully I can put it all behind me after this.”
While the Heat have a deep roster, Johnson projects to play a frontcourt role for the club, as his size and athleticism allows him to guard multiple positions on defense. Johnson has now missed two of Miami’s five preseason games, but head coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t expect it to take long to get him back up to speed.
“It’s good to have him back and hopefully everything is behind us now,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not a shock to him what our system is.”