Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Former Kings Employee Accused Of Stealing Funds

August 30th, 2018 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jeffrey R. David, the former chief revenue officer for the Kings, is under suspicion of diverting $13.4MM from two team sponsors, according to Sam Stanton and Darrell Smith of The Sacramento Bee. David allegedly used the money to buy beachfront property in Southern California.

David is being investigated by the FBI and federal prosecutors, who say he set up a money-laundering scheme that took $9MM from the Golden 1 Credit Union and an additional $4.4MM from Kaiser Permanente Foundation.

No criminal charges have been filed, and the reporters weren’t able to get a comment from David. However, the Kings issued a statement confirming the investigation.

“Last week, we alerted federal law enforcement to suspicious financial transactions involving a former Kings employee, Jeff David,” the team said in its statement. “That investigation is underway and on Monday, U.S. Department of Justice authorities began the formal process of recovering and seizing the properties involved in the investigation.

“We appreciate the swift action on behalf of the officials at the FBI and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California McGregor Scott as they work to complete this investigation and we will take all appropriate action once it is complete.”

David left the team June 1 when his position was eliminated. He currently serves as chief revenue officer for the Heat.

William Portanova, an attorney for the Kings, said the organization contacted federal officials as soon as it became aware of the situation. He offered assurances that all the missing money is being recovered. Team officials are expected to brief their ownership group on the progress of the investigation tomorrow morning.

Two sources told The Sacramento Bee that the cash in question was part of advertising contracts the companies signed with the team, including naming rights for the Golden 1 Center. David, who was in charge of negotiating ad contracts and corporate partnerships, allegedly asked for advance payments from the two companies and diverted that money into a company he set up called Sacramento Sports Partners LLC.

The Heat also issued a statement today and have placed David on leave while the probe continues, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).

“We are aware of the investigation of Jeff David, which focuses on events that took place prior to his joining our team,” the statement read. “We are fully cooperating with the authorities. Jeff David is on leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Yante Maten Excited To Prove Himself

August 29th, 2018 at 6:56pm CST by clarkcrum

Heat power forward Yante Maten is excited to show people what he can do after signing a two-way contract with Miami this summer, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. The 2018 SEC Player of the Year believes his ability to stretch the floor and play hard on both sides of the court will help find him success in the NBA.

Winslow Could Play Multiple Positions

August 27th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat are unlikely to trade for a star player during the upcoming season, though they could dump some salary to avoid the luxury tax, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. The current roster doesn’t look strong enough to justify a bold move for a big-time player. Instead, it’s more likely the plan to return to prominence will center around 2020 free agency, Winderman adds.
The Heat ought to experiment with Justise Winslow, and Josh Richardson in various situations and positions to find out how they fit into the long-term picture, Winderman argues in another mailbag post. They could look at Winslow anywhere from a backup point to an undersized power forward. They could also take a similar approach with Richardson, even though he’s already signed an extension, Winderman adds.

Jarnell Stokes Signs Contract With Heat

August 27th, 2018 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 27: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

AUGUST 20: The Heat have agreed to a contract with forward Jarnell Stokes, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype tweets.

Terms were not disclosed but it’s almost certainly a training camp deal.

The 6’9” Stokes hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2016/17 season, when he made two cameos with the Nuggets. He was in the Heat organization the previous year and saw action in five games. He also played 21 games with the Grizzlies after being acquired in a draft-night trade with the Jazz. He was the 35th pick of the 2014 draft.

Stokes played in China last season before getting waived in early February. He played for the Bulls’ summer league team in July and averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 10.2 MPG over five Las Vegas games.

His biggest claim to fame was being the G League MVP in 2016 after posting averages of 2o.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG for the Sioux Falls SkyForce.

Robinson Vying For Standard Contract; Riley Needs Commitment From Wade

August 25th, 2018 at 1:47pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite being invited to participate with USA Basketball in its World Cup qualifying round games, Heat swingman Duncan Robinson has opted to remain in Miami for informal team workouts in the hopes of landing a standard NBA contract for the upcoming season, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.

“I’m really proud in the fact that Duncan Robinson has been invited to play in the international series,” said Heat team president Pat Riley, “but he decided to stay here because he wanted to make our team, he wants to force us into giving him a real (standard NBA) contract.”

Robinson, 24, signed a two-way contract with the Heat on July 10th that would limit him to 45 days in the NBA this coming season and maximum earnings of about $385K, per Winderman. A standard NBA contract at the rookie minimum would pay Robinson just north of $838K.

Robinson says that his goal in passing over the opportunity to play for Team USA is to maximize his opportunities in the Heat developmental program. “I mean the margin between having this job or being overseas or being in the G League, whatever it might be, is so thin,” Robinson said. “And I understand that. I understand I caught some breaks and was able to put myself in a situation to be successful. I’m certainly thankful for that.”

In another piece for the Sun-Sentinel, Winderman opines that Riley is fully committed to signing Wade to a free agent contract this summer, luxury tax concerns be darned. Riley’s greater concern would be Wade’s level of commitment. Per Winderman, Riley would likely want a commitment from Wade that this season isn’t simply a retirement tour, but that Wade is seriously interested in making the Heat a better team.

Wade's Salary Could Affect Tax Bill

August 23rd, 2018 at 4:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

If Dwyane Wade returns to the Heat, his contract could range from the $2.4MM veteran’s minimum to the $5.3MM mid-level exception, and the difference would be significant for the team, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. With tax penalties, a $5.3MM salary would cost the Heat $14.2MM and move them into the second level of the tax multiplier. A minimum salary would carry a total cost of $3.8MM and make it easier for Miami to escape the tax with a trade later in the season. “I don’t think this is about negotiating a mid-level or dollars,” team president Pat Riley said. “It’s about getting Dwyane back. It’s not really about the tax right now. Even though we have a tax situation, we’ll work our way around that.”

Heat Want Dwyane Wade Back, Will Meet Soon

August 23rd, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat president Pat Riley will meet with Dwyane Wade in the near future with the goal of signing Wade for at least one more season, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press tweets. “We want him back,” Riley said.

Riley also wants to re-sign big man Udonis Haslem. The Heat have been holding roster spots for both longtime veterans.

According to Riley’s ‘gut feeling,’ Haslem will be back. Wade’s return is less certain.

Riley indicated that Wade’s return is not linked to offering the team’s full taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.3MM, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links).

The Heat already have nearly $127MM in salary commitments, which would put them over the luxury tax threshold.

Wade recently stated he wouldn’t play overseas after he reportedly received a lucrative offer from a Chinese team. Haslem has been working out with other Miami players in anticipation he’ll re-sign with the team he’s played for the past 15 seasons.

Heat Sign Guard Briante Weber

August 21st, 2018 at 4:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 21: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

AUGUST 13: The Heat have agreed to a partially-guaranteed contract with guard Briante Weber, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

Weber played for the Grizzlies last season on a 10-day contract after he was released in mid-January by the Rockets. He appeared in a total of 18 NBA games, averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.2 APG in 13.2 MPG. Weber, 25, played one game for Miami during the 2015/16 season, so this is his second stint in the organization.

He has also donned the Warriors and Hornets uniforms. Overall, he’s logged 45 NBA games, averaging 3.4 PPG and 1.4 APG in 13.6 MPG.

Weber provides depth at the point guard spot behind starter Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson. The addition of Weber gives Miami 14 players on the roster, not counting its two-way contracts, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

NBA Teams With Most, Fewest Guaranteed Salaries

August 19th, 2018 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

At this point in the NBA offseason, most teams are carrying 14 and 15 players on guaranteed salaries. The clubs with 14 guaranteed contracts on their books will likely either enter the season with an open roster spot or allow camp invitees to compete for that 15th-man role. Teams with 15 players already on guaranteed deals have their regular-season rosters all but set already.

Still, several teams around the NBA have more than 15 or fewer than 14 fully guaranteed salaries on their cap for now. Using our roster counts tool, here’s a look at those teams, with details on what they might be thinking as the 2018/19 season nears:

Fewer than 14 guaranteed contracts:

Houston Rockets (11 guaranteed contracts): In addition to their 11 fully guaranteed contracts, the Rockets also figure to hang onto Michael Carter-Williams, who has a significant partial guarantee. Second-round pick De’Anthony Melton is a good bet to sign a guaranteed contract at some point too. That would increase the Rockets’ roster count to 13, with Zhou Qi the most likely candidate for the 14th spot.
Cleveland Cavaliers (12): While they only have 12 guaranteed salaries on their books for now, the Cavaliers figure to increase that count by two once they officially sign David Nwaba and bring back Rodney Hood.
Miami Heat (12): The Heat continue to wait on Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem to make decisions on whether or not they’ll continue their respective careers. They’ll be penciled in to the 13th and 14th spots if they elect to return.
Minnesota Timberwolves (12): Although he only has a partial guarantee, James Nunnally is a safe bet to make the Timberwolves’ roster as the 13th man. It’s not clear what the team intends to do with its last opening or two.
New Orleans Pelicans (12): Only 12 Pelicans have fully guaranteed salaries, but there are several legit NBA players – Emeka Okafor, DeAndre Liggins, Jahlil Okafor, and Troy Williams – vying for roster spots on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. At least two of them figure to make the team.
Atlanta Hawks (13): The Hawks will increase their roster count to 15 guaranteed salaries once Vince Carter and Daniel Hamilton make their deals with Atlanta official.
Golden State Warriors (13): The Warriors plan to enter the season with 14 players under contract, leaving a spot open for flexibility. Their 14th man will likely be Patrick McCaw, who is still a restricted free agent for now.
Toronto Raptors (13): The Raptors may enter the season with a 14-man roster. Lorenzo Brown is currently the top candidate for that 14th spot, though Chris Boucher and others could provide competition.

More than 15 guaranteed contracts:

Sacramento Kings (16): When the Kings took advantage of their leftover cap room to sign Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, it created a roster crunch. If the club doesn’t trade a player before the season begins, Iman Shumpert, Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore, and Deyonta Davis are among the release candidates on the roster — all four are on expiring contracts.
Los Angeles Clippers (15 + Patrick Beverley): The Clippers technically only have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, but Beverley, who is on a non-guaranteed deal, will probably make the team. Assuming he does, that will mean trading or releasing another player, perhaps Wesley Johnson or Jawun Evans.
Memphis Grizzlies (15 + Andrew Harrison): Like Beverley in L.A., Harrison is on a non-guaranteed salary, but may not be expendable. If he remains on Memphis’ roster, the Grizzlies may end up releasing Dakari Johnson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson Better Off As Role Players?

August 19th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Austin Kent

There have been no shortage of players who’ve stepped up for the Heat over the course of the past two seasons but at the end of the day, the club may need Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow to settle into roles as rotation players, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Richardson averaged 12.9 points per game for the Heat as a 24-year-old last season and Winslow chipped in with 7.8 points per game of his own.

What exactly should teams look for with their 15th roster spot? Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explores what the Heat have done with the spot in the past and what they should do with presently unsigned veteran Udonis Haslem as the season approaches.