Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Met With Jared Sullinger

March 6th, 2017 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Having been sent to Phoenix in a deadline-day trade, Jared Sullinger was subsequently waived and became a free agent. Now, he’s in the “exploratory stages” of finding a new team, per agent David Falk, who confirmed to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) that Sullinger met with Heat president Pat Riley in recent days.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel observes (via Twitter), the Heat may soon have a roster spot opening up, if they can finalize the removal of Chris Bosh‘s contract from their books. Although that spot isn’t necessarily ticketed for Sullinger, Winderman reports that the Heat have “kicked the tires” on the veteran big man.

Sullinger, who turned 25 on Saturday, averaged at least 10.3 PPG and 7.6 RPG in each of his previous three seasons with Boston before signing a one-year pact with the Raptors last summer. However, his season was derailed by foot surgery, which prevented him from making his debut with Toronto until well until the new year. For the season, Sullinger has played sparingly in just 11 games, averaging 3.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG.

While a healthy Sullinger could potentially be an asset to a team in need of rebounding help and interior scoring down the stretch, he didn’t look to be at 100% during his time with the Raptors. Any team with interest in adding him as a free agent in the coming days or weeks will likely want to take a close look at his health and conditioning before making any commitments.

Heat Notes: Weber, McGruder, Richardson, Wade

March 4th, 2017 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Heat host the Hornets on Wednesday, it will mark their first game against training camp cut Briante Weber, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Weber had been a fixture on Miami’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls for the past two seasons, helping the Skyforce win the league title in 2015/16. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Warriors last month, but was released when Golden State wanted to make room for Jose Calderon, and later Matt Barnes. Weber agreed to a 10-day deal with Charlotte February 27th. “I just told him I appreciated his attitude and his effort and what he brought to us,” Stephen Curry said about Weber’s time with the Warriors. “He has a lot to offer this league, his tenacity on the defensive end and his confidence. … He’s going to be around for a long time.”

There’s more news out of Miami:

Rodney McGruder has come a long way to earn a starting job and get consideration for the All-Rookie team, Winderman writes in a separate story. McGruder went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2013, then played in Hungary and the D-League before making the Heat roster at the start of this season. “It is nice being mentioned,” he said. “… But I’ve just got to thank my teammates. The coaching staff put me in a great situation, that’s what I always say.”
The injuries that have followed Josh Richardson through his first two NBA seasons are a new experience, writes Shandel Richarson of The Sun-Sentinel. The former Tennessee standout said he never missed a game in college and only one in high school. But injuries limited him to 52 games last season, and he has sat out 30 already this year because of knee surgery and ankle problems. “Figuring out how to get through injuries has been good for me,” Richardson said. “… Now I just got to get my basketball rhythm back. I think I was starting to show good growth before I was injured the last time.”
Dwyane Wade keeps dropping hints about opting out of next season’s contract with the Bulls, but Dave Hyde of The Sun-Sentinel argues that it’s not time for a reunion in Miami. Signing Wade, who would want more than the $23.8MM he’s scheduled to get from Chicago, would make it unlikely that the Heat could keep Dion Waiters, who has been a major part of their recent surge back into playoff contention.

Jackson, Winderman Look Ahead To Free Agency

March 1st, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald looks ahead to free agency and wonders if a reunion with Dwyane Wade would be possible for the Heat this summer, exploring whether Wade would be a better fit for the club than Dion Waiters. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel observes, the Heat will have to evaluate Waiters as they would any outside free agent, since the team won’t hold his Bird rights in the offseason and won’t necessarily have a leg up on re-signing him.

Latest On Chris Bosh

February 28th, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Chris Bosh has missed over a year of action due to blood-clot issues and a source tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that Bosh has not attempted to return this season. Jackson adds that the big man would like to play in the future should his health allow him to. Bosh addressed his situation on Monday during TNT’s Players Only coverage (via Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel). “My health is great. I’m feeling good, still working out, and just really still saying ready,” Bosh said.

Bosh failed his preseason physical with the Heat and team doctors believed his condition would be career-ending. Miami intended to move forward with its future plans, which did not include the big man. Yet, Bosh maintained hope of returning to the team at some point and it caused a strain in the relationship between Bosh and the franchise.

Sources tell Winderman that the Heat have attempted to reach out to Bosh over the past few days, hoping to find some middle ground. The big man hasn’t responded to the team, according to Winderman.

Miami is expected to petition the league for a medical exclusion, which would give Bosh the salary remaining on his deal, but take the amount owed off their future cap. Once the team waives him, an independent physician will determine Bosh’s ability to return to the court. Bosh must make himself available for this evaluation if he wants to receive his remaining salary. Jackson hears that the sides are expected to begin this process sometime during the month of March.

By waiting until after March 1, Miami can assure that Bosh won’t play 25 games this season, a mark that would force his salary back on its cap sheet. With the big man’s salary off the books, Miami could have roughly $38MM in cap space this summer.

Should the Heat use that cap room on players this offseason and Bosh plays 25 games for another team next season, Bosh’s salary would return to Miami’s cap. The franchise would not have to shed salary in that scenario, per league rules, but it would likely cause the team to be in the luxury tax.

Bosh spoke about how his life has been different since being sidelined with the condition.

“I think one of the interesting things that I didn’t anticipate was my mental health,” he said. “And that’s something that as athletes we have to take into regard because we’re used to a set schedule and we’re used to a certain type of world. And that’s something that I’ve really had to work on for my well being.”

McGruder Emerges As Pest; Reed Sidelined With Ankle Bursitis

February 26th, 2017 at 9:15pm CST by Austin Kent

Undrafted rookie Rodney McGruder is making a name for himself as a scrappy, pest of a player, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. The forward has played a substantial role on a Heat team that has done nothing but exceed expectations this season. “He’s always head first, nose first into everything,” teammate Wayne Ellington said. “He makes it hard for guys when he frustrates guys.“
Backup center Willie Reed is day-to-day with ankle bursitis and didn’t travel with the team for Sunday’s matchup with the Mavs. With Reed out, the Heat will turn to veteran Udonis Haslem or an out-of-position James Johnson to handle duties at the five, says Winderman in a separate piece for the Sun-Sentinel.

Heat Will Have To Deal With Bosh To Free Up Roster Spot

February 25th, 2017 at 12:06pm CST by Austin Kent

If the Heat want to free up a roster spot for the upcoming buyout market or even just for flexibility down the stretch, they’ll have to first deal with the Chris Bosh situation, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.

Chris Bosh Joins TNT, Won’t Attempt Comeback This Season

February 24th, 2017 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran Heat big man Chris Bosh has signed on with TNT as a studio analyst, the network announced on Thursday. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel details, Bosh will appear on TNT for five consecutive Mondays as an analyst, starting next week.

“We’re thrilled to have Chris make appearances with our Players Only studio team and we look forward to incorporating his fresh take and informed perspective into this new TNT series,” said Turner Sports executive VP Craig Barry in a statement. “Chris is still deeply connected with today’s NBA players and his insights into the game will further enhance the experience for our viewers.”

Bosh’s work for TNT is the strongest signal to date that his efforts to return to the court will be put on hold. Having missed more than a year due to blood-clot issues, Bosh hasn’t given up on the idea of making a comeback, but if it happens, it appears it won’t happen this season, given his new TV commitment.

As Winderman writes, the Heat have contended that Bosh’s health concerns make him medically unfit to continue his playing career. The team is expected to move forward in the coming weeks with the process of removing his contract from its cap — a doctor jointly approved by the NBA and the NBPA would have to rule Bosh medically unfit to play for the Heat to remove that salary. In that scenario, Bosh would still be paid the rest of the money left on his deal, but Miami would open up a significant chunk of cap room for the next few seasons.

Bosh currently isn’t in basketball shape, and suggested in a January interview with The Associated Press that he’s “getting the taste of retirement,” so there’s no guarantee he renews his comeback efforts next season. The 32-year-old did hire a new agent – Rob Pelinka – in 2016, but Pelinka’s ability to find Bosh opportunities outside of basketball was one factor in that decision. Of course, with Pelinka set to become the new Lakers GM, he will no longer be able to represent Bosh.

Heat Among Potential Suitors For Larry Sanders

February 23rd, 2017 at 1:21am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest rumor notebook for HoopsHype, Alex Kennedy writes that rival executives believe Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor is much more likely to be moved at the deadline than Nets center Brook Lopez. Kennedy notes that Okafor has received interest from the Kings, while Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer says the Lakers could be in the mix for Okafor. In a non-trade item, Kennedy also adds the Heat to the list of potential suitors for veteran free agent Larry Sanders.

And-Ones: Young, Heat, Mirotic

February 23rd, 2017 at 12:00am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers are looking to trade Nick Young with an eye on acquiring a second-round pick, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Young is making slightly over $5.44MM this season and his contract contains a player option worth nearly $5.67MM for the 2017/18 campaign. He’s had a solid year so far in Los Angeles, averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 41.3% from behind the arc, a figure which is the highest of his career.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Heat are shopping Wayne Ellington and Josh McRoberts, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical (Twitter link). Mannix notes that the team would like to get out of the veterans’ contracts. After this season, Ellington has only one year at $6.27MM (non-guaranteed) remaining on his contract, while McRoberts has a player option worth slightly over $6MM remaining on his deal.
Earlier today, we learned that the Bulls have attempted to send Nikola Mirotic to the Sixers in a Jahlil Okafor deal. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that the team has also floated Mirotic in talks with the Clippers.
David Stockton, who recently played in New Zealand’s National Basketball League, will return to the D-League and play for the Reno Bighorns, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: Porter, Heat, Plumlee, Magic

February 22nd, 2017 at 4:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards may not be finished dealing after a multi-player trade with the Nets this afternoon, tweets Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Washington will continue to look for help through Thursday’s trade deadline at 3 p.m. Eastern. Today’s deal, which sent Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton and this year’s first-rounder to Brooklyn in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough, clears cap space to help the Wizards re-sign Otto Porter this summer, notes David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Nicholson, who had fallen out of the rotation in Washington, still has three seasons and nearly $20MM left on his contract.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Bogdanovic has a 15% trade kicker, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). That amounts to $157K, which Brooklyn will pay, but his cap hit for the Wizards is now $3.73MM.
The Heat will avoid any deadline moves that would tie up their future cap space, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That makes them unlikely to pursue the Nuggets’ Wilson Chandler or the Nets’ Trevor Booker, who both have contracts that extend beyond this season. Jackson cites a rival GM who has spoken to Miami about a deal and believes “they seem content to stand pat.”
Miami expects to have Josh Richardson back in the lineup for Friday’s game, according to a tweet from the team. A foot injury has kept him out of the lineup since January 8th. “He’s had a healthy approach the last 4-5 weeks to prepare,” said coach Erik Spoelstra. Justise Winslow won’t be back this season, but he is making progress from shoulder surgery, the Heat noted (Twitter link), as his sling has been removed.
Hornets center Miles Plumlee will be out of action for at least two weeks with a right calf strain, the team posted on its website. An MRI revealed the second-degree strain, and Plumlee will be re-evaluated in 14 days. He has played just five games for Charlotte since being acquired from the Bucks in a February 2nd trade.
Despite a 21-37 record, the Magic have no plans to tank the rest of the season, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando is currently fourth in our Reverse Standings and would have an 11.9% chance of winning the lottery. Coach Frank Vogel believes it would be a mistake to try to improve those odds by losing on purpose. “As a coach, you worry about one thing, and that’s getting a group of guys that haven’t won in five years to learn how to win,” Vogel said. “That’s more important than any one player you can add.”