Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Tough Love Approach Helped Waiters Improve

February 5th, 2017 at 5:52pm CST by Austin Kent

Though the size of his contract may skew fans’ perceptions of their newly acquired center, Miles Plumlee performed admirably in his Hornets debut Saturday, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. So long as realistic expectations are applied, it’s hard to knock what the big man brings to the table.

Plumlee arrived in Charlotte earlier this week after a trade between the Hornets and Bucks and will step into the rotation immediately as a reliable low-post presence capable of defending the pick-and-roll. As well, Bonnell notes, he’ll provide a badly needed source of physicality for head coach Steve Clifford.

The caveat with Plumlee arriving mid-season after playing sparsely in Milwaukee is that he’ll have to play himself back into game shape. According to Bonnell, Plumlee mentioned this to Clifford upon his arrival with his new team. Between November 25 and January 20, a healthy Plumlee played double-digits just one time in 27 games.

There’s more out of the Southeast:

It took a while but Erik Spoelstra and Dion Waiters finally connected in such a way that the two-guard’s game could flourish,” writes Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “It’s good bumping heads. It’s not anything bad,” Waiters said. “It’s like, ‘I’m challenging you. You can do more. Don’t settle for that‘”.
Credit a strong relationship between John Wall and head coach Scott Brooks as one of the main reasons why the Wizards have improved so much this season, writes Michael Lee of the Vertical. In the summer, Brooks visited Wall in the hospital following his knee surgery. “I told John, ‘You’re a three-time All-Star, you can take it one or two ways: You could say, ‘I’ve arrived in this league and I’m comfortable in this league.’ Or you can take the approach that ‘I want to get better.’ And I think he’s done a great job of taking that approach of getting better. I think he can be a top-five player in this league every year.” Currently Washington sits third in the East, 10 games above .500 at 30-20. Last year they missed out on the postseason with a 41-41 record.
Despite their bold transactions over the summer, the Magic have struggled to position themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference. One of those offseason acquisitions, Serge Ibaka, has a particular approach to blocking out the noise inherent with the pending trade deadline in order to focus on turning things around. “I just delete my social media and focus on basketball. That’s it. I don’t read nothing,” Ibaka tells John Denton of the team’s official website. “[Trade talks] are nothing I can control“. The last time we checked in with the Magic, it was said that the club may be overvaluing its trade assets.

Heat Facing Roster Crunch

February 5th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Milo Taibi

Now finishing up his second 10-day contract, 24-year-old Okaro White has impressed in his time with Miami. The former Seminole has played in nine games this season, including a stellar performance (10 points, seven rebounds, four blocks) against the Nets.

White’s contract expires today, and according to a report from Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, the team is undecided about his future on the roster. The Heat are facing a roster crunch, as Josh Richardson is set to return from injury after missing 13 games with a foot injury. NBA teams are permitted to sign players to a maximum of two 10-day contracts before signing them for the rest of the season, or releasing them. The Heat can offer White a two-year contract at most, due to their salary cap position.

Veteran forward Derrick Williams appears to be a candidate to be cut to clear room for White. Williams, who was inked to a one-year, $4,598,000 contract over the offseason, has played sparingly under head coach Erik Spoelstra– accumulating eight DNPs over Miami’s last 10 games. Amid roster speculation, Williams traveled with the team for their upcoming road trip.

If Spoelstra’s quote is any indication, White appears to have made a lasting impression on Miami’s front office.

“You can see why we like him,” Spoelstra said of White. “He’s a Miami Heat guy, a lot of intangibles, those winning plays that we keep on talking about.”

Heat Notes: Weber, Spoelstra, Waiters, Ellington

February 5th, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Briante Weber said he chose to sign with the Warriors instead of the Heat because he wanted a new challenge, relays Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Weber played one game for Miami after signing in April. He was waived in October and has spent this season with the Heat’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The 24-year-old point guard turned down offers of 10-day contracts from Miami and Charlotte to choose Golden State. “So I just felt like I’ve been with Miami and they haven’t picked me up by now,” Weber said, “then why continue to go down the same road? I figured I should pick something new and actually a team with a spot. They actually let somebody go to fill me in. That says a lot about the organization and about how they feel about me being potentially being here for longer than just 10 days. So I kind of picked a spot that was going to give me the best opportunity to expose myself and put myself on the radar where everybody else can see.”

There’s more news out of Miami:

Weber received good luck wishes from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, according to the Associated Press. Spoelstra said he appreciates how Weber, who averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 3.3 steals at Sioux Falls, proved he deserves a shot at the NBA. “He’s put in the time,” Spoelstra said. “He hasn’t skipped a step. He approached every part of this as an opportunity to get better and everybody’s journey is different to get into this league. He’s a bona fide NBA player.”
Dion Waiters, who has enjoyed a career renaissance in Miami, attributed his success to Spoelstra’s ‘tough love.’ “It’s good bumping heads. It’s not anything bad. It’s like, `I’m challenging you. You can do more. Don’t settle for that,’” Waiters told Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “I had coach [Jim] Boeheim. It was tough love at the end of the day. They see so much in me that he’s challenging me. I look at it as a challenge. He’s been doing a tremendous job keeping me motivated.” Now in his fifth NBA season, Waiters has been sublime of late; averaging 23.3 points on 52.2% shooting over his last eight games.
Now riding a 10-game winning streak, the Heat have adopted a “don’t believe the hype” mantra. As Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post points out, Miami’s improbable streak includes wins over quality opposition- particularly the Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks. “We know where we’ve been at and where we want to be at, so we’re not satisfied,” Heat guard Wayne Ellington said. “Coach keeps telling us. But at the same time, he doesn’t really need to. We’re hungry, man. We know where we were at. Obviously it feels good to get some wins. But at the same time, we understand that we’ve got a ways to go to be where we want to be at.”

Warriors Cut Anderson Varejao, Sign Briante Weber

February 4th, 2017 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 4th, 12:50pm: The Warriors have signed Weber to a 10-day contract, Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News tweets.

FEBRUARY 3rd, 2:14pm: The Warriors have issued a press release officially confirming that they’ve waived Varejao.

Weber’s signing is not yet official, but he’s on track to join the Warriors after also receiving offers from the Heat and Hornets, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

1:46pm: The Warriors’ frontcourt has been plagued by injuries lately, but the team doesn’t seem to be worried about its depth up front, having decided to part ways with one of its healthy big men. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Golden State is waiving Anderson Varejao, opening up a roster spot to sign Briante Weber to a 10-day contract.

Varejao, 34, re-signed with the Warriors last summer on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, but has played sparingly. The veteran center has averaged 1.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG in just 14 games (6.6 MPG) in 2016/17. Even with Draymond Green, David West, and Zaza Pachulia out of the lineup on Thursday, Varejao saw only eight minutes of action.

In addition to Green, West, and Pachulia, the Warriors are also carrying JaVale McGee, Damian Jones, Kevon Looney, and James Michael McAdoo at the four or five. As such, the team could afford to part with Varejao, particularly since the injury bug has spread to the backcourt — Shaun Livingston has missed the Warriors’ last two games with a back strain, so Weber will provide depth at guard.

Despite receiving a substantial guarantee ($328K) from the Heat, Weber didn’t make Miami’s regular season roster this past fall, and landed with the team’s D-League affiliate instead. Weber has made a strong case for a call-up, averaging 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.2 APG, and 3.0 SPG in 29 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He was recently named the NBADL’s Player of the Month for January.

The Heat didn’t currently have the roster flexibility to bring Weber back, but were believed to be eyeing him for a potential call-up, as we heard yesterday. Miami is out of luck for now, though it remains to be seen if Weber will stick with the Warriors — Golden State could sign him to up to two 10-day deals, then lock him up for the rest of the season. However, with the trade deadline and buyout season approaching, the Dubs may want to use their 15th roster spot on someone else in the coming weeks.

As for Varejao, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Sunday. Denver is one team that may have interest in adding the vet, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link). The Nuggets would move closer to the salary floor by claiming Varejao and could save some money in the process, in the same way they did by acquiring Mo Williams.

Latest On Chris Bosh

February 4th, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Milo Taibi

Having carried him on their 15-man roster all season long, the Heat have had a clear financial incentive to wait on waiving Chris Bosh. By postponing their decision until February 9, the team will be able to remove his current and future cap hits from their books (despite still being on the hook for his full salary).

While Miami is eligible to remove Bosh from their payroll as of next Thursday, the organization is believed to be leaning toward further delaying the process, according to a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Per Jackson’s report, the team doesn’t want to risk Bosh signing elsewhere and appearing in 25 games, at which point his salary would go back on Miami’s cap. By waiting until March 1 to waive Bosh, the team would eliminate the possibility of him making 25 appearances in 2016/17, since players signed after March 1 aren’t eligible to participate in playoff games.

Of course, there appears to be little risk of Bosh attempting a comeback this season. Back in the fall, the 11-time All-Star vowed to continue his efforts to return to the court, but he currently has no plans to play this season, and isn’t sure if he wants to attempt a comeback down the road, a Bosh associate tells Jackson. It’s also not certain whether he’ll ever be medically cleared to play, due to his blood-clot issues.

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.” The veteran big man did hire a new agent – Rob Pelinka – in 2016. However, Jackson notes that Bosh chose Pelinka because he’s also capable of finding the 32-year-old opportunities outside of basketball, in the event that he doesn’t play again.

Now in the third year of a five-year, $118.7MM contract, Bosh has played in a combined 97 games over the past two seasons.

Heat Notes: Williams, White, Johnson, Dragic

February 3rd, 2017 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat forward Derrick Williams expects to travel with the team for Monday’s game at Milwaukee, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami must make a roster decision when rookie forward Okaro White‘s second 10-day contract expires Sunday, and trading or waiving Williams has been discussed. White was added as a 16th player when the NBA approved a hardship exception. That exception remains in effect, but league rules prevent teams from signing an extra player for the rest of the season without opening a roster spot.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said no decision has been made on White, and it’s possible that the Heat may release him on Sunday and hope to re-sign him later (Twitter link). White has been getting about 15 minutes a night in his eight games with Miami and is averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. Williams has fallen out of the team’s rotation, even with its injury problems. He signed a one-year, $4.598MM deal over the summer, so waiving him wouldn’t create a significant financial burden.

There’s more today from South Florida:

Josh Richardson could be with the team when the road trip starts Monday, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Richardson’s ankle sprain was part of the reason the Heat were awarded the hardship exception, so a roster move will be necessary when he returns.
James Johnson is moving into consideration for the Most Improved and Sixth Man awards, Winderman writes in a mailbag column. His stellar play this year and Miami’s recent success will also serve to drive up his price in free agency. The 29-year-old forward signed a one-year, $4MM deal last summer.
As Miami climbs back into the playoff chase, Goran Dragic seems less likely to be moved before the February 23rd deadline, Winderman contends in a separate piece. There was once talk that the Heat would try to find a taker for Dragic and the more than $54MM he has left on his contract over the next three seasons. However, he has averaged nearly 22 points per game since returning from back spasms in early January and the Heat have started winning.

Heat Keep Briante Weber On Their Radar

February 2nd, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have kept Briante Weber on their radar, but their ability to re-sign him may hinge on Josh Richardson‘s health, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains in a mailbag. Weber has been thriving this season for Miami’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG, but he remains an NBA free agent.

Heat Have Explored Derrick Williams Trade

February 1st, 2017 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat are currently exploring ways to keep Okaro White on their roster when his second 10-day contract expires, and one avenue the team has looked into involves trading Derrick Williams, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. If Miami can’t find a taker for Williams, releasing him is also something the club will consider, says Jackson.

Williams, who signed a one-year deal with the Heat last summer, has appeared in 24 games this season, making 11 starts. He has averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.0 RPG in those contests, with a career-low .393 FG%, and has fallen out of the rotation in Miami in recent weeks, despite the fact that the team is missing a handful players due to injuries.

The Wizards are among the teams that might have interest in Williams, a source close to the player tells Jackson. But Washington would likely only seriously consider Williams if he were released. Jackson points out that teams below the salary cap floor could also take a look at claiming Williams off waivers if he’s cut, since more than half his $4.598MM salary has already been paid, but his full cap hit would count toward the salary floor.

As for White, he has emerged as a potential keeper for the Heat after having played a key role during the team’s recent winning streak. The rookie forward has averaged 4.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG in seven games (17.1 MPG), with an impressive shooting line of .526/.455/1.000.

White joined the Heat as a 16th man after the team was awarded a hardship exception. Such an exemption is available to clubs who have at least four players out with long-term injuries. Miami will likely continue to meet the criteria to carry a 16th player, since Justise Winslow, Chris Bosh, Josh Richardson, and Josh McRoberts aren’t close to a return.

However, an NBA spokesman confirmed to Jackson that league rules prevent Miami from simply signing White to a rest-of-season deal as a 16th man, meaning a roster move will be required if the club wants to hang onto him. White’s second 10-day deal will expire on Sunday night.

Winderman: Can Heat Keep Key Role Players?

January 31st, 2017 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat‘s supporting cast has played a huge role in the team’s recent winning streak, and many of those players are eligible for free agency this summer. In a mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines whether it makes sense for the club to try to keep players like Dion Waiters, James Johnson, and Willie Reed beyond this season.

Heat Notes: Wade, Waiters, Reed, Ellington

January 29th, 2017 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat could accommodate Dwyane Wade if he ever wants to return to Miami, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Wade has a player option for next season and may decide he doesn’t want to stay in Chicago with an underachieving and bickering team. The Heat could create room for Wade this summer when they expect to clear Chris Bosh‘s salary from their cap. Also, Tyler Johnson‘s new deal counts just $5.9MM against this cap for 2017/18, but balloons to $19MM a year later. Wade would get $23.8MM next season if he decides to opt in with the Bulls, but Winderman believes the Heat could bring him back to Miami if he agrees to take that money over two seasons.

There’s more news from South Florida:

Miami’s seven-game winning streak may make team president Pat Riley think about keeping some of the team’s upcoming free agents, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat will have about $40MM in cap room this summer, but re-signing Dion Waiters and Willie Reed, who can both opt out, along with James Johnson, who is on a one-year deal, would eat up a major part of that. All three have been key contributors to the team’s recent success.
The Heat’s streak happened because the team has de-emphasized player development, at least temporarily, Winderman states in a separate piece. With injuries keeping Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson out of the lineup, veterans like Waiters and Wayne Ellington are seeing more playing time. Elllington has a nonguaranteed salary of $6.27MM for next season that the Heat must decide on by July 12th.
Reed’s contract for next season calls for the league minimum, which he can easily exceed on the open market, Winderman writes in the same story. Reed is averaging 5.6 points and 4.9 rebounds through 39 games, mostly as a backup to Hassan Whiteside.