Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Sign Rodney McGruder

July 7th, 2016 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:10pm: The signing is official, the Heat announced via press release.

11:27am: The Heat and shooting guard Rodney McGruder are close to an agreement on a partially guaranteed three-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

McGruder has played on Miami’s summer league team the past two seasons. He’s averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists through three games in the Orlando Summer League this month.

The 24-year-old McGruder appeared in 48 games last season with the Heat’s D-League’s team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He started 44 games and averaged 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 51.3% from the field and 38.4% on 3-point attempts. He gives Miami some depth at shooting guard in the wake of Dwyane Wade‘s impending departure to the Bulls.

McGruder went undrafted in 2013 after starting three seasons at Kansas State.

McGruder was a training camp signee with the Thunder that year but was waived before the season opener. He then played in Hungary before signing with the Celtics in 2014 prior to training camp. He was once again waived before the start of the season and wound up in the D League with the Maine Red Claws and Skyforce.

Heat Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside

July 7th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images

July 7th, 4:55pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced via press release.

8:12am: As expected, Whiteside’s pact is a four-year, maximum salary contract, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets.

JULY 1st, 6:59am: Unrestricted free agent Hassan Whiteside has decided to remain in Miami and will re-sign with the Heat, he announced via a post in The Player’s Tribune. The agreed upon terms were not announced, but Whiteside was reportedly seeking a maximum salary offer.

“I’ve played on eight teams since college — from Reno to Sioux Falls to Sichuan, China,” Whiteside wrote in his announcement. “I am not ready for there to be a ninth. I have decided to re-sign with Miami. I just wanted to take this time to tell all the fans how much you mean to this team, and to me. Can’t wait to get back to work and try to bring another championship to Miami. #HeatNation”

The Heat and Mavericks both had the opportunity to make pitches to Whiteside in the early hours of free agency, and the free agent big man left both meetings without an agreement in place, relaying that he would make his final decision this morning. Heading into those early morning meetings, the Mavs were the reported favorites, but ultimately Pat Riley convinced the big man that Miami was the best spot for him to continue his playing career. Portland was also reported to have scheduled a meeting, but it appears the Blazers never had the opportunity to sit down with Whiteside.

For Dallas, this becomes another big name free agent that has spurned the organization, and the second offseason in a row that Mark Cuban and company failed to land their top target. While there was no bizarre stand-off at Whiteside’s home similar to what occurred last summer with DeAndre Jordan, losing out on the big man has to sting. The team will need to regroup and hope it has better luck with point guard Mike Conley, who is reportedly the team’s other free agent priority.

Whiteside appeared in 73 games this past season for Miami, including 45 as a starter. He averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in 29.1 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .606/.000/.650.

Pat Riley Never Called Wade During Free Agency

July 7th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

During Dwyane Wade‘s free agency saga, Heat president Pat Riley never called Wade directly, per Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter), Riley and Wade had a meeting after last season ended, but it was owner Micky Arison who was in touch with the former Finals MVP during this past week’s negotiations.

Free Agent Notes: Timberwolves, Wizards, Randolph

July 7th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves offered veteran small forward Luol Deng a three-year contract at $12MM per season, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP Radio (Twitter link). Head coach and president of basketball operations Tim Thobideau refused to fully guarantee the third year, Wolfson adds. In the end, the Timberwolves didn’t come close to signing Deng, as the former Heat starter agreed to a four-year, $72MM contract with the Lakers.

In other news regarding free agency:

The Wizards have interest in re-signing shooting guard Alan Anderson and will meet with him this weekend, league sources told J. Michael of CSNmidlatlantic.com (Twitter links). The meeting is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Michael adds. Anderson, who made $4MM last season, appeared in just 13 games with the Wizards after undergoing a second surgery on his left ankle. The previous season, he played in 74 games with the Nets and averaged 7.4 points in 23.6 minutes.
Shooting guard Brandon Paul is drawing major interest around the league after some strong performances for the Hornets’ summer-league team, Sportando tweets. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through four games in the Orlando Summer League. The 6’4” Paul went undrafted in 2013 out of the University of Illinois and has been playing for a Spanish league team, FIATC Joventut.
Forward Anthony Randolph will remain in Europe and sign a one-year deal with Spain’s Real Madrid, a source told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Randolph received interest from the Mavericks this summer, Spears adds. The contract will be the $1.5MM-$2MM range, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’11” Randolph hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he appeared in 43 games with the Nuggets.
Power forward Willie Reed has drawn interest from the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Timberwolves and Pacers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes over 39 games with the Nets last season.
Free agent center Robert Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet.

Tyler Johnson Signs Offer Sheet With Nets

July 7th, 2016 at 1:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Jan 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson (8) passes around Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Wierzbicki / USA TODAY Sports Images

JULY 7TH, 1:20am: Johnson has signed the offer sheet, Wojnarowski tweets. Miami will have three days to match Brooklyn’s offer.

JULY 3RD, 11:18am: The Nets will extend a $50MM offer sheet to Miami restricted free agent guard Tyler Johnson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The four-year offer, which Johnson has agreed to sign, has a player option for the final season, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge.

Miami will have three days to decide whether to match the offer once Johnson signs it, which can happen as soon as the moratorium is lifted on Thursday. The deal is heavily backloaded, tweets Miami-based capologist Albert Nahmad, with Johnson receiving $5.628MM in the first season and $5,881,260 in the second, followed by $18,858,765 in season three and $19,631,975 in season four.

The Heat’s decision on Johnson will be heavily influenced by what happens with Kevin Durant, who is meeting with Miami officials today, and Dwyane Wade, who is reportedly talking to other teams after being unhappy with the Heat’s initial offer. If Miami matches Brooklyn’s offer, its cap hit will be equal to Johnson’s yearly salary, Nahmad tweets. If he goes to Brooklyn, the Nets will have a $12.5MM cap hit each year.

Dwyane Wade Rumors: Wednesday

July 6th, 2016 at 7:52pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of updates on Dwyane Wade‘s situation were reported on Tuesday, including the fact that he has canceled his meeting with the Bucks, scheduled a meeting with the Nuggets, and received a contract offer in the two-years, $50MM range from Denver. Wade is said to be seeking a deal in that neighborhood, or something with a guaranteed third year.

Here are Wednesday’s latest updates and rumors on Wade, one of the top free agents left on the market:

7:52pm:

Wade is pushing for a resolution on his future tonight and it’s likely between Miami, Chicago or Denver, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. The scribe adds via Twitter that Pat Riley would like an answer tonight and if Wade isn’t returning, Riley would move fast on other options.

7:31pm:

Wade is very much open to leaving the Heat after hearing pitches from other teams today, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

6:35pm:

The Bulls feel Wade is serious about joining their team and they have been in contact with other teams in an attempt to unload contracts, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). Jose Calderon and Mike Dunleavy are the two players that Chicago would like to move. Wojnarowski (Twitter link) adds that the team’s canceled meeting has bearing on his status.
The Bucks‘ meeting with Wade went for over an hour and Wade spoke highly of the team’s young roster, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel passes along (Twitter links). Gardner adds that the Bucks still do not have the cap space to accommodate a Wade deal, so he doesn’t expect the 33-year-old to sign with the franchise. However, David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link) hears that the team believes Wade is “very serious” about joining Milwaukee.
Wade’s meeting with the Heat ended without a deal, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com tweets and according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), his status remains up in the air.
Wade will co-host ABC’s Live with Kelly on Thursday morning and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) wonders if the shooting guard will make his announcement then.

1:52pm:

Wade’s meetings with the Nuggets and Bucks are now complete, with the Heat set to finish out the day. The Bulls had been scheduled to meet with Wade today as well, but the team has cancelled the sit-down after its flight kept getting delayed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski adds that if Wade has serious interest in Chicago, the club could travel to meet with him on Thursday.

12:46pm:

The Nuggets were “very happy” with how their Wade meeting went, league sources tell Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Denver is now waiting for the guard to meet with his other suitors and make a decision.
After meeting with the Nuggets, Wade is sitting down with Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, says Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter links), who also confirms that Heat owner Micky Arison will get a sit-down with Wade later in the day.

11:30am:

Wade’s meetings in New York are underway – with the Nuggets going first (Twitter link) – and a decision on his future could happen as soon as Wednesday night, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski adds that the exact amount of Denver’s offer to Wade is $52MM for two years.

Northwest Notes: Diaw, Rush, Hill, Mudiay

July 6th, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz center Rudy Gobert believes “something good is going to happen” in Utah after the trade for Boris Diaw, relays Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs were looking to deal the versatile veteran to create cap room to sign Pau Gasol, and Utah jumped at the opportunity. “He understands the game very well,” Gobert said of his fellow Frenchman. “He’s like a point guard in a big man’s body. It’s like having another coach on the floor. It’s great. I’m very excited.” Diaw, 34, will make $6.5MM next season and a non-guaranteed $7MM for 2017/18.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Several other teams were interested in Warriors swingman Brandon Rush, who agreed to sign with the Timberwolves today, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The Hornets, Knicks and Wizards all wanted to add the 31-year-old free agent, and the Warriors tried to keep him in Golden State.
The Wolves have “kicked the tires” on Pacers big man Jordan Hill, tweets John Krawczynski of The Associated Press. They haven’t reached the serious negotiation phase yet, but that could change now that Rush has been signed.
Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay plans to join the effort to get Dwyane Wade to come to Denver, tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The Nuggets held a meeting with Wade earlier today.

Hornets To Sign Brian Roberts

July 6th, 2016 at 2:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nick Turchiaro / USA TODAY Sports Images

Brian Roberts will return to the Hornets as a reserve point guard, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. The 30-year-old will receive a veteran’s minimum contract.

Roberts spent a season and a half in Charlotte before being traded twice in February. The Hornets sent him to the Heat on February 16th in a three-team deal that brought back Courtney Lee, and Miami shipped him to the Blazers in a cap-clearing move two days later.

Roberts appeared in 30 games last season with the Hornets, averaging 4.8 points and 1.3 assists in 11.1 minutes per night. His playing time was cut almost in half in Portland, and his per-game averages dropped to 2.9 points and 0.8 assists.

Latest On Dwyane Wade

July 5th, 2016 at 10:03pm CST by Luke Adams

10:03pm: Wade has a meeting scheduled on Wednesday with Nuggets officials that will take place in New York, Wojnarowski tweets.

7:34pm: The Nuggets have offered Wade a contract worth more than $50MM over two years, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Denver is holding out hope that the veteran shooting guard will accept its bid, the scribe adds.

12:37pm: Wade’s representatives have told teams that their client is seeking a two-year, $50MM contract, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, adding that the Nuggets and Bulls continue to stay in touch with Wade, who is also talking to the Heat. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, meanwhile, reports that the veteran star is prioritizing a guaranteed third year in contract talks. Either way, it sounds like a two-year, $40MM offer won’t get it done.

The Bucks currently aren’t involved in the bidding for Wade, and while there have been rumors about the Cavs, there’s no traction between Wade and Cleveland at this point, according to Windhorst. Per Wojnarowski, the Bulls and Wade have talked about setting up a face-to-face meeting but nothing has been scheduled.

As for the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets that they seem to want to hold firm on two years for Wade, even though they may be willing to include a player option and do another two-year deal next summer.

10:58am: Dwyane Wade has canceled a previously-scheduled Wednesday meeting with the Bucks, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Lowe’s report follows up on a tweet from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, which suggests that Wade has canceled more than one free agent meeting. However, it’s not clear what other team(s) had been set to meet with the veteran guard.

Despite the fact that Wade played his college ball at Marquette, it always seemed like a long shot that he’d seriously consider signing with the Bucks this offseason after spending his entire career in Miami. After Kevin Durant opted not to sign with the Heat, Miami reportedly increased its offer to Wade to two years and $40MM, getting a little more serious about negotiations with the former Finals MVP. Although he didn’t accept that offer, Wade’s decision to cancel his meeting with the Bucks may hint that he and the Heat are moving closer to finding common ground.

Outside of Milwaukee and Miami, several teams have been linked to Wade since free agency began, including the Nuggets, Knicks, Bulls, and Mavericks. Of those teams, only Denver still had the cap space to pursue Wade. There has also been speculation that the Cavaliers could have interest in LeBron James‘ former teammate, though those whispers have been unsubstantiated. Even if Cleveland did explore that possibility, the team would have to trade multiple contracts in order to be able to offer Wade a decent salary.

Heat Offer Dwyane Wade Two-Year, $40MM Deal

July 4th, 2016 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

With Kevin Durant no longer in play, the Heat have shifted their focus back to their own veteran star. According to Dan Le Batard (Twitter link), Miami has put a two-year, $40MM offer on the table for Dwyane Wade. The proposal, which has been confirmed by multiple outlets, includes a player option for year two.

Wade has been shopping around for other offers so far this month, unhappy with how initial talks with the Heat had played out. However, Miami has remained the favorite to sign Wade, and now the team appears to be getting a little more serious in negotiations, with Hassan Whiteside locked up and Durant headed to Golden State.

The Bucks, one of Wade’s rival suitors, have a meeting in New York lined up with the veteran guard for Wednesday, according to Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). The Nuggets are also reportedly in the hunt for Wade, but the Heat would probably like to ensure that the former Finals MVP doesn’t take any meetings.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad notes (via Twitter), based on their current projected space, the Heat could offer Wade a deal worth $39MM+ and still match Tyler Johnson‘s offer sheet. If Wade wants more than that, and Miami is willing to oblige, the team would have to renounce, trade, or waive at least one other player. The Heat could also improve their offer to Wade by adding a third year.