- The Heat have granted the Grizzlies permission to interview assistant coach Keith Smart for a position on the staff of former Miami assistant David Fizdale, who was recently named Memphis’ head coach, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays. Memphis was denied permission to interview Heat assistant coach Dan Craig, who is expected to take an elevated position on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff next season, Winderman adds.
The Heat went to a small-ball approach this past season out of necessity to due injuries, but the experiment may continue in 2016/17 in order to better maximize the talents of Goran Dragic, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. “[Coach] Erik [Spoelstra] did a great job putting something together that was very coherent and opened up the floor for our best players,” team executive Pat Riley said. “It’s not a secret that some things did look different after that. How he decides to play next year will be determined by what he sees in October in training camp. When you talk about uptempo basketball … your offense is only as good as what you do at the defensive end. If you want to explode out of there, then you’ve gotta make some stops and rebound the ball.”
Wizards point guard John Wall plans an aggressive approach to bring free agent Kevin Durant to Washington, writes Michael Lee of The Vertical. The Wizards are considered a contender for Durant because the Thunder star has roots in Washington and new coach Scott Brooks coached Durant in Oklahoma City. “I feel if [Brooks] can make a pitch, and I can make a pitch and [Durant] comes, it’s great,” Wall said. “I think we do need another star here, another great player to [get over] that next hump. You need three stars to win this league.”
Wall and Durant have formed a friendship over the years, and Wall has spoken publicly before about wanting to have Durant as a teammate. However, the formal sales pitch will have to wait. “If he comes, he comes, if not, got to make other plans,” Wall said. “But that’s something I haven’t talked to him about. I’m not willing to right now. He just came off a tough series. I’m trying to give him a couple of weeks, a month off, to think about what he wants to do.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards free agent center Nene wants to continue his NBA career, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. The 33-year-old recently posted on Twitter that he’s “working hard every day & getting ready.” Michael expects Washington to part ways with Nene, who earned $13MM last season.
- Former Heat assistant David Fizdale got help from Erik Spoelstra as he prepared for his interview with the Grizzlies, relates Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. After Miami was eliminated from the playoffs, Fizdale and Spoelstra turned their attention to interview preparation. “We waited ’til it was over and we got the call the next day that I was going to interview,” Fizdale said. “And so Spo and I went into playoff prep mode. He rented a room in the Ritz-Carlton for me. We got the boards up. We got the computers open. And we just basically did a crash course on prepping me for the interview.”
- Briante Weber is expected to be with the Heat during summer league, but probably not during next season, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Weber played six games for Miami this season, but Jackson says the Heat consider him limited offensively and found he had trouble remembering plays. He is scheduled to make $875K in 2016/17, but only about a fourth of that is guaranteed.
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise as the summer approaches.
State of the Franchise
Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports Images
After taking a significant step back during the 2014/15 season thanks to LeBron James taking his talents back to Cleveland, the Heat bounced back with a 48 win campaign this year. This occurred despite star big man Chris Bosh being limited to just 53 games due to recurring blood clot issues and the team’s offense never quite clicking, as Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade spent much of the campaign trying to mesh their games together. Plus, the absence of Bosh forced the team to employ a smaller lineup, placing a number of players outside their normal comfort zones. This included center Hassan Whiteside, who was relegated to a bench role for a portion of the campaign as a result.
The franchise has an extremely important offseason ahead of it, with just six players under contract for 2016/17 for a total cap hit of approximately $48.2MM. But don’t let the apparent bounty of cap flexibility fool you — the Heat will be extremely limited at the beginning of the free agent signing period thanks to the cap holds of unrestricted free agents Wade ($30MM) and Luol Deng ($13.2MM). Miami will either need to re-sign or renounce its rights to the duo in order to access its cap space, and will need to do so posthaste in order to maximize the expected surge in the cap to upward of $92MM for 2016/17. Deng appears to be in line to land a two-year deal that pays him at least $12MM annually. That price may be too steep for the Heat, even though they’d reportedly like to bring the small forward back.
Dwyane Wade’s Free Agency — The Sequel
For team president Pat Riley, coming to a quick and amenable resolution with Wade is paramount for the team to have a successful summer. The Heat’s reported preference for Wade’s next deal would be to make it for just one year, in order to give the franchise flexibility in 2017 and beyond. One Heat insider told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that a likely contract for the veteran shooting guard would be in the range of $15MM-$20MM annually, a number that is in line with the $20MM Wade earned this season. Wade’s solid and relatively healthy 2015/16 campaign will make it highly unlikely that he will agree to a discounted annual salary in the range of $12MM, which was reportedly the Heat‘s initial offer to the veteran last May. Instead, Wade ended up inking a one-year, $20MM deal to remain with Miami. Things could get contentious in a hurry if the franchise attempts to low-ball the iconic player, who remains the face of the franchise.
Chris Bosh’s Health Concerns
The Heat are expecting Bosh to be available next season, but there have been reports that the team fears the power forward will never be medically cleared to play again. Bosh still has three years and close to $76MM left on the max deal he signed in 2014 and accounts for roughly half of the guaranteed salary on the team’s books for 2016/17. If he is able to return, he brings with him All-Star level production. But in the short-term, the uncertainty surrounding his health will hamper the team and could potentially turn off prospective free agents, who may not be keen on joining the Heat sans Bosh.
If the worst case scenario were to occur and Bosh is unable to play again, the team could waive him and petition the league to have his cap hit removed. However, even if this were to occur, the cap relief would not kick in until February 9th of next year per league rules. There is also the possibility that relations could become strained between the player and the front office, given that the two sides have reportedly clashed over Bosh wanting to play while on blood thinners. The team appears to have the player’s best interests at heart, but if the veteran presses the issue it could force the Heat to make a difficult decision — allow Bosh to play, which could be fatal, stand firm and risk alienating Bosh, or to try and reach a buyout arrangement which would allow the forward to seek other opportunities.
To Whiteside, or Not to Whiteside
Whiteside is easily one of Riley’s best finds as an executive. The 26-year-old was picked off the scrap heap by Miami and he has rewarded them by evolving into one of the more promising big men in the league. But his success may ultimately cost the team his services this summer when he hits the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Whiteside is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and leading the league with 3.7 blocks per night.
Miami only holds Whiteside’s Early Bird rights, which means that with the big man looking at a max contract that will pay him approximately $21.7MM annually, the team will have to use cap space in order to re-sign the player. The Heat would need to free up enough space to sign him for more than 104.5% of the average salary, which is expected to be only about a third of the value of Whiteside’s max. With seventeen teams currently projected to have enough cap room to offer at least one max deal, and Whiteside almost assuredly going to be in high demand this summer, the Heat will have an extremely difficult and expensive call to make.
With the cap set to increase significantly, a max deal for a player of Whiteside’s talents isn’t out of line with the new economics of the game. But given his bouts of immaturity and hip and knee concerns, a max salary long-term pact does carry with it some very real concerns for the team. If Bosh was healthy, allowing Whiteside to depart wouldn’t be as big a hit to the club. But given the uncertainty surrounding him and the lack of quality bigs around the league, I don’t believe the Heat can allow Whiteside to sign with another franchise without putting up a fight.
Free Agent Targets
It is difficult to predict the team’s strategy, given the uncertainty surrounding Bosh, Whiteside, Deng and Wade. Miami will more than likely need to add depth on the wing, with Deng and Gerald Green both expected to depart as free agents this summer. Viable unrestricted free agent targets for the team include Derrick Williams, Austin Rivers, Caron Butler, Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee. I’d also add Lance Stephenson to that list if Memphis parts ways with him, and believe he would be a solid fit on the team. The Heat will likely make a run at Kevin Durant, but he’s probably out of their reach, though one should never discount Riley pulling off an offseason stunner.
The Heat will also need to add some frontcourt depth, even if Whiteside is re-signed. Potential additions up front include Bismack Biyombo, although he is likely going to be in line for a significant payday after his strong postseason showing for the Raptors, and Festus Ezeli, if he is cut loose by the Warriors in an effort to clear cap room. Pau Gasol is another possibility, though he’ll likely try and latch on with a franchise closer to contending for a title given his advancing age and relative financial security.
Draft Outlook
Miami doesn’t currently own a pick in this year’s draft with its first-rounder (No. 24) overall owed to the Sixers and second-rounder (No. 51 overall) belonging to the Celtics. The team can’t purchase a draft pick as it has already used up its allotted $3.4MM in cash for the season in other trades.
Final Take
The Heat enter the offseason with more uncertainty than they likely care for and less initial cap flexibility than is ideal. The team will have a number of vital calls to make within the first few hours of free agency if it wants to be players and not be left to pick over the free agent scrap heap. Reaching a quick agreement with Wade on a new deal would be a good jumping off point and doing so without upsetting the star in the process would certainly be preferable.
Miami has a number of roster holes needing to be addressed and the best strategy for this summer may be to simply re-sign Wade and Whiteside, surround them and Dragic with solid role-players and veterans, then wait for the strong free agent class of 2017 to retool and reload. But with Riley at the helm, one can never quite know what to expect. The executive has pulled off a number of shockers over the course of his career, though he’ll likely be hard-pressed to improve Miami significantly this summer. But fret not Heat fans, a warm weather locale, no state tax, the presence of Riley and a winning pedigree mean the franchise will remain competitive for the foreseeable future.
Guaranteed Salary
- Chris Bosh ($23,741,060)
- Goran Dragic ($15,891,725)
- Josh McRoberts ($5,782,450)
- Justise Winslow ($2,593,440)
- Briante Weber ($218,659) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below
- Total: $48,227,334
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Josh Richardson ($874,636)
- Briante Weber ($655,977) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above
- Total: $1,530,613
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Tyler Johnson ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Dwyane Wade ($30,000,000)
- Luol Deng ($13,197,096)
- Udonis Haslem ($5,424,386)
- Gerald Green ($980,431)
- Joe Johnson ($980,431)
- Amar’e Stoudemire ($980,431)
- Hassan Whiteside ($980,431)
- Dorell Wright ($980,431)
- Total: $53,523,637
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
- Within his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines whether the Heat will be able to recruit a top free agent to a roster that may lack Chris Bosh. If Bosh is unable to play next season, it would limit Miami’s cap flexibility and would likely make the team less appealing to free agents.
League insiders believe the second-round win over the Spurs was enough to keep Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In a video, Marks says the most likely scenario is for Durant to sign a one-year deal with the Thunder worth about $25.9MM that includes a player option for 2017/18.
Next summer, Durant will have 10 years of NBA experience and will become a Tier Three Max player, which means Oklahoma City could offer him more than $200MM over five seasons. If Durant opts for a long-term deal this offseason, OKC can offer five years at about $145MM. Risks involved in choosing a single-season deal are Durant’s injury history and the possibility of a new collective bargaining agreement next year that would shake up the league’s salary structure. Marks lists the Spurs, Heat, Celtics and Warriors as teams expected to make a run at Durant, while ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter) adds the Rockets, Knicks, Lakers, and Wizards to that list.
Durant told Sam Amick of USA Today that he was able to push the free agency issue aside and concentrate fully on every playoff game. “If this would have happened four years ago, I would have been everywhere – my mind would have been everywhere,” he said. “So I’m happy that I was able to focus and lock in and give my all to my team every single night.” Whether it’s a clue to his decision or not, Durant later added, “I see bright things for this team. And it’s great to be a part of it.”
San Antonio, Miami and Golden State are the top contenders if Durant decides to go elsewhere, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola contends the Knicks could be helped if Durant opts for a one-year contract because it gives them another season to improve, along with another year of growth for rookie Kristaps Porzingis.
The Knicks hurt their case when they fired coach Derek Fisher, Durant’s former teammate, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Two advantages they have are that Carmelo Anthony, who has a good relationship with Durant, wants to be part of the recruitment process, and that Durant’s father is a longtime fan of the Knicks. However, New York assistant Brian Keefe, who was Durant’s workout partner in Oklahoma City, reportedly won’t be part of Jeff Hornacek’s new staff.
The odds against Durant signing with the Heat are even greater than they were against LeBron James coming to Miami in 2010, argues Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald. Skolnick writes that team president Pat Riley’s best chance is to sell Durant on the possibility of winning a championship with the Heat. However, the 55-win Thunder are also serious title contenders, Durant doesn’t have a close relationship with any of the Miami players like James did with Dwyane Wade and the new restrictions on sign-and-trade deals make it more difficult for players to recoup whatever money they give up to sign with another team.
Durant and the Clippers could both change their postseason fortunes if they unite, writes Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Woike notes that L.A. won’t have the money to pursue the OKC star because two thirds of its cap room is tied up in Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, but he argues that it might be worth trading one of those three to create the room to sign Durant.
Durant’s friendship with James Harden and the addition of an offensive-minded coach in Mike D’Antoni give the Rockets a least a fighting chance of landing Durant, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. In addition, Rex Kalamian, who may join D’Antoni’s staff, coached both Harden and Durant when he was an assistant with the Thunder.
David Fizdale plans a full-court press to keep Mike Conley in Memphis, relays Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal. The free agent point guard was among many topics Fizdale addressed this afternoon as he was formally introduced as the new head coach of the Grizzlies. “I’ve spoken to Mike Conley,” Fizdale said. “We had a fantastic conversation, a very energized, open conversation and an honest conversation. He’s going to get sick of me, because I’m going to follow him. I’m going to just follow him everywhere he goes. I’m going to hound him and teach him and collaborate with him and make him feel a part of this thing in a way that only a guy like [Dwyane] Wade can feel, in Miami. That’s my approach with him. I see him being a big part of this thing for a long time.” Fizdale worked with Wade during eight years as an assistant coach with the Heat.
Fizdale was hired from a crowded field of candidates that included Spurs assistants James Borrego and Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik and Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts. Memphis also spoke to ex-Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who was the only one other than Fizdale to meet with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. Fizdale called their session a “fantastic meeting” and said he and Pera have similar philosophies about the game. “We speak the same language,” the new coach said. “He’s about culture. He’s about leadership. He’s about allowing people to do their work, hiring talent and empowering them to do their work. Growth mindset, big-time, like he’s so open-minded to stuff and innovative.”
Fizdale added that he’s in no hurry to put together his staff. It’s not certain if any of former coach Dave Joerger’s assistants will be retained. “We’re going to be very patient and methodical and we’re going to work very closely on this,” Fizdale said, “because I really want input so that we all feel good about this.”
Fizdale doesn’t mind inheriting a veteran team, writes David Williams of The Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies are among the NBA’s oldest squads and are built around a foundation of Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, who have all been in the league for at least eight seasons. “My most proudest moments of development aren’t with the young guys,” Fizdale said. “It’s with the older guys. We just believed that our old guys could always get better, to have a growth mindset about everyone. If you look at Dwyane Wade, he’s constantly evolved. … LeBron James evolved and developed underneath us. Chris Bosh never shot a 3-point shot — and all of the sudden he’s one of the most deadly 3-point shooting 5 men in the league.”
In his Sunday column for The Miami Herald, Barry Jackson detailed a disagreement the Heat and Chris Bosh had over the idea of using blood thinners to allow him to return to the court as we outlined here. In addition to the report on Bosh though, Jackson provided the latest rumors and details on several other Heat-related topics, with a focus on the team’s free agents. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights…
- The Heat would prefer to lock up Hassan Whiteside for something a little below the max, selling him on the lack of income tax in Florida, his comfort level with the Heat, and the fact that his current team could offer him bigger raises than any other suitor. Still, as Jackson points out, another free agent center option like Al Horford would have a higher max salary than Whiteside, so Miami could easily justify going to the max to keep the club’s incumbent center.
- The Heat’s preference for Dwyane Wade‘s next deal would be to make it for just one year, to give the franchise flexibility in 2017. One Heat person estimates to Jackson that a one-year contract for Wade would be in the $15-20MM neighborhood.
- Miami would like to re-sign Joe Johnson, but he may not be as willing as he was earlier this year to accept a discount to play in South Beach. The Heat would likely dangle the $2.9MM room exception for Johnson.
- An Eastern Conference official expects Luol Deng to get a two-year deal that pays him at least $12MM annually. That price may be too steep for the Heat, even though they’d like to bring Deng back.
- Amar’e Stoudemire, Gerald Green, and Dorell Wright aren’t expected to return to the Heat, though that could change if Stoudemire and Green are willing to re-sign for the minimum.
Chris Bosh suggested a way that he could play this year while taking blood thinners, but the Heat rejected it, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Bosh, who was sidelined from the All-Star break through the end of the season after doctors discovered blood clots in his calf, wanted to take the medication early in the day so it would be out of his bloodstream by game time.
A source told Jackson that the substance left Bosh’s body 8 to 12 hours after he took it, but Heat doctors weren’t convinced the plan was safe and the team turned down the idea. Blood thinners are considered dangerous for athletes because they can lead to excessive bleeding if a player gets cut or can cause internal bleeding if he’s involved in a hard fall or collision.
U-Health cardiologist Robert Myerburg said some newly introduced blood thinners can exit the body in 12 hours or less, but he told Jackson he doesn’t believe it would have been safe for Bosh to play. “I would not use that strategy,” Myerburg said. “There’s too much at risk. The drug being out of the system is not what worries me as much as the unprotected time,” especially if an area with past clotting is subjected to trauma. None of the doctors involved with Bosh or the Heat has commented publicly.
Bosh has three years and close to $76MM left on the maximum deal he signed in 2014. There have been reports that the Heat fear Bosh will never be medically cleared to play again, but Jackson writes that both he and the team are optimistic about a return next season.
SUNDAY, 2:06pm: The hiring is official, the Grizzlies announced today.
THURSDAY, 12:06pm: The Grizzlies and David Fizdale have reached an agreement on a contract that will make the Heat assistant the new head coach in Memphis, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, it will be a four-year deal for Fizdale. Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal adds (via Twitter) that the fourth year will be a team option.
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
Fizdale, who turns 42 next month, has been a part of the Heat’s coaching staff since 2008, with the club earning two NBA Championship teams during his tenure. Fizdale previously served as an assistant coach for the Warriors (2003/04) and the Hawks (2004-2008).
The Grizzlies had been seeking a replacement for former coach Dave Joerger, who was fired after requesting permission to interview for other coaching jobs. The Kings hired him last week, giving him a four-year deal worth $16MM, leaving Memphis to scour the market for a new head coach.
In addition to Fizdale, the Grizzlies considered several other candidates for their head coaching vacancy, including Spurs assistants James Borrego and Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik and Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts.
The club also conducted at least one interview with Frank Vogel, who spoke to team owner Robert Pera, before he accepted the head coaching job in Orlando. Outside of Vogel, Fizdale is believed to be the only candidate who had an interview with Pera in attendance.
Wojnarowski first reported on Wednesday that Memphis had offered its head coaching position to Fizdale.
The Rockets are now the NBA’s only head team whose head coaching search is ongoing.