Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Winslow, Kidd-Gilchrist, Felicio

January 6th, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist revealed earlier today that he intends to return to action this season despite suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder that appeared likely to cost him all of 2015/16. While the return of the defensive-minded swingman would certainly bolster the team heading into the playoffs, there is certainly a danger in him returning too soon from such a serious injury, Chris Barnewall of SB Nation’s AttheHive.com writes. With the franchise expecting to have ample free cap space heading into this offseason, the return of Kidd-Gilchrist could push the Hornets deeper into the postseason, which would provide the team with a stronger free agent sales pitch, Barnewall notes. But the prospect of luring a big name player to Charlotte isn’t worth risking the long-term health of Kidd-Gilchrist, who has already suffered a number of injuries during his brief NBA career, adds Barnewall.

Here’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

Heat rookie Justise Winslow‘s versatility as a defender is allowing the team to experiment with him as a stretch four, a move that Miami has been working toward in recent weeks, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “There’s a lot of time being spent behind the scenes,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s been doing that. For about over a month, he’s been working a lot of his reps at the four pre-practice. He doesn’t play it [a lot] in the game, but you never know when. And it’s not like it’s something new. So he’s had a thousand reps behind the scenes. He gets thrown in there, it’s like, ‘OK, I got this. This is familiar.’ “
Thursday is the final day that teams can waive their non-guaranteed contracts before they become fully guaranteed, and the Bulls have to make decisions regarding Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio. All indications point to Felicio remaining on the roster past that deadline, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. The 23-year-old has only appeared in two games for the Bulls this season and has scored two points in four total minutes of action.
Pacers small forward Solomon Hill has cracked coach Frank Vogel‘s regular rotation, but the player still needs to work on his tendency to overthink matters on the court, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star writes. “I think one thing I have to do now that I’m, like, playing actually is just relax,” said Hill. “I feel like I’m just trying to stay in there by just doing the right things, and I’m thinking too much. I think once I relax and see the first one go in, I’ll be OK.” When asked if he can expect to receive consistent playing time moving forward, Hill responded, “I don’t know. I’m not going to think about that anymore. That’s part of me over-thinking. I’m just going to go out there and play the game, play my game when I do get the opportunity, but it’s a testament to our team. Everybody’s playing right now.”

Heat Notes: Dragic, Wade, Winslow

January 5th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns are “always changing something,” unlike the Heat and Spurs, who show more loyalty, Goran Dragic contends in an interview with Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. The point guard cautioned that he’s grateful to the Suns and has no regrets about his time with them, but he recounted his frustration with the team’s decision to sign Isaiah Thomas instead of a big man in the summer of 2014, as Lee details. The Suns are reeling now, losers of nine straight, and the chance to play for a consistent winner is what Dragic has wanted. “That’s why I didn’t hesitate to sign [with the Heat] in free agency, because they are always on top,” Dragic said to Lee. “They are always looking at that big picture to win a championship. I still remember that year with the Suns, when we made the [conference finals in 2010]. That was one of the best moments in my career and I want to feel that again, to be in the playoffs and to be a contender.”

See more amid the latest from Miami:

Dwyane Wade likes to win, too, but he’s grateful in some regard for last season’s rare playoff miss for the Heat, notes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. “Nothing went right for us last year, but everything happened for a reason and it was much-needed rest for this team,” Wade said. “I ain’t gonna lie to you, I was happy. Once we weren’t good enough and we knew we weren’t winning the championship, I didn’t really care about making it to the first round just to say we made it to the first round. I enjoyed knowing I was going to have a long summer to focus on my body. It was good for us.”
Rookie small forward Justise Winslow earned the respect of Pacers forward Paul George on Monday, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. Indiana’s star player scored 32 points against the Heat but took 29 shots to reach that point total. Winslow limited him to one shot in overtime as the Heat pulled out the victory. “He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s a good, solid defender,” George said during his postgame interview. “He’s got great feet. He’s real aggressive. That’s what you want out of your young defenders.”
Shooting guard Josh Richardson was assigned on Monday to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and will play in that league’s Showcase event which begins on Wednesday, Michael A. Scotto of the Associated Press tweets. Power forward Jarnell Stokes was also sent to the D-League, according to the team’s website, which confirmed the Richardson assignment.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Cunningham, Celtics, Sixers

January 3rd, 2016 at 7:15pm CST by Will Joseph

The Cavs have not decided yet if they will keep combo guard Jared Cunningham after this week, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, citing league sources. Unless Cleveland cuts Cunningham by the close of business Thursday, his $981,348 salary for the remainder of the season is guaranteed, as Haynes points out.

Cunningham was a preseason surprise for the Cavs, the 24-year-old’s fifth team in four years. While Cunningham had streaks of consistent playing time this season, he has not seen more than 15 minutes in a single game since December 11th, and that includes four games in which he didn’t even appear. Cunningham, whom coach David Blatt used in a variety of ways, has seen his minutes deteriorate because the Cavs are healthier, Haynes writes. Making the decision more interesting is Cunningham’s salary would cost the team approximately $3.8MM in luxury tax dollars if the Cavs maintain their current roster, Haynes adds.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

If the Celtics continue to struggle, there will be increased pressure on the front office to consider making a move to alleviate Boston’s frontcourt logjam, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com details. Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, David Lee and Tyler Zeller are each part of the Celtics’ big man rotation. Boston, as Forsberg points out, also tends to utilize Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko at the power forward spots. The large crowd has been a roadblock for rookie Jordan Mickey, who is thriving in the D-League, Forsberg adds.
Ish Smith, whom the Sixers acquired in a trade with the Pelicans last month, doesn’t seem fazed by playing for nine organizations in his career and having been included in 19 different transactions, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com writes.
The Heat recalled Josh Richardson and Jarnell Stokes from the D-League, the team announced on its website.

Southeast Notes: Wade, Udrih, Lamb, Wizards

January 3rd, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat’s Dwyane Wade isn’t ready to give up his starting spot yet, but the idea may be discussed in negotiations next summer, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The columnist doesn’t believe Wade would agree to such a move in a contract year, but with his 34th birthday coming up this month it will likely be part of his future. The emergence of Tyler Johnson and Justise Winslow gives Miami other options on the wing, along with the possibility that Gerald Green will be brought back for another season. Winderman also suggests that Goran Dragic could benefit from having a different partner in the starting backcourt.

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

Beno Udrih has been productive since the November deal that brought him to Miami, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be with the team past the trade deadline, Winderman writes in the same piece. Udrih is averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 assists with the Heat, mostly in a backup role, but Winderman could envision his $2.077MM salary being moved to help get Miami under the luxury tax.
The Hornets‘ Jeremy Lamb, who was acquired from the Thunder in an offseason deal, tells Erik Horne of The Oklahoman that playing in Oklahoma City wasn’t “a great situation” for him. Lamb is averaging career highs in minutes, points and rebounds in Charlotte after spending his first three years with the Thunder. He said the OKC front office was “very encouraging of me, just saying I’m going to be a good player in the league and it was best that I could go somewhere and play, so I was excited about it.”
Out of necessity, the Wizards have figured out a way to make the Otto Porter–Kelly Oubre combination work, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. A rash of injuries has forced the two small forwards to take the court together, and they are finding success. Porter has registered three straight 20-point games since returning to the starting lineup, and Oubre’s versatility has helped cement his spot in the rotation. “We both gel on the court,” Oubre said. “We both kind of feed off each other’s energy while we’re on the court so you can expect big things from us when we’re on the court.”

Western Notes: Henderson, Griffin, Whiteside

January 2nd, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Eddie Scarito

Blazers swingman Gerald Henderson was supposed to provide some much needed veteran leadership on the court in the wake of the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent and the trade of Nicolas Batum to the Hornets, but instead he has fallen to third-string on the team’s depth chart, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com writes. Henderson and his expiring contract could potentially be dealt prior to this season’s trade deadline, but his struggles on the court may make it difficult for Portland to extract much in the way of value if the swingman is traded, Quick notes.

Henderson understands he’s not performing up to par, but believes he can turn things around, Quick adds. “I don’t feel like I can really play worse,’’ Henderson said. “I think I play good defense; I think I’ve done a good job on that end of the court. But offensively … just been inconsistent. I look at myself … I know how to play. And it will turn around at some point … but I feel like I can help the team, obviously more.’’

Here’s more from out West:

One unsung aspect of injured power forward Blake Griffin‘s game that the Clippers will miss is his passing, and the team’s offense has already taken a hit in its efficiency since the high-flying big man has been out of the lineup, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. “You forget, other than CP [Chris Paul], who makes the passes for our team,” Rivers said. “You realize how important Blake is. Most people just look at his scoring, and it’s his passing that makes us go as well.” Griffin is expected to be out of action for at least two weeks after suffering a partially torn left quadriceps.
Look for Heat center Hassan Whiteside to be one of the top free agent targets for the Mavericks this coming offseason, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News opines. While Sefko does praise the play of Zaza Pachulia for Dallas this season, he notes that Whiteside would be a clear upgrade, especially on the defensive end, and the Heat’s salary cap situation could make it difficult for Miami to re-sign the big man, thus helping the Mavs’ cause in regards to inking Whiteside this summer. Miami is currently projected to have approximately $39MM-$45MM in free cap space, but those figures only include six players and don’t account for pending free agents Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng, among others.

And-Ones: Morris, McGary, D-League

December 31st, 2015 at 3:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons combo forward Marcus Morris can’t hold back from commenting on his brother’s situation with the Suns, and insists that despite Markieff Morris putting a positive spin on things, he still wants out of Phoenix, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays. When asked what is wrong with the Suns right now, Marcus responded, “It’s self-explanatory. You see what’s going on. Sorry to say it, but it’s self-explanatory. I don’t know what’s going on over there. It’s like a [clown] show right now.” Discussing Markieff’s feelings about the franchise, Marcus told Ellis, “One thing about Keef is he’s always positive. Some stuff might happen a little, but he’s always positive. He’s still looking to get out of there, still looking to go somewhere else. Right now he has to be a pro and continue to take care of his business on and off the court.”

When asked if he has advised his brother on what to do going forward, Marcus said, “It’s not like he’s going to read this and say my brother gave me some advice. We talk every day. He knows what’s best for him. We all know what’s best for him, and what’s best for him is to continue to be professional and continue to work hard on his game. I know he’s doing that day in, day out — regardless of the suspension and what’s going on. He’s a hard worker, and so he will continue to be ready when his number’s called. If he gets traded, he’ll be able to contribute to any team in the league.”

Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Thunder have recalled Mitch McGary from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the big man’s fourth stint with the Blue on the season.
The Pacers announced that center Shayne Whittington has been recalled from the D-League. This concludes Whittington’s second assignment to the Mad Ants of the season.
The Bulls have assigned power forward Cristiano Felicio to the D-League, the team announced. Felicio will report to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, as part of the flexible assignment rule since Chicago doesn’t possess its own D-League team.
Josh Richardson and Jarnell Stokes, both of whom are currently assigned to the Heat‘s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, will be recalled on Saturday, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel tweets.

Eastern Notes: Marshall, Butler, Bosh

December 31st, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler notes that he and Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg are learning a lot about each other, and that Hoiberg is holding him accountable for his actions, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “I still got respect for him,” Butler said of Hoiberg. “I don’t think it’s a different light. Nothing I do is to disrespect anybody. I think he realizes I’m going to be here, I realize he’s going to be here, so we got to deal with each other anyways. I think that he’s holding me accountable for everything. He talked to me whenever I was low energy last game, and I fixed it. That’s the type of guy he is. He has the utmost confidence in me because he continually put the ball in my hand when he didn’t have to.”

Butler does appreciate the effort that Hoiberg has made to connect with him, Friedell adds. “I think we’re both learning a lot about each other,” Butler said. “He’s probably learning how moody I am on a daily basis, to tell you the truth. And it’s hard, but I think he lets me be who I am. He handles everything that I do very well. I’m not a big communicator, I’m not great at it, but he’s always talking to me. He’s always asking, ‘How are you doing? What can we do?’ He’s always asking my opinion on a lot of things. Yeah, it helped a lot.”

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

Sixers point guard Kendall Marshall‘s role has been significantly diminished with the team’s acquisition of Ish Smith from New Orleans, but he is trying to remain upbeat despite the team’s woes, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.”It’s not easy,” Marshall said of losing his starting spot. “But it’s part of being a professional. I’ve definitely been in this situation before. I know what it’s like. At the end of day, I have to play better if I want to be on the court. He’s playing extremely well. Obviously our team is playing a lot better. We are in game. When the team is playing better that’s not anything I can be mad about.“
Chris Bosh believes that the Heat suffer from focus issues and don’t pay enough attention when leads begin to slip away during games, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. The power forward didn’t call out anyone in particular, but did note that the problem includes both players and coaches, Lieser adds. “Yeah, top to bottom,” Bosh said. “I’m inclusive. We’re a team. From me to [coach Erik Spoelstra] to the guys in the locker room, we have to not let that affect our play. We have to move on to the next one. We want to have the No. 1 league defense and the No. 1 league offense, but we don’t have that, so we have to work with what we have and play the game.“

Eastern Notes: Larkin, Gibson, Wizards

December 30th, 2015 at 1:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets point guard Shane Larkin said that he needed to get away from the Knicks and the triangle offense in order to grow as a player, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “I’m in a pick-and-roll system my third year,’’ said Larkin. “My first year [in Dallas] I was in a pick-and-roll system, but I was coming off a broken ankle, so I missed time with that, didn’t get a preseason, so I was just kind of learning on the fly. Last year wasn’t the best system for me, that year went however it went. And this year I feel like I’m growing every single game and being more comfortable out there and just playing my game. I feel like it’s a good fit.’’ The 23-year-old is averaging 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 18.9 minutes of action per game this season for Brooklyn.

Here’s more from the East:

Power forward Taj Gibson is supportive of rookie Bobby Portis, whose play in the wake of Joakim Noah‘s injury has many calling for an increased role for the young player, and potentially making Gibson a trade candidate for the Bulls, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. When asked if the emergence of Portis has given conflicting feelings, Gibson responded, “What do you mean mixed feelings? It’s never mixed feelings. At the end of the day I care about my teammates. I don’t worry about all that. If he plays well it’s good for us, it’s good for the team. I want him to succeed. At the end of the day, we’re millionaires. We play a game.”
Paul Pierce believes that the Wizards, his former team, will be a dangerous team once they get healthy, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. “Right now I think they’ve been dealing with a lot of injuries. I keep up with them when I’m not playing. I’m still good friends with a lot of guys on the team. We chat on the text,” Pierce said. “I just think they’re dealing with a lot of injuries and kind of got off to a slow start. And I think once they get healthy, you’re going to have to watch out for them. They got a lot of depth when they’re healthy. A guy like Alan Anderson can definitely be a positive for them as far as their wing depth. Obviously, they’re missing a lot of their big men so I think once they get healthy, if they get healthy at the right time, they can make a real good run in the East.”
The Heat have assigned shooting guard Josh Richardson to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Richardson’s first sojourn of the season to Sioux Falls.

Southeast Notes: Fournier, Korver, Hornets

December 29th, 2015 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Evan Fournier confesses that he’s mindful of his contract situation, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Fournier is headed into restricted free agency this summer after the Magic failed to reach a rookie scale extension agreement with the swingman by the November 2nd deadline. “Of course. It is in the back of your mind,” Fournier told Schmitz. “You are trying to play your best basketball. … I don’t want to be a mediocre player or average. I know if I have a very good season, the money is gonna follow.”

In other news around the Southeast Division:

Kyle Korver‘s shooting slump has worsened but Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has instructed his starting shooting guard to keep firing away, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Korver is a 2 of 16 from the field and 1 of 13 from 3-point range in the last two games. “He is very hard on himself,” Budenholzer told Vivlamore. “We like to try to pick him up a little bit. He’s a perfectionist. So, I think we are all confident.”
Dwyane Wade admits he’s not sure where this Heat season is headed after 30 games, as the veteran shooting guard relayed to Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald following the team’s loss to the Nets on Monday. “I said it since training camp, we don’t know what this team is going to be yet,” Wade said. “No one knows. I have no idea. 18-12, that’s what we are. I know we have a good team. I know that. 18-12, that is pretty good in the Eastern Conference. So that’s all I know.”
Al Jefferson agrees with Hornets coach Steve Clifford’s decision to bring him off the bench for the time being, David Scott of the Charlotte Observer reports. Jefferson is still trying to get back in game shape after missing 11 games due to a calf injury and a suspension. Cody Zeller has been starting at center. “Right here, right now, it’s probably better that I come off the bench,” Jefferson told Scott. “In this league, it’s important to get off to a great start and you don’t want a guy like me coming in still trying to get back into the flow of things and slowing the offense down.”
The Hornets’ new D-League affiliate in Greensboro, N.C. will be called the Swarm, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Swarm will begin their inaugural season in 2016/17, Spears adds.

Heat Notes: Bosh, Wade, Team Needs

December 28th, 2015 at 8:52am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat have been painfully inconsistent thus far this season, and the team has yet to establish a solid identity that it can count on night in and night out, writes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. “It depends on what day we’re talking,” Miami shooting guard Dwyane Wade said. “We have certain days where you see that we’re one of the best defensive teams in the league, and you see days where the ball is really moving and everyone’s into it and we’re very unselfish. Then you have other days where both of them go the opposite way. We know where we need to get to. We’ve just gotta figure out a way to get there.”

The team is looking ahead to its six-game West Coast swing next month, and the Heat believe that stretch will be critical in their quest for the playoffs, Lieser adds. “We don’t want to wait until that point, but all is not lost if we’re not consistent by that time,” Bosh said. “After the smoke clears, it’ll be All-Star break and you know when you get there, there’s only so much higher you can go. It’s going to be very important between now and the road trip to get some continuity and comfort in our identity.”

Here’s more from Miami:

As the February trade deadline looms ever closer, the Heat’s biggest roster need is to land a wing who can handle the ball and create his own shot, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel opines. Acquiring depth at the wing is vital given the shaky health of Goran Dragic and the reckless abandon that Tyler Johnson exhibits on a nightly basis, Winderman adds.
It has been a bounceback season for Chris Bosh after appearing in only 44 games during the 2014/15 campaign because of blood clots in his lung, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. But despite his efforts, Bosh still remains underappreciated around the league according to his teammates, Dempsey notes. “He’s one of the best basketball players in the world. He may not sell a lot of jerseys, like some guys, but it doesn’t matter to him,” Wade said of Bosh. “He enjoys being great at the game, and we enjoy him being great.”