Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Splitter, Neal, Batum, Ennis

October 1st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Tiago Splitter admits that he was disappointed when he was traded to the Hawks in a move designed to clear salary cap room, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. The Spurs needed the cap space the trade provided to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, whom Splitter believes makes San Antonio the team to beat in the West, Greene adds. “It’s a great squad,” Splitter said of his former team. “On paper they are the favorites to win the title. They have David West. They have LaMarcus Aldridge. Of course, Tim Duncan. Just a great frontcourt over there. They are a very talented team. Of course you have to see how things work out for them on the practical side of the game, but on the interior they have a great team.”

The big man said that his attitude regarding being dealt changed when he realized he’d be playing for coach Mike Budenholzer, a former assistant with the Spurs, Greene adds. “It’s nice to be in an environment where you already know the coach,” Splitter said. “I didn’t know the players before I got here but as soon as I got traded Bud told me that I was going to be in a great situation with great teammates. He gave me a lot of confidence that this team is going to be great once again. I don’t think a [learning curve] is going to be a problem. When I’ve talked to Bud so far I’ve seen that he has his own tricks and personality in the system, but it’s the same system we ran in San Antonio.”

Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:

With the Wizards expected to utilize smaller lineups this season, Gary Neal‘s three-point shooting skills should play a big part in the team’s new offense, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic writes. “The way the NBA is changing and evolving right now, how everybody is going to the four out, one in, the ball movement, not holding the ball, getting away from the isolation play, coach [Randy] Wittman is trying to teach that,” Neal said. “That offense is kind of new to him also. He went to a little bit of that against the Hawks in the playoffs and by playing Paul Pierce at the four he kind of liked that. So he was thinking about that throughout the whole summer. He’s teaching it to us. It’s new to us. Everybody’s learning. We should be alright.“
Nicolas Batum will take on a much greater role with the Hornets than he had during his time in Portland, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “Nic has always been third or fourth option,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “Now he’s going to be second or first option.”
Heat forward James Ennis said that the tendinitis that he was experiencing in his knees led to his poor showing in summer league play this year, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. “I was down on myself because I expected more from me,” Ennis told Jackson. “I’m really hard on myself. But I looked at it and said, ‘You’re injured.’ I was playing at 65%. I did a lot of treatment. My knee is a lot better. You’ll see it in the preseason.” Ennis, who has a non-guaranteed salary, is fighting for a regular season roster spot.

Southeast Notes: Scott, Fournier, Williams

September 30th, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hawks forward Mike Scott spoke publicly Monday for the first time since his arrest this summer on felony drug charges. The veteran would not discuss details of the case, but did note that the gym has been a sanctuary during the past few months, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. “I just come in every day and compete,” Scott said at Hawks media day. “Joke around and laugh with my teammates. This is kind of been my sanctuary for the summer. I come into the gym and work hard and put everything behind me. Then when in I get back to the locker room I’ll look at my phone and I’ll be ‘Oh, right. I forgot.’ Coming into the gym every day, working out with my teammates, is something that has been great for me.”

Scott did acknowledge that his situation has embarrassed the Hawks’ organization, Vivlamore adds. “I don’t like to make other people look bad,” Scott said. “I don’t like to embarrass people. I don’t want to feel embarrassed. I thought it made us look bad a little bit. I take full responsibility for that. Moving on.”

Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:

Evan Fournier is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Magic prior to this year’s deadline, and he’d welcome a new deal if the parameters made sense, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “It would be awesome,” Fournier said when asked about a possible extension. “But, to be honest, I don’t even think about it because that’s not in my power. That’s not in my hands. Right now I’m focused on getting healthy and just being back on the court. But, yeah, it would be awesome, man.“
John Wall would be happy to assist the Wizards in recruiting Kevin Durant, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays. “There’s gonna be an opportunity to throw a pitch at him to try to get him to come back home,” Wall told CSNMidAtlantic.com. “But I know one thing of just knowing him, he’s going to be very focused on taking care of Oklahoma City this season, and I’m going to be focused on taking care of the Washington Wizards. But when the time is right and he can get away from all that, yeah, we’ll probably have some conversation and throw a pitch.“
Hornets coach Steve Clifford doesn’t expect the role of Marvin Williams will be diminished despite the offseason additions of Frank Kaminsky, Tyler Hansbrough, and Spencer Hawes, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “He’ll play the majority of his minutes at [power forward], but he could play [small forward] some nights depending on matchups,” Clifford said of Williams. “He’ll space the floor and be a very good defender. He adds versatility because he can switch [defensively] with some of the perimeter guys. Really the way the NBA is going he’s becoming the prototypical [power forward] now — 6’8″ or 6’9″, can make 3s and guard different guys.”
Mario Chalmers, who was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, leaned on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for support to get through the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “LeBron and D-Wade are my two closest people when I’ve got things going on in my mind,” Chalmers said. “I talked to those two in the summer and it really helped ease my mind. Bron, big brother, he told me, ‘Don’t worry — it’s a business.’”

Michael Beasley To Play In China

September 30th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:50pm: Beasley has essentially acknowledged the deal, posting a Shandong logo on his Instagram account (hat tip to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel).

11:57am: Michael Beasley has signed a contract with Shandong of the Chinese Basketball Association, as the Chinese outlet Hupu reports (translation via HoopsHype), and as international journalist David Pick confirms (Twitter link). The deal will pay the former No. 2 overall pick $600K this season, a source tells Pick. It’s a return to China for Beasley, who averaged 28.7 points in 38.1 minutes per game across 37 appearances for Shanghai Dongfang last season. Those numbers don’t include the 59-point performance Beasley put on during the CBA All-Star Game in January.

The 26-year-old Beasley returned to the NBA later in the season, signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the Heat, who ultimately inked him to a multiyear deal for the minimum salary. That deal included a team option, but Miami declined it in June, and little chatter about another NBA deal followed this summer, as Beasley’s rumors page shows.

That’s seemingly in contrast to a year ago, when Beasley joined the Grizzlies for training camp only to ask for his release midway through the preseason so he could take the offer from Shanghai Dongfang. He’ll have a chance to once more circle back to the NBA if interest exists at the conclusion of his latest Chinese commitment, which could happen as early as February if Shandong doesn’t make the playoffs.

Do you think Michael Beasley will play in the NBA later this season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Heat, Wizards

September 29th, 2015 at 9:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is entering the final season of his current deal, but there is mutual interest between the team and the 26-year-old in reaching an agreement on a new contract next offseason, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Speaking about his feelings for Atlanta, Bazemore said, “I’ve come to love Atlanta. Of the whole summer, I was probably only gone two weeks. I’ve spent a lot of time here. I just moved into a new house. I’m renting it. Maybe I can buy it next year.” Bazemore and the Hawks will have to wait until next summer to work out a new deal since his current deal was signed for less than four years, meaning Bazemore is ineligible to sign an extension during the season, Vivlamore adds.

Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:

Heat assistant Dan Craig was officially named as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced. The news of Craig’s hiring was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Jaron Johnson‘s one-year deal with the Wizards is non-guaranteed and for the league minimum, while Jaleel Roberts‘ agreement is also for the minimum, but his includes a partial guarantee of $10K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links).
The Heat‘s deals with John Lucas III and Tre Kelley are one-year pacts for the league minimum and do not include any guaranteed salary, Pincus tweets.
Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said that it may make more sense for the team to carry the regular season maximum of 15 players rather than keeping a slot open, Vivlamore tweets. Atlanta currently has 13 players inked to fully guaranteed deals.
The Hornets are hoping that Jeremy Lamb will get off to a fresh start in Charlotte after not seeing much playing time during his three seasons with the Thunder, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Lamb was acquired back in June in exchange for for Luke Ridnour and a 2016 second-round pick.
Greg Stiemsma‘s and Nnanna Egwu‘s one-year, minimum salary deals with the Magic are non-guaranteed, while Keith Appling and Jordan Sibert‘s minimum salary arrangements include partial guarantees of $100K, Pincus relays in a series of tweets.
The presence of Goran Dragic, who re-signed with the Heat this offseason, was a big draw for Amar’e Stoudemire to join Miami as a free agent, Surya Fernandez of SB Nation tweets. Of Dragic, Stoudemire said, “If he would have stayed in Phoenix, I would have thought about going back to Phoenix.“

Heat Sign Tre Kelley

September 28th, 2015 at 12:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have signed Tre Kelley, the team announced. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported earlier this month that the 30-year-old combo guard was working out with the Heat. The move fills the final open spot against the 20-man preseason roster limit, as our roster count for the Heat shows.

It’s the second time Miami has signed Kelley since he went undrafted out of South Carolina in 2007. The first time was shortly before training camp in 2008, but he lasted only about a week before the Heat waived him. The combo guard signed a camp deal with the Thunder the next year and another with the Grizzlies in 2010, but he’s yet to appear on an NBA regular season roster, instead spending time overseas and in the D-League. He was with Pertevniyal Istanbul of Turkey and second-tier Italian team Sigma Barcellona last season, putting up 17.8 points, 7.4 assists and 3.4 turnovers in 33.7 minutes per game combined between the two European clubs.

The Heat have 13 fully guaranteed contracts plus Tyler Johnson, who has a partial guarantee. It’s unclear if Kelley has any guarantee on his deal, though Miami has avoided handing out partial guarantees this summer. Johnson signed his deal last season.

Heat Sign John Lucas III

September 28th, 2015 at 10:51am CST by Chuck Myron

SEPTEMBER 28TH, 10:51am: The signing is official, the Heat announced via press release.

3:30pm: Lucas has agreed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Heat, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Lucas was close to signing a deal with the Clippers prior to Los Angeles adding Pablo Prigioni, Winderman also relays.

SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2:55pm: Eight-year veteran John Lucas III is working out in the Heat’s practice facility with players from the team as they ready for the start of training camp, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s not uncommon for free agents to work out in team facilities during the offseason, but that usually ends around Labor Day. Stein’s report doesn’t specify whether the Heat are auditioning him, but he’s a “natural roster target” for Miami, given that the team is said to be seeking guard depth, Stein tweets.

Chatter about the Bernie Lee client has been quiet since mid-July, when Stein reported that the Magic, Spurs, Mavericks and Clippers were interested in him, as were the Pistons, with whom Lucas finished this past season. Lucas joined Detroit on a pair of 10-day contracts before signing on a deal that covered the rest of 2014/15, as our 10-Day Contract Tracker shows, averaging 4.7 points and 2.9 assists against 0.8 turnovers in 12.9 minutes per game in 21 contests.

The Heat have 13 fully guaranteed contracts, four non-guaranteed deals, and Tyler Johnson, who’s assured of at least half of his one-year veteran’s minimum salary. Johnson figures to serve as the third point guard, but he’d be in line as the primary backup to Goran Dragic if Miami trades Mario Chalmers, which the team hasn’t ruled out doing as soon as next month, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently reported. Thus, the Heat would be in need of a point guard like Lucas.

Would Lucas be the right guy for the Heat? Leave a comment to let us know.

Heat Rumors: Chalmers, Andersen, Spoelstra, Deng

September 27th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

A comment from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra may provide a clue about the future of Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Spoelstra praised the professionalism of both players, who have been rumored to be on the trading block to ease the Heat’s luxury tax bill, but he added, “They know we care about them and they know it’s a business.” Winderman takes that to mean that if young point guards Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson can mature quickly and the Heat have enough quality big men, Chalmers and Andersen may both be gone by February’s trade deadline.

There’s more news from Miami:

Spoelstra’s biggest task as Heat coach will be turning a talented fantasy league roster into a real winner, Winderman writes in the same story. During the offseason, Miami added Amar’e Stoudemire, Gerald Green and Justise Winslow to an already productive roster, but concerns remain about pace of play, defense and a shortage of three-point shooters. “You have to be able to adapt in this business,” Spoelstra said, “and figure out where your strengths are and try to maximize those and minimize your weaknesses more than other teams.”
Spoelstra said he has a better understanding of how to use Luol Deng, who is entering his second training camp with Miami, Winderman writes in a separate story. Deng, who will be a free agent next summer, averaged 14.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 72 games after signing as a free agent in 2014 for two years at nearly $20MM. “We got together this summer” Spoelstra said, “and we both just kind of laughed, and kind of said, ‘You know even when you’re a veteran coach or a veteran player and you come together, it does take some time to build a relationship, build a comfort level,’ and we started to hit our stride in the spring last year.”
Five league insiders all agree the Heat got good value in signing Gerald Green to a $1.4MM deal, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The paper assembled a panel of two scouts, two GMs and an assistant coach to rate the Heat’s offseason. The reviews were also mostly positive on Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, and most think Stoudemire will be productive, but only in limited minutes.

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Miami Heat

Eastern Notes: Wade, Celtics, Bulls

September 23rd, 2015 at 10:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat don’t plan on Dwyane Wade playing under a minutes restriction this season, and coach Erik Spoelstra wants to utilize the veteran shooting guard as much as possible in 2015/16, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. “Dwyane has to be our leader,” Spoelstra said. “He’s grown in that role and with new veteran players, everybody naturally turns to Dwyane as the cornerstone of our franchise and they turn to [Chris Bosh] and they turn to [Udonis Haslem]. He’s fully accepted that responsibility. Dwyane is coming into this season ready for whatever challenges it brings, and I’m not coaching him with restrictions in mind. We’ll adapt and be aware of anything that may come up as the season goes on.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Center Tyler Zeller thinks that the Celtics‘ stocked frontcourt will be a boon to the team, despite him having extra competition for playing time, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. “I think [the frontcourt will] be good,” said Zeller. “Hopefully we can learn from Amir [Johnson] and David [Lee]. I know David has had a lot of success all over the board in being an All-Star, winning a championship, those kind of things. Hopefully we can learn a lot from him and he can push us in the right direction and help us become a better team. I’m really looking forward to playing with them. I think they are going to be great assets to us and hopefully help us take that next step.“
The Bulls are expected to have much more freedom on the offensive end under new coach Fred Hoiberg than they previously did under former coach Tom Thibodeau, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “Obviously it’s going to be different,” swingman Jimmy Butler said of his new coach. “I’ve studied some film with my trainer how [Iowa State] played in college. We go over some of the offensive schemes [Hoiberg’s] told me and my trainer about. So we work that into our workouts, but it’s definitely going to be different. I think it’s not going to be so much concentrated on defense like it was [with] Thibs. I think it’s actually going to be more offense [minded].“
The Wizards believe that a healthy Bradley Beal and John Wall, along with the team’s stout frontline, give the team potential for significant growth, which is one reason the team held off from making a splash in free agency this summer, the crew at Basketball Insiders write in their season preview of the team. Washington has the capability to make it to the second round of this year’s playoffs, but advancing to the Conference Finals is unlikely with the current roster, the panel concludes.

Knicks Sign Travis Trice For Camp

September 22nd, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

SEPTEMBER 22ND, 4:30pm: The signing is official, the team has announced.

SEPTEMBER 10TH, 12:12pm: The Knicks have agreed to sign undrafted Michigan State point guard Travis Trice to a one-year, partially guaranteed contract, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Trice was with the Heat during summer league, but he’ll be with New York this fall, joining four others who have partially guaranteed deals with the Knicks, plus 13 players with full guarantees, as our Knicks roster page shows.

Trice was a largely unheralded draft prospect, falling outside of ESPN’s rankings, but he showed a knack for outside shooting with the Spartans, nailing 39.5% of his three-point attempts in his four years of college ball. The 6’0″ 22-year-old brought that stroke with him to the summer league, canning five of 14 total attempts. This past season was his only year as a full-time starter at Michigan State, and he averaged 15.3 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 turnovers in 33.6 minutes per game. However, his 36.9% three-point shooting was the worst mark of his college career.

The Knicks will probably keep Langston Galloway on his partially guaranteed contract, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, in whom New York invested the 51st overall pick in 2014, would appear to have the inside track on the 15th regular season roster spot despite his lack of a full guarantee. So, Trice faces long odds to stick around for opening night. The Knicks can claim the D-League rights to as many as four of the players they cut at the end of the preseason, so Trice appears to have a better shot of remaining with the organization that way.

Do you think Trice is capable of making a regular season contribution for an NBA team? Leave a comment to let us know.

Rockets Sign Joshua Smith

September 21st, 2015 at 6:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

MONDAY, 6:16pm: The Rockets have formally announced the signing on Twitter.

FRIDAY, 7:14pm: The signing is official, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The deal is a one-year, minimum salary arrangement that includes no guaranteed money, Pincus adds.

THURSDAY, 4:45pm: The Rockets and unrestricted free agent center Joshua Smith have reached an agreement on a contract, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports (via Twitter). The length and terms of the agreement are not yet known, though it is most likely a minimum salary training camp deal. The Heat also reportedly expressed interest in the big man.

Smith, 23, finished his NCAA career at Georgetown this spring after spending his first two seasons at UCLA, and he appeared in 33 games as a senior, averaging 10.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 20.5 minutes per night. His career collegiate numbers overall were 10.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 0.7 assists, and his career slash line was .591/.000/.613. Smith played summer league ball for the Heat this offseason, appearing in nine contests, where he averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG.

The addition of Smith will give the Rockets a roster count of 19 players, including 14 with fully guaranteed pacts. However, Houston is a bit thin at the pivot as far as depth goes, which could give Smith a chance to make the regular season roster with a strong preseason showing.