Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Wizards, Canaan, Nets

July 16th, 2015 at 9:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Wizards let the remaining $2,252,089 of their Trevor Ariza trade exception expire Wednesday. The exception, gained when Washington signed-and-traded Ariza to the Rockets, was originally worth $8,579,089. The Wizards used most of that initial amount to acquire Kris Humphries and Ramon Sessions in separate deals. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Markel Brown added another $50K in partially guaranteed money, now totaling $150K, to his $845,059 contract for the 2015/16 season when he remained on the Nets‘ roster through Wednesday, as the schedule of salary guarantee dates shows.
As a result of remaining on the Sixers‘ roster through Wednesday, Isaiah Canaan‘s 2015/16 salary of $947,276 became fully-guaranteed.
Quincy Miller picked up a $50K partial guarantee on his $981,348 salary this season with the Nets, courtesy of him sticking on the Nets‘ roster through Wednesday.
Forbes magazine estimated the value of the Nets to be $1.5 billion, which is a higher figure than the team’s internal valuation, which is $1.3 billion, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily relays (via Twitter).
Heat small forward James Ennis said that the combination of Miami’s packed frontcourt and his non-guaranteed deal has placed a significant amount of stress on him, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets. The 25-year-old made 62 appearances for the Heat last season, averaging 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 17.0 minutes per game.
Tobias Harris‘ four-year deal with the Magic will pay him $16MM this coming season, $17.2MM in 2016/17, $16MM in the third year, and $14.8MM during the 2018/19 campaign, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Wall, Millsap, Stoudemire

July 15th, 2015 at 7:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Wizards‘ signing of John Wall to a five-year, approximately $80MM extension back in 2013 came with risk, but Wall has made the deal look like a bargain compared to a number of recent contracts that have been handed out, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Wall compared the value of his deal to that of Reggie Jackson, who recently inked an almost identical deal with the Pistons, saying, “Man, everybody talking about me getting $80MM and you got people getting $85MM and $90MM that ain’t been an All-Star or anything like that. I guess they came in at the right time. The new CBA kicked in at the right time. That new CBA kicked in and they’re good now. Like, Reggie Jackson gets five years, 80. Like, I’m getting the same amount as Reggie Jackson right now.”

Jackson averaged 17.6 points and 9.2 assists in 27 games with the Pistons last season, while Wall notched 17.6 points along with 10 assists per contest for Washington. “I can’t control it. That’s what happens,” Wall continued. “But I’m happy for those guys. To see anybody get the opportunity to live their dream out and take care of their family when they can, that’s a blessing. So I’m happy for those guys.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer admitted that the team’s offseason revolved around re-signing forward Paul Millsap, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. When asked if the team had to choose between Millsap and DeMarre Carroll, who departed for the Raptors as a free agent, Budenholzer said, “I don’t know if I would characterize it that you had to choose one or the other. It may just be word play, but ultimately there is not enough for everybody. I think we value DeMarre, and he was a big part of our success. We will miss him. But sometimes you have to make hard decisions. I guess it’s part of the NBA of having a good team and having players who play well and deserve opportunities. I don’t like to think of it as picking one over the other. I like to think of it as sometimes there is not enough for everything that you want.“
Newly signed Amar’e Stoudemire is willing to fill any role the Heat require of him, Michael Wallace of ESPN.com writes. “It’s whatever the coaching staff asks,” Stoudemire said. “I can play however much or however long he [coach Erik Spoelstra] needs me to. You know, it’s whatever it takes to win.“
Wizards second round pick Aaron White is almost certain to play in Europe during the 2015/16 season, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes, though his agent doesn’t seem anxious to make any declarations. “It’s too early to say,” Chris Emens, White’s agent, told Michael about whether White will be on Washington’s preseason roster. “We’re talking to [the Wizards] about some of that stuff. We’re also talking to international teams. Right now the biggest thing for Aaron is to develop, particularly when the roster sheds a lot of spots next season, for him and be ready to step in and play a role.“

Southeast Notes: Lin, Dragic, Dudley

July 14th, 2015 at 9:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Goran Dragic is thrilled that the Heat re-signed Dwyane Wade this offseason, but also notes that he would have returned to Miami regardless of Wade’s decision, as he said in a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio (audio link), and as Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post transcribes. When Dragic was asked if he had been nervous about Wade returning, he said, “I was, a little bit. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was back in Europe and I read all the media reports. In the end, I’m really glad we signed him.”

Dragic also noted that he didn’t speak with any other teams during the free agent signing period. “No, because Miami was the first team that called me,” Dragic said. “The last three months of last season, I was really satisfied with the organization and the people around me and the players. I was considering Miami the first option… Miami Heat is the right organization for me. I want to win something. I could go somewhere else, but I was really happy the last couple of months here. That was the right decision for me… Basically Miami Heat was the first option. Then they called me first. [Team president] Pat [Riley] was talking and saying what kind of team it was going to be… and I said I need to be on this wagon.”

Here’s more out of the NBA’s Southeast Division:

Jeremy Lin said that the Hornets entered the picture late in the free agent process, but he added that the team appeared to be sincere in its presentation and plan for him, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets. The point guard inked a two-year pact with the franchise last week.
Charlotte’s signing of Lin using its biannual exception means that the Hornets have triggered the hard cap, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. If a team is hard-capped, it cannot exceed the tax apron under any circumstance. A team that has spent up to its hard cap can still ink players to non-guaranteed contracts for training camp or the regular season, but it must rid itself of such players before their salaries become guaranteed. The deal is worth the full value of the biannual exception, a total of $4,374,255 over two years, and it includes a player option, as Pincus shows on his Hornets salary page.
Jared Dudley said that the Wizards were one of the teams he considered signing with before he opted in for 2015/16 with the Bucks, and he’s thrilled with the trade that sent him to Washington, The Associated Press relays. “I liked my situation in Milwaukee, but if they told me I was going to opt in and go to Washington, I would have opted in the first day because I can’t see a [situation] that’s better for me right now,” Dudley said.

Kings Sign Marco Belinelli

July 13th, 2015 at 9:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

July 13th, 9:58pm: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

July 3rd, 4:05pm: The deal wouldn’t fit within the mid-level exception, Stein notes via Twitter. That exception would only allow for a total of $17,129,640 over three years, and while it’s not uncommon for initial reported figures on deals to be off, this appears to be confirm that the contract will exceed the exception amount. That means the Kings will likely use cap room and lose the ability to create trade exceptions for the three players they’ve agreed to trade to Philadelphia, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out (on Twitter).

NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

1:36pm: The Kings and Marco Belinelli have reached agreement on a deal worth $19MM over three years, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The contract will include no option clauses, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Sacramento will likely use part of the cap space it’s set to clear in the wake of its trade agreement with the Sixers, though the deal is cheap enough to fit within the $5.464MM mid-level exception if the Kings choose to operate as an over-the-cap team.

The Hornets had reportedly planned a strong pursuit, and the Warriors had interest, too. The Heat put in a call to express their interest in the client of Sam Goldfeder and Jeff Schwartz, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), but Miami, like the Warriors, is likely limited to no more than the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception. The Bulls might have gone after him if they’d have failed to sign Mike Dunleavy, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote, but they, too, would likely have been limited to the taxpayer’s mid-level.

Belinelli wanted to re-sign with the Spurs, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News heard (Twitter link). They were armed with Early Bird rights to bring him back on a deal comparable to the one he’s getting from the Kings, but they’re in hot pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge, and may well have had to renounce Belinelli’s rights to squeeze Aldridge under the cap.

Sacramento moves on from having missed out on Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews with a proven three-point marksman who’s nailed 39.2% of his attempts from behind the arc for his career. Still, outside of two seasons in New Orleans, he’s primarily been a reserve during his eight years in the NBA.

Multiple Teams Eye Carlos Boozer

July 13th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

July 13th, 9:15pm: The Nuggets and Knicks, in addition to the Pelicans, Clippers, Raptors and Spurs, are interested in Boozer, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link).

1:21pm: The interest between Boozer and the Clippers is mutual, a source tells Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

July 7th, 1:12pm: The Pelicans are also showing interest, Broussard tweets. His latest dispatch doesn’t include the Spurs, so it’s unclear if they’re still in the mix after reaching a deal with David West.

July 6th, 1:21pm: Free agent Carlos Boozer is in talks with the Clippers, Spurs, Mavericks and Raptors, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com first reported that the Spurs had expressed interest, while Broussard identified San Antonio and Dallas on the eve of free agency as teams that were poised to pursue the Rob Pelinka client, along with the Nets, Rockets, Heat and incumbent Lakers.

The Mavs and Spurs would appear to have the most to spend among the four teams that Broussard reports in connection with Boozer today, as they have the $2.814MM room exception at their disposal. However, it seems Dallas is nearing a deal for that exception amount, and San Antonio reportedly has interest in David West, perhaps at that same price point. It looks like Toronto has its room exception earmarked for Bismack Biyombo, while the Clippers have $2.088MM left on their mid-level in the wake of Paul Pierce‘s deal and the departure of DeAndre Jordan.

Boozer, who’ll turn 34 in November, expressed a willingness to take a bench role as he expressed his desire to re-sign with the Lakers. Someone close to the power forward told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he wouldn’t be surprised if Boozer signed with the Heat this summer, though it’s unclear if either the Lakers or the Heat still have interest.

Heat Intent On Trading Mario Chalmers

July 13th, 2015 at 4:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat seems anxious to move Mario Chalmers as soon as they can find an amenable deal, a source who’s spoken to the Heat tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The news is no shock, given that a reports both before the draft and just last week indicated that the point guard was on the block, though Heat team president Pat Riley denied the initial report that the team was shopping Chalmers and Chris Andersen.

Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote last week that Chalmers and Andersen were available for virtually nothing as the Heat sought to reduce their tax bill. Only the team’s roster at the end of the regular season counts for luxury tax purposes, as Jackson notes, but Miami apparently isn’t in a mood to wait around as it faces the prospect of paying repeat-offender tax penalties should it still exceed the $84.74MM tax threshold at season’s end. The Heat have $92MM on the books as it stands.

Chalmers is set to make $4.3MM this season, the last on a two-year deal he signed with Miami last summer. The 29-year-old has experience as the starting point guard on back-to-back championship teams, though he’s in line to back up Goran Dragic now, and the glut of quality point guards around the league makes him a tougher sell than he might otherwise be. It’s unclear if the Heat are just as anxious to unload Andersen’s $5MM salary, though the focus of Jackson’s piece is on point guards, rather than big men like Andersen, so his omission doesn’t necessarily mean Miami is less willing to trade him.

Eastern Notes: Seraphin, Heat, Thomas, Mickey

July 12th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Seraphin has drawn interest from the Wizards, Lakers and Mavericks, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The 6’10” center, who has played all five of his seasons in Washington, appeared in 79 games last season and averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds.

There’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

This week’s signings of Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green will lead to some difficult roster decisions for Miami, writes Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald. The Heat now have 17 players on their roster and are looking at a tax penalty in the neighborhood of $30MM. At least two players must be shipped out, and the most commonly mentioned candidates are Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen, Shabazz Napier and Josh McRoberts.
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas had surgery four weeks ago to remove a cyst in his left hand, according to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. Thomas also had some minor work done during the procedure on his wrist, which was surgically repaired last summer, Himmelsbach continues. Thomas, who is a left-handed shooter, expects to be fully recovered within a month, Himmselsbach adds.
LSU’s Jordan Mickey is using summer league to prove to the Celtics that he should have been a first-round draft pick, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Celtics considered Mickey with the 28th pick before opting for R.J. Hunter, and Mickey, whom the Celtics took at No. 33, is using his slide as motivation. He is averaging 11 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in four summer league games. “I definitely want to show that I have the capability of scoring the ball,” Mickey said. “I hang my hat on defense, rebounding and blocking shots. But I have to show I can score some too, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”

Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.

Eastern Rumors: Williams, Knicks, Dragic

July 12th, 2015 at 11:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lionel Hollins denies that his sometimes stormy relationship with Deron Williams led to the Nets waiving the veteran guard in a buyout deal, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Though sources confirmed to Bontemps that the head coach and Williams had a heated meeting in Memphis earlier this year, Hollins said the Nets didn’t part ways with Williams because of their disagreements. “Everything is not peaches and cream, but there’s not one shred of evidence that our relationship is the reason that he had to go,” Hollins told the team’s beat writers. “I would have coached Deron this upcoming year just like I coached him last year, and we would have went forward just like everybody else on the team.” The Nets saved more than $50MM this season in payroll and luxury-tax payments by agreeing to give Williams $27.5MM of the $43.5MM he was owed over the next two years, Bontemps adds. The Nets used the stretch provision on the buyout.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Carmelo Anthony‘s decision to take slightly less than the max last summer helped the Knicks to re-sign Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas to more than the league minimum this month, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Anthony’s deal opened up $1.4MM in cap space this summer and that, combined with the NBA’s cap increase to $70MM, allowed the Knicks to secure Amundson for $1.65MM and Thomas for $1.63MM instead of the roughly $1MM minimum, Berman continues. If Anthony didn’t take less, the Knicks could have re-signed only one of them above the league minimum, Berman adds.
Goran Dragic‘s deal with the Heat is only worth a total of $85MM and has a starting salary of $14.783MM, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). Earlier reports estimated the deal at $90MM.
Paul George is pleased with the backcourt moves the Pacers have made this offseason, he told Scott Agness of the VigilantSports.com in a Q&A session. The pending addition of Monta Ellis and re-signing of Rodney Stuckey gives the team numerous playmakers, George told Agness. “One of the biggest things we needed to get better at was pushing the tempo and playing a little faster,” George said. “I didn’t know it was going to be a drastic roster change but I knew that was the direction this team needed to go to give ourselves a better chance of winning.”

Heat Re-Sign Dwyane Wade

July 10th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 9TH, 4:57pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced in a press release. “For over a decade, Dwyane has embodied what it means to wear the Miami Heat uniform,” said Riley. “He has been the pillar and constant of this organization, and is a true champion in every sense of the word. We are thrilled that Dwyane has re-signed and will lead us as we look to win another NBA Championship.”

JULY 2ND, 5:03pm: The Heat and Dwyane Wade have reached an agreement on a new contract, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports (Twitter link). It will be a one-year, $20MM arrangement, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays (on Twitter). The deal is less than the max, which for Wade would be roughly equivalent to 35% of the salary cap, likely at least $22MM, but it will be the highest annual salary of his career.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Wade released a statement regarding his return to Miami (h/t Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). “It has been an honor and privilege to play with the Miami HEAT the past twelve years,” Wade said in the statement. “The Heat family and I have shared incredible moments over the years and I look forward to continuing our journey. I am extremely proud of my personal contributions in helping to build the Heat franchise and for bringing three NBA championship wins to our great city. For my entire NBA career, Miami has always been my city and my home. I’m overwhelmed with the love and support the Miami community have consistently shown me and my family throughout the years.”

Henry Thomas, Wade’s agent, had this to say about the deal: “This contract is a win-win for both Dwyane and the Heat. Not only does Dwyane get to extend his Hall of Fame-worthy career with the only franchise for whom he has ever played, but he will have the flexibility next summer to sign an additional deal. And the Heat gets to keep their franchise cornerstone while having the ability to build a championship-contending roster.”

The 33-year-old had opted out of his contract for 2015/16, which would have paid Wade $16.125MM. The Heat had reportedly preferred that Wade opt in and sign for $10MM salaries next summer. A friend of Wade’s had noted that the guard didn’t feel that the team regarded him as a priority. Team president Pat Riley spoke highly of Wade, saying in part that, “We love Dwyane. Dwyane is a pillar.” Now it would appear that the franchise icon will have the opportunity to finish his career in Miami.

Miami will use its Bird Rights on Wade to complete the deal, which is poised to send the Heat, who have also agreed to sign Goran Dragic for five years and $90MM, deep into luxury tax territory. The Heat entered July with about $53MM in guaranteed salary already on the books, with the tax line projected to come in at about $82MM. Heat president Pat Riley is scheduled to meet with LaMarcus Aldridge tonight, but without cap flexibility and likely without the capability of engineering a sign-and-trade, Wade’s deal only furthers the notion that Aldridge is a long shot to come to Miami.

Wade has been limited by injuries the past few seasons, and appeared in 62 games for Miami last season, averaging 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 781 regular season games are 24.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 5.9 APG, with a slash line of .490/.289/.765.

Heat Sign Amar’e Stoudemire

July 10th, 2015 at 4:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 4:41pm: The Heat have officially signed Stoudemire, the team announced. It will be a one-year deal worth $1.5MM, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. “We are very fortunate that a proven All-Star like Amar’e has chosen the Miami Heat,” said team president Pat Riley. “He is going to bring gravitas, leadership and a hardworking mentality to our team as we look to win another Championship in Miami.”

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

THURSDAY, 10:53pm: The Heat are believed to be close to a deal with Amar’e Stoudemire, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who cites sources (Twitter link). Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirmed through an associate of Stoudemire’s that it is indeed the case and that the 13-year veteran would like to play for the Heat, though that associate cautioned that a deal is not yet a given. The Happy Walters client won’t base his decision on money, Jackson hears, a plus for the Heat, who are limited to only their $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception and are poised to pay repeat-offender tax penalties this season unless they clear some of their salary commitments.

Stoudemire will meet with the Heat on Friday, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported (on Twitter), and team president Pat Riley will take part, Jackson notes. Several other teams have apparently been in the mix for the big man, as the Clippers, Rockets, Mavericks, Lakers and Suns all reportedly expressed interest in him as someone who could shore up their respective benches.

Stoudemire didn’t want to go to the Clippers unless he could start, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported, and it seems unlikely he’d start over Chris Bosh or Hassan Whiteside in Miami. Still, Stoudemire apparently had at least some level of mutual interest in the Clippers, as well as the Mavs, Lakers, Suns and Spurs. He was expected to speak with Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers this past weekend, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who added the Pacers to the list of teams that Stoudemire was eyeing.