Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Magic, Sefolosha, Deng

April 14th, 2015 at 2:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic will interview fewer than the half-dozen candidates they brought in when they hired Jacque Vaughn in 2012, and the focus will be on those who have head-coaching experience, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. It’s almost certain that the Magic regard Scott Skiles as a potential candidate, Robbins writes, and that falls in line with earlier reports. However, it’s unclear if the Magic will give interim coach James Borrego a chance to keep the job for the long term, Robbins adds. The general belief was that Borrego would get a chance to stick around depending on his performance down the stretch, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote in February, and the Magic have gone 10-19 with Borrego as head coach. There’s more on the Magic amid the latest from the Southeast Division:

Thabo Sefolosha blames New York City police for the season-ending injury he suffered outside a New York nightclub last week, as the Hawks swingman made clear to reporters, including Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Soon-to-be restricted free agent Tobias Harris regards the season as a lost opportunity for the Magic, as he tells Robbins for a separate piece. Orlando failed to make much headway this season, and for that to change next year, many league insiders believe the team needs to sign a pair of two-way free agents who are in their primes, according to Robbins.
One reason why Luol Deng likes playing for the Heat is its medical staff, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post notes. Miami’s playoff hopes are nearly extinguished thanks in large measure to injury this year, but all signs point to Deng’s return to the team even as he remains unsure about his player option more than $10.15MM, Lieser writes. “I love this organization,” said Deng, who turns 30 on Thursday. “It’s been top-class and everything. I’ve had one of my healthiest years. It was never anything serious. I’ve felt great about the medical staff. When you’ve been in the league 11 years, as soon as you start putting mileage on your body, you want a group that knows your body and you’re comfortable with them. The organization has been great.”

And-Ones: Salary Tiers, Deng, Jackson

April 13th, 2015 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The maximum salary tiers will rise dramatically over the next two years when the league’s new TV contract takes effect, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports. Currently, players with up to six years of experience can receive a maximum of $14.7MM in the first year of a contract, $17.7MM if they have seven to nine years of experience and $20.6MM if they have at least 10 years of experience. By the 2016/17 season, those maximum salary tiers will rise to approximately $21.0MM, $25.3MM and $29.5MM, Pincus calculates. That will encourage free agents this summer to sign contracts with an opt-out clause for the second year, allowing them to take advantage of the bump in salaries, Pincus continues. LaMarcus Aldridge, Rajon Rondo and Paul Millsap are some of the free agents this summer who could elevate into the top tier in salary in 2016/17 by signing one-year contracts or contracts with an opt-out clause, Pincus adds.

In other news around the league:

Draft prospects Montrezl Harrell of Louisville and Trey Lyles of Kentucky have signed with LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Sam Dekker of Wisconsin has chosen Mark Bartelstein and Priority Sports to represent him, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. (Twitter link). Chad Ford of ESPN.com has all three rated as first-round prospects, with Dekker ranked No. 15 overall, Lyles at No. 17 and Harrell at No. 24. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress also has all three among his first-round prospects, with Dekker 15th overall, Lyles 19th and Harrell 23rd.
Luol Deng has not yet decided whether he will exercise his player option of approximately $10.15MM for next season, Jason Lieser of Palm Beach Post tweets. The Heat forward is optimistic about the team’s future and has enjoyed playing for the organization this season, Lieser adds.
Pierre Jackson, who ruptured his right Achilles’ tendon playing for the Sixers’ summer-league team last year, has been cleared to resume all basketball activities, according to Spears (Twitter link). Jackson was part of the Nerlens Noel trade between Philadelphia and the Pelicans after the Sixers selected him in the second round in 2013. New Orleans traded Jackson back to the Sixers last year in exchange for Russ Smith‘s draft rights. Jackson is a free agent after the Sixers waived him in September.

Eastern Rumors: Cavs, Kidd, Johnson

April 13th, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

GM David Griffin turned the Cavs into a potential championship contender with his in-season moves and unwavering support of first-year coach David Blatt, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today opines. Cleveland needed those improvements to be a true contender, Zillgitt continues, and his acquisitions of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov made the desired impact. Griffin also diffused a potentially divisive issue with his public support of Blatt while the team was struggling, Zillgitt adds. Cleveland’s turnaround this season has made Griffin a prime candidate for the league’s Executive of the Year award.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Jason Kidd deserves Coach of the Year consideration after guiding the Bucks to the playoffs one season after they won 15 games, Matt Walks of ESPN.com writes. Kidd had to deal with the season-ending injury losses of Jabari Parker and Kendall Marshall as well as Larry Sanders‘ mental health issues that led him into retirement. Kidd also changed point guards from Brandon Knight to Michael Carter-Williams at the trade deadline, yet the club ranks second in defensive efficiency, Walks points out. The Bucks have a strong young core, provided they retains restricted free agent Khris Middleton, and has the draft choices to add more pieces, Walks concludes.
Tyler Johnson‘s story offers hope for prospects with seemingly little chance to be drafted, as he went from undrafted to a prominent role in the Heat’s playoff push within a single year, as Shams Charania of RealGM examines. Johnson, who’s averaging 18.4 minutes in 30 appearances, has a non-guaranteed salary for next season that becomes 50% guaranteed if he remains under contract through August 1st.
The Cavs assigned Joe Harris to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, the team announced on Monday. The guard has played in 50 games for the Cavs this season, averaging 2.7 points in 9.5 minutes per game. Harris was available to play for the Charge in their postseason game on Monday against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Harris, Dragic

April 12th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Will Joseph

Hawks coach and head of basketball operations Mike Budenholzer credited Atlanta GM Danny Ferry as the primary creator of the Eastern Conference’s only 60-win team, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com writes. Budenholzer — instead of Ferry — was nominated by the Hawks for the Executive of the Year award.

“Anyone who has followed the Hawks for the last two or three years knows that Danny Ferry is the executive that’s most responsible for the makeup of our team,” Budenholzer said.

Ferry, who pulled the trigger on most of the moves that set up the Hawks’ current roster, took an indefinite leave of absence in September, shortly after his insensitive remarks about Luol Deng became public. Since then, Budenholzer has handled the day-to-day management of the team with with assistant GM Wes Wilcox and others.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Magic GM Rob Hennigan says the team “intends” to re-sign Tobias Harris, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, regardless of the cost, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Last week, Harris said he and his representatives haven’t spoken about the idea of accepting a qualifying offer worth nearly $4.434MM this summer. The forward, who played high school basketball on Long Island, has been linked to the Knicks in rumors. Before the season, Schmitz adds, Hennigan wouldn’t pay Harris near max money, but Hennigan is now telling the league he’ll essentially match any offer.
Goran Dragic, who has a player option for 2015/16, says he will start to weigh his options once the Heat’s season ends, Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel writes. Dragic previously said he planned to hit free agency this summer. “The last three, four weeks were so crazy,” Dragic said. “Everything was important for us. I tried to get my body right. I didn’t have time to think about [free agency]. That’s not fair to my teammates to think about the future. Right now, I’m part of this team. I give everything what I got on the court. We still got two games left. I’m still not thinking about that.” Dragic hinted that staying in Miami would seem to be the best option. “I’m a free agent,” Dragic said. “I like this organization. Hopefully, I can stay here and try to have a good season next year.”

Southeast Notes: Frye, Hornets, Heat

April 12th, 2015 at 1:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Channing Frye is hoping to stay with the Magic, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The team gave Frye a four-year, $32MM contract as a free agent last summer, but the team reportedly saw him more as a complementary player than as a star. Frye was traded in 2007, and he hopes it won’t happen again. “It’s been a tough year, but it’s been an awesome year because I’ve grown, I think, a lot more in being patient, not just assuming guys know certain things, being able to communicate better,” Frye said. “I hope to be back here, and I really do enjoy my time here. I love these guys. No matter who’s here, who’s not and who’s coaching or who’s not, I feel like we’re going to go in the right direction.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Shooting should be a priority for the Hornets if they don’t win the draft lottery, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. The team drafted P.J. Hairston last year and brought in Marvin Williams and Brian Roberts to improve its three-point shooting, but the Hornets have sunk to a league-worst 31.5% this season. Two possibilities Bonnell mentioned are Croatian Mario Hezonja and Kentucky’s Devin Booker.
With their playoff hopes all but gone, the Heat should be focused on a less exciting goal, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Miami will keep its first-round pick in June only if it lands in the top 10. If it’s 11 or higher, the selection could go the the Sixers. The draft pick swap was part of the sign-and-trade that brought LeBron James to Miami in 2010. Miami is currently 10th in the Hoops Rumors Reverse Standings.

Southeast Notes: Harris, Sefolosha, Dragic

April 10th, 2015 at 1:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tobias Harris says he and his representatives haven’t spoken about the idea of accepting a qualifying offer worth nearly $4.434MM this summer, as the soon-to-be restricted free agent tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Rumors linking him to the Knicks have been somewhat distracting, Harris also tells Robbins, but the combo forward insists he hasn’t thought much about his free agency and points out that he’s not in control of his next NBA destination, since the Magic can match offers. Just how willing Orlando will be to use its right of first refusal remains to be seen, particularly given the depth around the league at Harris’ primary position of small forward and the presence of fellow combo forward Aaron Gordon on the Magic’s roster, Robbins writes. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

The Hawks and the players union are separately scrutinizing the circumstances surrounding Thabo Sefolosha‘s arrest after he remained in custody for several hours without treatment for the broken fibula he suffered in the incident, reports Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. The injury has ended the season for the swingman.
Goran Dragic rated Miami his favorite American city in an interview with Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. The Heat guard, who plans to hit free agency this summer, ranks non-NBA city San Diego No. 2, followed by New York, San Francisco and Phoenix. Dragic reportedly made the Knicks, Lakers and Heat his favored destinations amid a trade request before the deadline, and Dragic has Los Angeles as an honorable mention on his top cities list.
A shakeup of Erik Spoelstra‘s Heat coaching staff this coming offseason is a distinct possibility, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates in his mailbag column.

Eastern Notes: Dragic, Bargnani, Carter-Williams

April 6th, 2015 at 12:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

All of the former NBA coaches and players who will be inducted this year into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame have Eastern Conference ties. Former Hawks, Sixers, Nets and Knicks center Dikembe Mutombo, one-time Nets coach John Calipari, former Knicks and Bullets power forward Spencer Haywood are going in, the Hall announced today, as Michael Marot of The Associated Press relays. Joining them are longtime Celtics point guard Jo Jo White and his coach, Tom Heinsohn, who was already in as a player. Louie Dampier, who played for the Spurs and most prominently with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels, is also in this year’s Hall class, and while he doesn’t have a connection to any present-day Eastern team, San Antonio was in the East when he donned the silver-and-black. Here’s the latest on a few current-day notables from the East:

Goran Dragic is almost certain to hit free agency this summer, but he made it clear he likes the idea of playing with Chris Bosh when the big man is expected to be healthy enough to hit the floor again next season, observes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Still, the Heat point guard cautioned that he hasn’t made up his mind about where he’ll sign, Winderman adds.
The Knicks aren’t planning to commit any cap space to Andrea Bargnani next season and would prefer to re-sign him using the minimum-salary exception, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, advancing his report from last month on the team’s openness to a new deal. Berman passes along comments from coach Derek Fisher indicating that he’d welcome the idea of having Bargnani back.
There were rumors dating back to the summer that the Sixers were talking about trading Michael Carter-Williams, but the deadline deal that sent him to the Bucks took him by surprise, as he tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “I didn’t know it was coming,” he said. “But I’m in a good situation now. I’m trying to move on from it. It’s good to be stable and have teammates for more than however time. It’s good to know that I’m going to be here growing with guys and knowing the chemistry, just to build on relationships. [Losing in Philadelphia] was tough, but Philly treated me great. I’ve got nothing really bad to say about them. I’m a Milwaukee Buck now and I hope I’m here for a while.”

Southeast Notes: Jefferson, Donovan, Chalmers

April 4th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets big man Al Jefferson may be shut down for the remainder of the season due to the difficulties he has been experiencing with his balky right knee, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Jefferson has had fluid drained from the joint three times in 10 days, Bonnell adds. “He’s dragging his leg around and then you compensate, opening himself up to further injury,” coach Steve Clifford said. “The guy literally couldn’t pivot and turn. I don’t know if he’ll play again. It’s just not fair to him.” It’s unclear if the injury will affect Jefferson’s thinking this summer regarding his player option worth $13.5MM.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic should look for a coach with NBA experience rather than try to lure Billy Donovan to leave the college ranks once again, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel opines. With Orlando at a critical juncture in its rebuilding plan, Schmitz believes to attract free agents the team will need a coach who commands immediate respect from veterans.
Heat guard Mario Chalmers is extremely frustrated with his perceived lack of a defined role, Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald writes. “I don’t even really know what my role is on this team anymore,” Chalmers said. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. A lot of people are out of rhythm, and you really don’t know what’s going to happen — when you’re going to get the ball, when you’re going to shoot it, you just never know. You just got to be ready for everything, I guess.” Chalmers still has one season worth $4.3MM remaining on his current contract.
Lance Stephenson has not played in two of the Hornets‘ last three contests, something that baffles the mercurial swingman, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star writes. “Definitely I’m surprised,” Stephenson said. “I feel like I can help this group but it’s out of my hands and I’m just [trying to] stay ready and stay focused. I’m very frustrated but it’s a part of life and it’s very humbling, but [I’m] just trying to stay focused and positive and whenever my number’s called, just be ready.”

Lakers Notes: Rondo, Dragic, Hill, Brown

April 2nd, 2015 at 2:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s a “safe bet” that the Lakers will pursue Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic, with Rondo the first priority, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The team’s interest in the two is no secret, as reports have indicated for months that the Lakers have been targeting the pair of point guards who changed places via trade this season. Neither is a lock to re-sign with their respective clubs, as reports have also indicated, so it seems the Lakers have at least a decent chance to land an upper-tier free agent, which they haven’t done the past two summers. Here’s more on the purple-and-gold:

The Lakers are leaning toward picking up their $9MM team option on Jordan Hill, unless they become confident that a star free agent big man will sign with them, executives tell Deveney for the same piece. The team wants to be active in free agency, Deveney writes, but opting in with Hill would give them more than $44MM in commitments, not counting Jordan Clarkson‘s non-guaranteed salary, their own first-round pick and the first-rounder they’re receiving from the Rockets.
Jabari Brown feels as though a 22-point outing in his final game on the last of his 10-day contracts with the Lakers helped his case to secure his new deal. as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times relays. Coach Byron Scott continues to be impressed, as Bresnahan also notes. “Every game it seems like he shows you a little bit something else,” Scott said. “He seems a little bit more confident, a little bit more comfortable every game.”
The Lakers haven’t made progress in the win-loss column this season, as they’re just one defeat away from tying last year’s 55 losses, but Scott points to the departures of Pau Gasol, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks as reason why that’s not a shock, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Southeast Notes: Deng, Stephenson, Borrego

April 1st, 2015 at 10:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Southeast Division currently has three teams owning playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Hawks would play a series against the Nets. The Wizards would play the Bulls, who they knocked out of the playoffs last postseason. The Heat would play the Cavs in a series that would give Miami a chance to become the first Eastern Conference team to knock a LeBron James-led team out of the playoffs since the Celtics in 2010.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Luol Deng said he likes playing for Miami and hasn’t thought about whether he will exercise his player option worth slightly more than $10.1MM for next season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The Heat have roughly $42.9MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2015/16 season, as our salary cap breakdown shows. That figure does not include player options for Deng, Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic as well as a team option for Michael Beasley. If the team retains its starting backcourt, Miami will most likely be over the projected $67.4MM salary cap. If Deng declines his option and departs from Miami, it would leave the Heat with a huge void on the wing and limited resources to replace the 29-year-old.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford reiterated that he was the strongest advocate for signing Lance Stephenson last offseason, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports (Twitter links). “Lance is here because of me. I’m the one who wanted Lance,” Clifford said. Stephenson has recorded a DNP-Coach’s Decision in each of Charlotte’s last two games.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel chronicles coach James Borrego‘s time in the organization and wonders if he could remain the coach of the Magic long-term. Orlando is currently 22-53 on the season, good for fifth place in our Reverse Standings.