Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Ray Allen Says He Won’t Play This Season

March 4th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ray Allen will not play this season, as he says in a statement released through agent Jim Tanner and the Tandem Sports and Entertainment agency. He’s not ruling out a return for 2015/16 but adds that he’ll take rest of this season and the offseason ahead to decide about that, suggesting that it’ll again be a long wait before we know if, much less where, Allen will play again. The 39-year-old has languished as the most sought-after free agent since the start of training camp, though the Cavs, long the front-runner for the friend and former teammate of LeBron James, recently appeared to drop out of the running. They were one of of 14 teams who expressed serious interest, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

“Over the past several months, I have taken a lot of time to deliberate what is best for me,” Allen said in the statement. “I’ve ultimately decided that I will not play this NBA season. I’m going to take the remainder of this season, as well as the upcoming off-season, to reassess my situation, spend time with my family and determine if I will play in the 2015/16 season.”

The Grizzlies, too, appeared no longer to be in the Allen sweepstakes as of this weekend, not long after executives around the league reportedly began losing faith that he’d sign. The Warriors, Wizards, Spurs, Heat and Hawks were keeping in touch with Allen’s camp as of early February, and Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers said at about that time that he’d recently spoken to him.

Just about every playoff-bound team reportedly reached out to Allen at some point this season. The Wizards were apparently the most aggressive suitor as of January, though LeBron visited Allen’s home in Miami to woo the sharpshooter while the four-time MVP was in town for rehabilitation.

The Bulls were another suitor, though a trip he made to Chicago earlier this season wasn’t basketball-related, Tanner said. Tanner batted down reports that indicated his intentions regarding one team or another all throughout the process that began when he became a free agent in July. Allen said over the summer that it would take a “perfect storm scenario” for him to play this season, and he pointed to a desire for a veteran coach and more than the minimum salary.

Allen was seemingly leaning toward retirement in late December, though he indicated during the middle of last season that he wasn’t planning to retire so soon. If he doesn’t return, he’ll walk away as the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made and career earnings in excess of $184.356MM, according to Basketball-Reference.

Southeast Notes: Beasley, Webster, Mo Williams

March 4th, 2015 at 12:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Michael Beasley has promised to reform in the past, but he knows there’s a decent chance his 10-day contract with the Heat represents his final opportunity in the NBA, observes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. The former No. 2 overall pick’s deal expires at the end of Saturday.

“I’m still the same guy, but it’s desperation for me,” Beasley said. “This is my last chance, my last shot. It’s either play or sit down and I’m not ready to play at `The Y’, not ready for open gyms. I’m playing to eat right now, and I got kids. It adds that much more.”

While we wait to see if Beasley’s third career contract with the Heat will lead to a fourth, here’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Nets would have had to take Martell Webster if they’d traded Jarrett Jack to the Wizards at the deadline, and the deal would have involved the teams swapping future first-round picks, Grantland’s Zach Lowe tweets. Those Jack proposals appeared to be contingent on Brooklyn’s failed Reggie Jackson-for-Brook Lopez talks, as Lowe points out (on Twitter).
Mo Williams says he took his time on successful Cavs teams earlier in his career for granted and is grateful for last month’s trade that sent him from Minnesota to the Hornets and gave him a chance to compete for a playoff berth again, as he tells Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. The soon-to-be free agent signed with the Wolves knowing they wouldn’t be contenders, but it seems his focus has changed. “I just want to win. It’s as simple as that — just win,” Williams said. “I’m at the point at my career where I’ve made a lot of money, been an All-Star, and one thing I haven’t experienced is playing at the highest level and that’s winning a championship. That’s everybody’s goal.”
Re-signing Trevor Ariza would have helped the Wizards better overcome their recent struggles, but that was a sacrifice the franchise was willing to make to save cap flexibility for a shot at Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016, as Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com examines.

Southeast Notes: Frye, Heat, Wizards

March 3rd, 2015 at 9:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Channing Frye has struggled to live up to the four-year, $32MM contract he inked with the Magic last July, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “I think the first half [of the season] was a little tough,” Frye said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to just automatically get acclimated to what was going on.” In 60 appearances for Orlando this season Frye is averaging 7.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 26.9 minutes per game.

Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:

Frye also acknowledges that he had some difficulty acclimating to former Magic coach Jacque Vaughn‘s system, Robbins adds. The veteran is finding things much improved for him under interim coach James Borrego, especially on the defensive end, the Sentinel scribe notes. “Overall, I love the city,” Frye said. “I love this opportunity to play with these guys. After the [coaching] change, I think it’s really for me, in my personal opinion, been a breath of fresh air with J.B. I’m not saying that it wasn’t awesome before. But I’m just saying the way his philosophy is a little different, it’s a little bit more my style.”
When discussing the Heat‘s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said, “it was responsible of us to invest in the D-League,” Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post relays (Twitter links). Spoelstra acknowledged that the distance between South Beach and South Dakota doesn’t make for the most convenient arrangement, but the most important thing is that the ownership and culture was aligned, Lieser adds.
The Wizards are being patient about filling their lone remaining roster spot, which was created when the team waived Glen Rice Jr., Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Washington is currently considering various options including players from overseas and the NBA D-League, Castillo adds.

Heat Re-Sign Henry Walker To Second 10-Day

March 3rd, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 11:35am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

MONDAY, 5:29pm: Walker confirmed that he’s signing another 10-day deal, as he informed reporters, including Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link).

12:01pm: The Heat and Henry Walker have reached agreement on a second 10-day contract, as Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link), and as a source confirms to Hoops Rumors. His first 10-day deal with the team is up at the end of today. Miami has been carrying Walker as well as Michael Beasley on 10-day contracts that occupy what would otherwise be the team’s only two open roster spots.

It’s no shock to see the Heat keep the 27-year-old Walker around after he started and played 26 minutes in Saturday’s game. He’s averaged 11.8 points in 27.8 minutes per game in his four appearances with Miami, his first NBA action since the 2011/12 season. That’s slightly more playing time than he’d seen with the Heat’s D-League affiliate, for whom he’d averaged 27.7 MPG in 17 games earlier this season.

A decision of greater consequence looms regarding another deal between Walker and the Heat, since players can only sign two 10-day deals with any one team during a single season. Miami would have to re-sign the Mike Naiditch client through at least the end of the season next time around.

Suns Rumors: Dragic, Knight, Granger

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns traded a conditional first-round pick for backup big man Brandan Wright in January, but the Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas deadline-day trades seemed to represent a different philosophical tack. GM Ryan McDonough told TNT’s David Aldridge recently that there is little use for the team to sacrifice the future for the present, as Aldridge writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.

“I think we’re realistic about where we are in the league, especially in the Western Conference,” McDonough said. “We could have done things to load up. Giving away picks or taking on contracts may have given us a short-term bump but it wouldn’t have helped us toward our goal of building a championship contending team.”

While we wait to see if the organization shifts back toward win-now mode in the summer, here’s more from the Valley of the Sun:

Dragic expressed regret today for his remarks shortly before the trade deadline in which he said he didn’t trust the Suns front office, notes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. The new Heat point guard said he felt he was “too harsh” and should have shown more restraint, and he expressed his gratitude toward Suns owner Robert Sarver. McDonough also used the term “harsh” to describe the comments he and president of basketball operations Lon Babby made after the deal that sent Dragic, who has planned to opt out and hit free agency this summer, to Miami.
Still, Dragic rejects the notion that he’s selfish, as McDonough and Babby seemed to imply he was, according to Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. “It’s hard, but I know it’s not true,” Dragic said, as Lieser notes in his piece. “That’s their opinion. I cannot do nothing else. Everybody has their own opinon. It’s a, how you say, free country. Everybody can speak freely and it is what it is.”
The Suns thought after Dragic met with Sarver not long ago that Dragic had committed to staying with them long-term if they traded Thomas, a source tells Aldridge. That predated Dragic’s “harsh” comments prior to the deadline.
The trade that sent Brandon Knight to the Suns took Knight by surprise and, at first, made him angry, as he tells Aldridge. “Initially, I was,” Knight said. “Initially, after the trade, you’re kind of upset. But for me, I look at the bright side of things. The Suns gave up a lot to get me. So it’s someone that wanted me. A system where I can flourish offensively. And we’ve got a lot of young talent. So I take the bright side of things.”
Danny Granger and the Suns had discussed the idea of a buyout, but they missed Sunday’s deadline for Granger to hit waivers and remain playoff-eligible for other teams. Still, McDonough told Aldridge on Sunday that Phoenix was “keeping an open mind” regarding the forward’s future with the team.

And-Ones: Butler, Bulls, Dragic, Muscala

March 1st, 2015 at 10:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Jimmy Butler is headed for an MRI exam on Monday after leaving the Bulls‘ game on Sunday in the third quarter with a hyperextended left elbow, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. From that point, the Bulls should find out how much time Butler will miss, if any. Here’s more from around the Association..

Johnson also notes that ESPN analyst and former head coach Jeff Van Gundy continued his spat with Bulls management during Sunday’s telecast of Bulls-Clippers. Van Gundy went out of his way to mention executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson‘s trade of LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas.
For the Heat, the question that should be asked of Goran Dragic is not whether he is a good player, but whether he is the kind of player that can put them ahead of the Eastern Conference’s elite like the Cavs, Bulls, and Hawks in the long-term, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes. In a league where there are plenty of capable point guards, one could make the case that the only ones with max salaries should be the ones that are either the final piece to a championship or an MVP-caliber performer. In Hamilton’s estimation, Dragic is neither.
The Hawks announced that they have assigned forward/center Mike Muscala to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League. In five games with Fort Wayne this season, Muscala has averaged 14.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.2 BPG. He has appeared in 20 games for the Hawks this season with averages of 3.6 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 8.4 minutes per contest. On Saturday night, he tallied four blocks against the Heat.

Will The Heat Make The Playoffs?

February 28th, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Miami made headlines with its blockbuster acquisition of Goran Dragic at last week’s trade deadline. The Heat appeared to be in position to make the playoffs and possibly win a series. Fans envisioned a matchup against Cleveland, in which the team had a chance to knock a LeBron James-led team out of the playoffs, something no Eastern Conference team was able to accomplish while the four-time MVP was in Miami.

Less than 24 hours after the trade, the optimism surrounding the team faded. Medical tests indicated that Chris Bosh had multiple blood clots in his lungs and although he was released from the hospital today, as Surya Fernandez of Fox Sports relays, the center remains out for the rest of the season. The news was obviously devastating to Bosh and the team.

On the court, it leaves Miami with a clear void. Bosh was averaging 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game this season. The team signed Michael Beasley to a 10-day contract earlier this week. The former No. 2 overall pick has some experience playing the four spot but has been a hindrance on the defensive end in the past. The Heat had interest in Andray Blatche earlier this season and he would be a more traditional option to replace some of Bosh’s production.

Finding that production over its remaining games is crucial. The race for the seventh and eighth seed in the conference looks to be a tight one down the stretch. The Heat, Pacers, Pistons, Celtics, Hornets and Nets are all within three games of each other in the loss column entering Saturday night. After tonight’s loss against Atlanta, Miami has 24 games left, with seven of those against the teams in this clustered race for the last two playoff spots. Another 12 games are against teams with a better record than the Heat. With a tough schedule and a roster that lacks depth, the team’s small lead in the race for the playoffs could evaporate with just a short stretch of poor play or an additional injury.

If Dragic can fit in seamlessly and play at a star-caliber level, Miami has a chance to maintain its current position. The franchise paid a hefty price to acquire the 28-year-old. The Heat surrendered two first round picks, as well as several reserves, to bring Dragic aboard but they could have waited until the offseason to try to acquire him via free agency. Miami was on the guard’s shortlist of teams that he desired to play for but the team would have been forced to make corresponding moves in order to meet Dragic’s expected salary demands, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors notes. By not waiting and paying such a price midseason, it was a clear sign that the team’s priority was not only to acquire Dragic, but also to improve the team this season in order to make a substantial postseason run.

After the highs and lows that Miami has endured recently, will the Heat be making a postseason appearance?

Eastern Notes: Crowder, Anthony, Beasley

February 28th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics swingman Jae Crowder‘s stock has risen, fallen and risen again following his inclusion in the Rajon Rondo trade, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines. The 24-year-old’s contract is up at season’s end, but Forsberg suggests it’s likely the Celtics will tender the qualifying offer worth more than $1.181MM necessary to match offers for him this summer.

Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:

There are many around the league who question Carmelo Anthony‘s decision to play 30 minutes in the NBA All-Star game after missing significant time for the Knicks while nursing his injured knee, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders writes. Chauncey Billups, ‘Melo’s former teammate, was vocal in his disappointment with Anthony’s choice, Beer adds. “If you are hurt and you know you are going to shut it down, just get the surgery and make that commitment that the Knicks made to him and just get better and not worry about playing for the fans and the All-Star Game,” Billups said. “I thought it was poor judgment but to each his own.”
Billups also believes that Anthony needs a strong leader to help guide him in New York, Beer relays. “My perception of him [is] he really needed my guidance, he needed my leadership,” Billups said. “I don’t know that he quite knew how to lead a team or a franchise, but at that time he was young. I can’t expect him to. He was already a great player, but he is best served when he doesn’t have to be the leader of the team.”
Michael Beasley was not re-signed by the Heat last summer due to concerns with his defense, consistency and maturity, but Chris Bosh’s season-ending injury changed Miami’s thinking regarding the player, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
Sixers coach Brett Brown, when providing a status update for injured rookie Joel Embiid, said, “It would be misleading to say anything that’s promising about him playing this year,” Tom Moore of Calkins Media tweets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Rondo, Beasley, Liggins

February 27th, 2015 at 10:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rajon Rondo downplayed the recent incident between him and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “I just got built-up frustration,” said Rondo. “I take a lot of the blame for what I’ve been doing on the court, but just a little frustrated. The most important thing is communication with Coach. I’ve talked to a lot of the coaches, I’ve talked to a lot of staff members. Coach and I, when I first got here, we were talking a lot and watching film after every game. He’s backed off a little bit with the addition of Amar’e [Stoudemire], trying to help get him up to speed. Our communication was great at first. Not that it wasn’t so great, but it’s just that we weren’t communicating enough. That shouldn’t be the case the rest of the season.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Rondo insists that there are no lingering issues from his suspension, MacMahon tweets. “Everything is back to normal,” Rondo said. “He [Carlisle] had some frustrations with me and vice versa. Communication is definitely key.“
The Heat are glad to have Michael Beasley back on the team, with the player having recently inked a 10-day deal, and may be looking at keeping Beasley for the remainder of the season, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “Look, it is a business in this league,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And faces do change. But we view Mike as a family member. We drafted him. We developed him. This summer we made a lot of different changes. So the way our team was set up, we didn’t bring him back. But that was not an indictment on how we felt about him. And then so, because of all the change right now, we feel fortunate that we’re able to bring somebody back with his skill set who has familiarity with our system and our culture at this time of year. We think it’s a good fit.“
DeAndre Liggins has signed with the German club Eisbaren-Bremerhaven, the team announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Liggins signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Heat last season, but he appeared in just one game for Miami. Liggins averaged 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in Russia this season before being waived last month.

Donnie Nelson On: O’Neal, Blatche, Sanders

February 27th, 2015 at 8:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson joined Dallas’ 1310 The Ticket today and discussed a number of topics regarding the team. The Dallas Morning News transcribed a number of the highlights from Nelson’s interview:

When asked if the team would still like to add another big man, Nelson responded by saying:

“We’re not opposed to the right addition. But, again, it’s gotta be changed for the right reason. We do like what we have and for it to settle down. I think one of our big needs was answered with Amar’e [Stoudemire]. If we do add a player he would be an end of the bench type, specialist piece; it’s a possibility, but I wouldn’t wait for something like that to happen because it probably won’t at the end of the day.”

On if he thinks the window to sign Jermaine O’Neal is closed:

“That’s really a question for him. The door is always open. We’ve always been fans and he’s our kind of guy. It’s really where he is at with his family, with his health situation. Whether it’s during the season or summer, he’s a Dallas resident and we’d love to have the conversation if and when it’s right for him.”

On if the team has any interest in Larry Sanders, who has hinted that he may not return to the NBA, Nelson said:

“For the here and now, we’re long enough and tall enough on our front line with Tyson Chandler and our backup situation. If there is any potential or possibility there it’d be a summer conversation.”

When discussing Dallas’ interest in free agent Andray Blatche, who is currently considering a lucrative contract offer to return to China, Nelson said:

“Yeah, and a lot of these depend on minutes. Some of the guys, as they’re looking over the NBA landscape, let’s face it. If you take a player of that caliber and put him on our team, how much is he going to play? That certainly resonates with him and his agent. Those are possibilities, whether it’s a shooter or a little more support in the front court. But, again, it’d have to be the right piece. I wouldn’t be optimistic that anything would happen at this point.”