Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks, Butler Discussing Buyout

February 26th, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 8:54pm: While progress continues between Butler and the Bucks, it appears the buyout may not be complete until Thursday per C.F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 10:47pm: The buyout is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, leaving ample time for Butler to clear waivers by Friday and retain his playoff eligibility (Marc Stein of ESPN reports). Stein also says the Heat will be at the front of the line to sign their former draft pick and that Butler is expected to verbally commit to a team before clearing waivers.

10:06pm: TNT’s David Aldridge (via Twitter) also confirms the report, adding that many around the league think the Heat will be Butler’s landing spot once he reaches a buyout. The Spurs and Thunder are also said to be interested.

5:54pm: The Bucks and Raymond Brothers, the agent of forward Caron Butler, are in the process of discussing a buyout, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Five days ago, we passed along that Milwaukee may have included Butler’s name in trade discussions with the Bobcats, who ultimately traded for Luke Ridnour and Gary Neal.

Butler was acquired from Phoenix last August, and although the Milwaukee native had originally been excited about his homecoming, there had been rumblings that he eventually became frustrated with his role over the course of the year. Back in September, Bucks GM John Hammond made it clear that the 6’7 swingman was brought in to be a starter and play a significant role. However, Butler had only started in 13 of 34 games this season after starting in 78 for the Clippers during 2012/13.

This year, the former UConn standout is averaging 11.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG while shooting 38.7% from the field and 36.1% from long distance. He is currently in the final season of a three-year, $24MM contract and will turn 34 next month.

Sixers, Granger Nearing Buyout

February 26th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Cray Allred

10:12am: There isn’t quite as much interest in Granger as other reports have suggested, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who hears from one GM who says that he has no interest at all and that Granger is “done” (Twitter link). Still, I’d be surprised if Granger doesn’t receive multiple attractive offers once a buyout is done.

WEDNESDAY, 7:59am: The buyout should be done today, TNT’s David Aldridge hears, identifying the Clippers, Bulls, Heat, Rockets and Spurs as teams in the hunt for the 30-year-old (Twitter link).

10:55pm: It’s also being said that Granger is weighing all of his options right now, including staying with Philadelphia for the remainder of the season, according to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN. However, if Granger should complete a buyout soon enough, Stein tweets that the Spurs and Clippers will be in a two-team race for his services.

TUESDAY, 4:35pm: Granger appears to be limiting his interest to realistic title contenders, rather than mere playoff teams, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge.

MONDAY, 6:30pm: Coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter), that the club might have an announcement regarding Granger in the next 24 hours. There’s no nameplate on Granger’s locker and he won’t be in action for tonight’s game against the Bucks.

SATURDAY, 12:06pm: League sources tell Charania that Granger would likely choose between the Heat, Clippers, Bulls, Spurs, and Mavs as a free agent should the buyout happen (Twitter link).

11:55am: In initial discussions regarding a buyout for recently acquired Danny Granger, the Sixers have been cooperative with the shooting guard, a league source tells RealGM.com’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).

Despite reports that Granger was unhappy with being traded and immediately wanted a buyout, it appears there is no animosity between him and the Sixers organization. Earlier in the day, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Granger was undergoing a team physical, but adds that the physical does not mean that the former All-Star isn’t interested in a buyout (Twitter links).

Granger was traded to the Sixers from the Pacers at the trade deadline after spending the first eight-plus years of his career in Indiana. A knee injury has limited Granger’s athleticism and impact over the last two seasons, when he has been moved to the bench and averaged under 23 minutes and 10 points per game for the first time since his rookie season.

Heat Sign DeAndre Liggins To 10-Day Deal

February 25th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 9:35am: The Heat have signed Liggins to a 10-day contract, the team announced.

MONDAY, 8:04am: DeAndre Liggins is “all but gone” to the Heat, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twitter link). Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel heard late Sunday that Miami was strongly considering a signing of the former Magic and Thunder swingman, so it seems the two sides are nearing an agreement. If the Heat and the Henry Thomas client come to terms on a deal that would fill Miami’s open roster spot, it would seem likely that it would be a 10-day arrangement, allowing the team to retain flexibility on the buyout market.

Oklahoma prosecutors recently dropped felony domestic violence charges against Liggins stemming from an incident this past August. They’re expected to refile a single misdemeanor charge. The Thunder waived Liggins the same day the felony charges were filed.

Liggins, now 25, hooked on with the D-League, and the Sioux Falls Skyforce picked him seventh overall in the 2013 D-League draft. He’s averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 40.4 minutes per game for the Skyforce, the Heat’s affiliate.

Amico On Deng, Lakers, LeBron, Bosh

February 24th, 2014 at 8:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Luol Deng stay in Cleveland beyond this year? While there has been speculation that he’ll bolt this summer, execs tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio the Cavs can hang on to him if things change. That means getting hot to close out the season and possibly shaking up the roster/coaching staff. More from Amico’s column..

Most execs feel LeBron James will either return to the Heat or shock everyone and aim for the ultimate redemption story by returning to the Cavs. The Heat, however, are believed to be way in front of everyone.
One GM told Amico that it’s hard to know whether the Lakers are a real possibility for Carmelo Anthony or if it’s just wishful thinking from Lakers fans.
It seems most GMs feel Chris Bosh, and not Anthony, is the second biggest potential prize on the upcoming market. But if James goes back to the Heat, Bosh will, too. If James flees Miami, the Lakers are secretly interested, sources tell Amico.
Kobe Bryant is probably the only one who can convince Pau Gasol to stay with the Lakers. Gasol would love a return to Memphis, but the Grizzlies aren’t exactly big spenders.
If Kevin Garnett retires, Amico gets the sense that fellow Nets vet Paul Pierce could wind up anywhere.

Knicks Rumors: Shumpert, World Peace, Udrih

February 24th, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Iman Shumpert has been all over Hoops Rumors for months now, so why is he still in New York? Chris Broussard of ESPN.com heard from a league source that the Thunder were willing to part with a 2014 first-rounder even after Shumpert suffered a strained left MCL. However, the Knicks refused to do the deal because they weren’t getting a current player in return who could help them make a push for this season’s playoffs. At the end of the day, they deemed Shumpert more valuable than the super low pick OKC is bound to get, according to sources. The latest out of New York after the Knicks made their buyout agreements with Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih official..

After officially hammering out a buyout with the Knicks, World Peace is hoping to land with the Thunder, Spurs, or Heat, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. MWP has averaged just 4.8 PPG in limited minutes this season.
Coach Mike Woodson says the Knicks may look at perimeter defenders and front court players to fill the roster spots vacated by World Peace and Udrih, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Ike Diogu isn’t the right fit for the Knicks, opines Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal. Diogu offers a lot of low-post strength at the forward position but what the Knicks really need is a point guard, preferably a young one.

Southeast Notes: Muscala, Thomas, Chalmers

February 24th, 2014 at 5:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Hawks put in a call last week to Obradoiro of Spain about Mike Muscala, whose NBA rights belong to Atlanta, reports Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Still, the Hawks made no offer for the 44th overall pick from the 2013 draft, Sierra notes, adding that Obradoiro has rejected entreaties from other European clubs for the center from Bucknell (Twitter links). More out of the Southeast..

Tyrus Thomas is not an option for the Wizards due to a back injury, a person close to the situation tells J. Michael of CSNWashington.com (on Twitter). Besides, it looks like Washington has their eye on another 2013 amnesty victim in Drew Gooden.
Mario Chalmers, a free agent this summer, says that he’s more comfortable than ever with the Heat, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel.
A fun fact courtesy of Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (on Twitter): the Magic haven’t signed anyone to a 10-day contract since the team signed Seton Hall product Andre Barrett on March 31, 2005.

Heat Rumors: Liggins, Turner, Oden

February 23rd, 2014 at 8:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Heat reportedly would have liked to convince Glen Davis to stay in the Sunshine State, but they ultimately watched Big Baby hook on with the Clippers instead. Where do they go from here? The latest out of South Beach..

The Heat are strongly considering signing DeAndre Liggins, who has been playing for the D-League’s Sioux Falls SkyForce, sources tell Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). Liggins would fill the spot vacated by Roger Mason Jr. but other moves are still possible (link). Liggins was waived by the Thunder in September after an alleged domestic incident.
No deadline deal affected the Heat more than the Pacers’ deal for Evan Turner, Winderman writes. Turner definitely makes the Pacers a better team, but whether the Heat can get past the Pacers in an anticipated Eastern Conference finals matchup comes down to whether Dwyane Wade can win his matchup against Lance Stephenson.
Offseason pickup Greg Oden made his first-ever start for the Heat today in the absence of LeBron James and the Associated Press recapped his performance against Chicago.

Magic Waive Glen Davis In Buyout Arrangement

February 23rd, 2014 at 10:37am CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, 10:37am: Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter Link) has heard that the Nets have been told that Davis will sign with the Clippers once he clears waivers at 5 p.m. today.

SATURDAY, 1:58pm: The Nets and Clippers remain the frontrunners to sign Davis, but the Heat might be interested in him as well, says Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein also hears that all of the teams with rumored interest in Big Baby expect him to make a decision on where to sign before the end of the weekend (Twitter links).

FRIDAY, 7:05pm: You can add the Bulls to the list of teams that may be interested in Davis, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter Link).

6:20pm: According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter Link), the Magic will not be using the stretch provision on Davis, and will take the full hit on his $6.6MM salary during the 2014/2015 season. Kyler also tweeted that the team had told Davis of their intention to waive him and buy out his contract last weekend.

1:51pm: Kevin Garnett is recruiting Davis as part of a hard push from the Nets to convince him to sign with Brooklyn, Wojnarowski tweets.

1:45pm: The Magic have officially announced that they’ve come to a buyout arrangment and waived Davis. It’s unclear how much of his salary Davis is relinquishing.

1:04pm: The team has yet to make an official announcement, but the release of Davis has been finalized, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).

12:43pm: There’s a sense around the league that Davis and Rivers already have what amounts to an agreement for Big Baby to join the Clippers once he clears waivers, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The Magic are expected to officially release Davis this afternoon, tweets Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

THURSDAY, 9:43pm: Along with the Clippers, the Heat, Spurs, Nets, and Warriors are expressing interest in Big Baby, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

6:58pm: The Magic and Glen Davis have reached agreement on a buyout, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The buyout should be official tomorrow morning.

Orlando was dangling the big man at the deadline but they were unable to find a taker. Davis was due the remainder of his $6.4MM salary this season and $6.6MM in 2014/15. The 28-year-old is coming off of a year in which he averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG with a 15.0 PER in an injury-shortened season. So far in 2013/14, Davis has been bitten by the injury bug once again. He’s putting up 12.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 30.1 minutes per contest this season.

The Clippers figure to be a strong frontrunner for Davis now that he’s available, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Los Angeles makes a lot of sense for Davis who has a relationship with Doc Rivers and presumably would like to join a contender. For Orlando, the buyout should open up playing time for Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn as they look to the future.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Iverson, Miller

February 23rd, 2014 at 8:51am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat essentially stood pat at the trade deadline. Outside of shipping Roger Mason Jr. to the Kings for a highly protected second-round pick, they didn’t do much to add to their rotation. The next few weeks could be as intriguing as some of the past offseasons have been for the Heat when it comes to personnel and rounding out the bench, as the team sorely needs to add some depth, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Winderman believes the team needs to add another wing player amid the current shaky shooting from both Shane Battier and Ray Allen.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Hawks, Heat

February 22nd, 2014 at 6:48pm CST by Cray Allred

Magic GM Rob Hennigan told reporters, including John Denton of NBA.com, that some of the motivation behind the Magic’s buyout of Glen Davis was an attempt to open up more playing time for developing young players. Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Per Denton, Hennigan also said that the Magic is considering signing one or two players to 10-day contracts now that they have just 12 players on the roster, one shy of the league minimum. The team already has agreements in place with Adonis Thomas and Dewayne Dedmon, so presumably he’s referring to those guys. Hennigan can’t mention them by name until the signings are official.
Hennigan also said that the decision to waive Davis was not based worries that Davis wouldn’t respond well to giving Magic youngsters more playing time, as Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel notes. “I don’t think it was a concern,” Hennigan said. “I think it was more about when we’re moving in a different direction and we have a player who probably doesn’t fit the long-term plan. We want to make sure we do right by all of our players.”
The Magic players were told that the rest of the season would be focused on youth, and that roles will change, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter).
Matt Moore of CBS Sports finds the trade deadline inactivity of the Hawks puzzling, and wonders if GM Danny Ferry is comfortable coasting for the rest of the season. The Hawks have fallen to the eight seed and could drop into the lottery, but without shipping out any of their talent it’s unlikely that they will lose enough to wind up with a high draft pick. And without adding any talent, the team is probably doomed to a swift first-round exit should they make the playoffs.
James Ennis, the Heat‘s second-round pick from the 2013 draft, will play professional ball in Puerto Rico this spring now that his season in Australia is over, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Winderman thinks the odds are long that Ennis gets any chance with the Heat before next offseason.
In the same article, Winderman says that the Heat‘s deadline inactivity was less illuminating for Miami than the moves that other teams in the East did or didn’t pull off, including the Pacers, Bulls, Raptors, Wizards, Knicks, and Pistons.