Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Frank, Bulls, Beasley

December 4th, 2013 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eastern Conference will have a few chances to improve its dismal record against the West tonight, as the Cavs and Hawks host the Nuggets and Clippers respectively, while the Pacers play in Utah. As we look forward to a night of NBA action, let’s check out a few items from around the East….

Having been demoted by the Nets, Lawrence Frank will retain “high-powered” legal counsel, likely in the hopes of working out a buyout agreement with the team, a source tells Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. As various reports have noted since Frank’s “re-assignment” yesterday, the Brooklyn assistant signed a lucrative six-year contract with the club this summer.
In spite of Derrick Rose‘s season-ending injury, the Bulls are still excited about their future, GM Gar Forman said on ESPN Radio on Tuesday. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com has the key quotes from Forman.
Along with ESPN’s Scoop Jackson and Doug Padilla, Friedell debates whether the Bulls believe they’ll re-sign Luol Deng next summer, in a separate piece.
Given the way Michael Beasley has played this season, it’s clear that at least one of the Heat‘s two non-guaranteed players will have his salary guaranteed, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Roger Mason is the other Miami player on a non-guaranteed contract.
Beasley ranks among the best bargain signings of the offseason, according to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, who also includes Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll in his list.

Southeast Notes: Oden, Nelson, Heat, Harrington

December 3rd, 2013 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

In an incredibly weak Eastern Conference, the Southeast Division practically qualifies as a powerhouse. Led by the 14-3 Heat, the Southeast is the only Eastern division above .500 as a whole — its five teams have combined for a 46-43 record so far. Three Southeast clubs will look to improve on that mark tonight, as the Heat host the Pistons, while the Magic play in Philadelphia and the Bobcats visit Dallas.

Here’s more from around the division:

The Heat‘s signing of Greg Oden this summer received plenty of attention, but the former first overall pick is coming along slowly, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico hears from several sources that Miami doesn’t plan to integrate Oden into the rotation until around the All-Star break, and even then, he’ll likely only play about 8-10 minutes per game.
Within the same piece, Amico asked an NBA executive for five players he thinks will be traded this season, and the Magic‘s Jameer Nelson was among the players mentioned by the exec.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wonders if the Heat‘s Big Three could become a Big Four next summer, when LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade are all eligible for free agency. Kyler’s scenario would involve all three players opting out and taking significant pay cuts, and would mean purging the rest of the roster to create room for a fourth impact player, so it sounds like a real long shot.
While Al Harrington has been sidelined recently by a sore knee, he tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that he likes being a Wizard, and is trying to forget his stint with the Magic. Harrington came to Orlando as part of the four-team Dwight Howard blockbuster, but missed most of last season and was waived in the summer, before signing with Washington.

Odds & Ends: Booker, Kobe, Wade, Exum

December 2nd, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

After receiving eight DNP-Coach’s Decisions this year, Trevor Booker is none too pleased with the Wizards. A source close to the power forward said recently that if the Wizards don’t extend him a qualifying offer and let him become an unrestricted free agent, he would look elsewhere for employment based on how the season has gone, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. It’s been a strange quarter-season for Booker, who started the first three games of the season but has seen little burn since. More from around the Association..

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com looks at how Kobe Bryant‘s lucrative two-year extension could affect the Heat and Dwyane Wade.
In today’s column, David Aldridge of NBA.com looks at how Kobe’s deal will affect the Lakers over the next couple of years.
Dante Exum is a mortal lock to go top five in the 2014 Draft, but he says that he hasn’t decided whether to go pro, writes Joe Pierik of the Sydney Morning Herald. ”To be honest, I haven’t been thinking about it too much,’‘ Exum said. ”I am back home but my mum is still in Singapore, so she is going to head back soon. After that I will make my decision with my whole family. I want to get it done by February. It shouldn’t be too hard [a decision] to make. But I just want to make sure I use my time right so I make the right decision.’‘
The Bulls might be thinking about rebuilding or retooling in the wake of Derrick Rose‘s injury, but Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com isn’t sure if coach Tom Thibodeau would be on board for that.
Guard Jose Calderon is going out of his way to assist rookie point guards Gal Mekel and Shane Larkin with their transition to the NBA, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. While coach Rick Carlisle appreciates Calderon passing along his veteran wisdom, he says he’s more concerned with seeing him back on the hardwood. Calderon is currently dealing with a bone bruise on his right ankle.
The Lakers announced that they have recalled Ryan Kelly back from their D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders. To keep track of all of this year’s D-Leage assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.

Odds & Ends: Beasley, Wilkins, Claver, Lakers

December 1st, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

If it looks like Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is only now starting to formulate a plan for offseason pickup Michael Beasley, you’re not far off, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “With Michael,” Spoelstra said, “it was more about, initially, we felt he was part of our family. We drafted him. We spent a lot of time with him, not only during those two regular seasons, but during the offseasons and we just wanted to open up our arms back into our family,” the coach said. Here’s more from around the Association..

Damien Wilkins, who was in training camp with the Hawks over the summer, has reached agreement on a deal with Beijing in China, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
Victor Claver spoke with El Mundo after the rumors about his future published by Spanish media and Emiliano Carchia of Sportando provides the translation. “Portland is the team where I want to play. But at the same time I want to play more and here I don’t have chances to. The season is very long, let’s see if something will change. Right now I am not thinking about returning to Europe. I have no idea if there is a chance to be traded. But if it happened, I hope it is for the better,” said the Spanish forward.
Nick Young has jokingly touted himself as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate at times this season, but coach Mike D’Antoni believes the swingman has a legitimate shot at the award, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
D’Antoni is overseeing a locker room with ten players on expiring contracts, but he appears much more effective at building camaraderie with this Lakers team than with last year’s, as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times observes.
In this week’s mailbag, Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer fields questions on the possibility of the Cavs trading for Luol Deng and more.

Eastern Rumors: Marquis Teague, Beasley, Bosh

December 1st, 2013 at 11:50am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls and Heat were perhaps the strongest Eastern Conference title contenders to start the season, but they’ve taken divergent paths, thanks to Derrick Rose‘s injury. The Bulls probably won’t win the title this year, while the Heat appear only to have the Pacers in their way as they try for their fourth straight conference title. Here’s more from Chicago and Miami:

There were four teams interested in trading for Marquis Teague at the start of the season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Wolves and Jazz were reportedly two of them, but it’s not clear who the other teams were or if any clubs maintain their interest. The Bulls have hoped that Teague would improve this year, with Kirk Hinrich set to hit free agency.
Michael Beasley‘s has assumed a “significant” role on the Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra says. It’s Spoelstra’s strongest endorsement of Beasley this year, observes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, who examines how the team’s minimum-salary gamble is paying dividends so far. Beasley’s deal remains non-guaranteed.
The Heat might be able to find a better bargain on the free agent market in the summer, but Chris Bosh‘s slow start has done nothing to affect his value to the Heat this season, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes in his mailbag column.

Odds & Ends: Bennett, Ledo, Pistons, Heat

November 30th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs drafted Anthony Bennett first overall with many in the organization envisioning him becoming a small forward at some point, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd argues that the team should make the former UNLV big man the starter at that position now. Cleveland’s win tonight brings the team’s record to just 5-12, so Lloyd believes it’s an idea worth trying in a season when few of coach Mike Brown‘s gambits have worked. Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Mavericks assigned Ricky Ledo to their D-League affiliate today, the team announced via press release. Ledo has appeared in six games with Dallas for a total of just 16 minutes so far.
Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News breaks down the dilemmas facing first-year Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks, whose team is off to a worrisome 6-10 start in spite of owner Tom Gores’ playoff aspirations.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if Kobe Bryant‘s lucrative extension will prompt LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to prioritize money over championships next offseason.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Vucevic, Heat, Beasley

November 30th, 2013 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Worried about your team’s playoff hopes as we approach the quarter-mark of the season? As Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel pointed out earlier this week, the 2010/11 Heat started out 9-8, leading some to wonder if the superstar packed club could succeed. That Heat team found its way to the 2011 Finals and went on to win back-to-back titles. Here’s a look at the Southeast Division..

As he plays out the third year of a four-year contract, the Magic are looking to determine Nikola Vucevic‘s value, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. While the center was impressive in his first season with Orlando and has had strong flashes this season, he hasn’t taken a noticable step forward. As it stands, the Magic are expected to retain Vucevic when he becomes a restricted free agent after the 2014/15 season. A deal for Vucevic would probably fall in between the five-year, $60MM deal that Nikola Pekovic signed with the T’Wolves and Larry Sanders‘ four-year, $44MM contract with the Bucks.
In today’s mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes that offseason pickup Michael Beasley looks to have taken a huge leap in his first month in Miami. The Heat are more than comfortable turning to the forward for offense, which isn’t something that most observers expected when they signed Beasley to a non-guaranteed pact.
Dwayne Wade says that the Heat are the deepest team he’s ever played on, writes Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report. “No knock on any other team that I’ve ever played on, besides the Olympic team, this would probably be the deepest team that I’ve played on,” Dwyane Wade said Friday night.

Eastern Notes: Shumpert, Waiters, James, Heat

November 28th, 2013 at 9:58pm CST by Charlie Adams

Here are a few notes from the Eastern Conference:

The latest piece by Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines Iman Shumpert‘s trade value and the likelihood that the Knicks guard develops into an elite player. Shumpert has been discussed as a potential trade candidate throughout the season, and Begley suggests that his value lies in his potential and not proven production. So far in his career, the former first-round pick has scored 8.2 PPG in 26.5 MPG.
Marc Berman of the New York Post compares Mike Woodson‘s tough treatment of Shumpert this season to his treatment of J.R. Smith last season. Smith responded positively and ended up winning sixth man of the year, but it remains to be seen whether or not Shumpert will respond in such a way.
Dion Waiters has been another popular name in trade rumors around the league. We learned yesterday that the Cavaliers are shopping Waiters, and Bob Finnan of the News Herald reveals that Waiters is attempting to stay focused on the court amid all the trade talks: “I’m out here and still smiling. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than playing basketball. I’ll leave that all to the press. I’ll let them have fun with that.”
Much was made of LeBron James and “The Decision,” but Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld notes that James’ decision to sign with the Heat was unselfish in the sense that he took less guaranteed years and a significant pay cut in order to play for a championship-caliber club. In fact, James could have made an additional $15MM had he signed a more lucrative contract that was available to him.
Speaking of the Heat, Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel writes that Miami and the Big Three have come a long way since their 9-8 start in 2010/11 that had critics questioning whether or not the superstar packed club could succeed. James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade each have early termination options on their contracts for the 2014/15 season, but there’s been little evidence to suggest any of them are eager to explore free agency.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Nowitzki, HGH, Biedrins

November 27th, 2013 at 11:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat‘s visit to Cleveland tonight brought the specter of LeBron James hitting the free agent market next summer to the forefront, but Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com argues that the four-time MVP should stay in Miami if he wants to continue winning championships. The Heat are a strong draw for other free agents, too, and it’s no surprise that players take discounts to come to Miami, which offers an up-tempo system, the chance to play with LeBron, and title contention, Tjarks writes. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is confident Dirk Nowitzki won’t seek too much money from the team in contract negotiations this summer, and says the Mavs are “going to do all we can to keep him forever,” notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Cuban also told reporters that the NBA is open-minded about studies on the use of human growth hormone for helping athletes recover from injury. Cuban intends to fund the research, but that sort of HGH use in the NBA would first require U.S. government approval. Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com has the details.
Andris Biedrins admits impending free agency is on his mind, and the Jazz center hinted at retirement, saying in part that, “I know this is my last year,” as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune passes along. Of course, Biedrins could be referring to the last year of his contract, rather than his career.
Gerald Green has fit in surprisingly well in Phoenix, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, who sees potential for him to be a long-term piece for the Suns.
Kim English has signed to play in France with Chorale Roanne, the team announced (translation via Sportando). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported the deal for the Leon Rose client and former Pistons guard.
Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld doesn’t expect the Heat‘s Big Three to hit the open market next summer, but offers up a list of plenty of other potential free agents for teams to consider in 2014.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Mavs To Target Bosh In Free Agency?

November 27th, 2013 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Brian Windhorst’s latest column at ESPN.com focuses primarily on LeBron James‘ possible options as he approaches potential free agency in 2014, but the piece includes an interesting tidbit about one of LeBron’s teammates as well. According to Windhorst, league executives expect the Mavericks to target Chris Bosh in free agency next summer.

As I noted yesterday, the Mavs only have about $25MM in guaranteed salary committed to their books for 2014/15. That doesn’t include cap holds for Dirk Nowitzki and other free-agents-to-be like Shawn Marion and Vince Carter, but nonetheless, the team should have the flexibility to re-sign Dirk and add another impact free agent.

Some cap maneuvering could put the Mavs in position to be a player in the LeBron sweepstakes, but Bosh, a Dallas native, appears to be the team’s more likely target in the eyes of rival execs. Like James, Bosh will have the chance to opt out of his deal in 2014, though he’s not a lock to do so. Whereas LeBron would undoubtedly receive a new long-term, maximum-salary contract in free agency, there’s no guarantee Bosh would receive the same kind of offers.

Bosh, who will turn 30 later this season, is averaging just 15.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 13 contests this season, the lowest averages since his rookie year. The Georgia Tech product remains an efficient scorer and a productive big man, but he may ultimately be better off playing out his contract with the Heat, which would pay him $20.59MM in 2014/15 and $22.11MM in 2015/16. The 29-year-old also indicated earlier this year that he’d like to spend the rest of his career in Miami.