Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Kobe, Bulls, Heat, Wizards

November 26th, 2013 at 11:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant says he gave no thought to leaving the Lakers in free agency, and defended himself against criticism that his extension will hurt the team, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt observes. Most Hoops Rumors readers agree, believing the Lakers will sign another max free agent in either 2014 or 2015. Here’s more from the Association:

The Bulls seem likely to get a disabled player exception after Derrick Rose‘s injury, but that doesn’t mean they’ll use it, as Salary Cap FAQ author Larry Coon explains (Twitter links).
There’s no sign of any rift between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and as the Cavs and others lurk in free agency, LeBron seems as much a part of the Heat as ever, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.
Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld says he has no plans to make a roster move in the next two weeks while Bradley Beal recovers from a stress injury in his right leg, observes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Beal will miss at least that amount of time.
Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report hears from a source that new Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger is getting “considerable direction” from the team’s ownership and front office. “They’re suggesting lineups,” said the source. “Aggressively.”
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman makes the case for why Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart could receive some consideration as the first overall pick next June.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports catches up with Josh Howard, who is playing with the D-League’s Austin Toros as he attempts to make his way back to the NBA.
FIBA approved moving the 2018 basketball World Cup to 2019, as Lefteris Moutis of Eurohoops.net writes. Qualification will take place while most pro leagues are in session, a move that probably isn’t popular with the NBA.
Mike Woodson made it clear to reporters today that the perception he doesn’t like Iman Shumpert is off base, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Central Links: LeBron, Deng, Bulls, Scola

November 26th, 2013 at 8:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s not easy to build a six-and-a-half game lead in less than a month, but that’s what the Pacers have done in the Central Division, where they’re the only team above .500. The Bulls are in second place, and the hole they’re in would have been somewhat of a challenge to overcome even if Derrick Rose were coming back this season. It’s probably impossible now that he’s done for the year, though Chicago at least has a strong chance of making the playoffs in the watered-down Eastern Conference. Here’s more on Indiana and the Central Division also-rans:

Anderson Varejao would welcome former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James if the four-time MVP decides to re-sign with Cleveland this summer, a prospect Varejao believes could become reality, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio observes. The Brazilian big man thinks James will likely return to the Cavs at some point, even if it’s not for next season.
Other reports suggest Luol Deng isn’t going anywhere soon, but executives from around the league who spoke to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune expect trade talks involving the Bulls small forward to pick up.
Johnson also notes in his piece that the Bulls chose to sign Mike Dunleavy over Marco Belinelli because they believed Dunleavy was a better fit with Rose. That points to the challenge the team faces opposed to last year, when they went into the season knowing Rose would be out. Despite his latest injury, Bulls GM Gar Forman says he’d be OK with Rose playing in the basketball World Cup this coming summer, according to Johnson.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel is impressed with offseason acquisition Luis Scola, and didn’t expect the 33-year-old would defend as well as he has so far, writes Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star.
The Bucks had the most turnover of any NBA team this summer, but they didn’t expect to have the worst record in the Eastern Conference a month into the season, as Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel examines.

Eastern Notes: George, Wade, Shumpert, LBJ

November 26th, 2013 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will look to snap a five-game losing streak tonight when they take on the Atlantic Division leaders in Toronto. As we look forward to that game and the three others on Tuesday’s slate, let’s check in on a few items from around the Eastern Conference….

Grantland’s Zach Lowe provides a couple interesting details on Paul George‘s extension with the Pacers. Because he signed a max deal, George would be eligible for up to 30% (rather than 25%) of the salary cap if he earns All-NBA honors this season, thanks to the Derrick Rose rule. However, if he does meet the Rose criteria, George’s salary will be just 27% of the cap, according to Lowe. In exchange for that concession, the Pacers forward received a player option on the fifth year of his new deal.
Seeing Kobe Bryant sign an extension that will likely assure he finishes his career as a Laker has strengthened Dwyane Wade‘s own desire to spend the rest of his career with the Heat, as he tells Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Wade will be eligible to opt out of his deal next summer, but isn’t expected to go anywhere.
Iman Shumpert didn’t record a single point, rebound, or assist in more than 23 minutes of action last night, but insisted trade rumors weren’t the reason for his poor outing, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News spoke to league executives about the possibility of LeBron James returning to the Cavs, and the consensus was that it may happen eventually, but likely not as soon as next summer.
Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies six potential trade targets for the Bulls as they look to fill their hole at point guard.

Odds & Ends: Rose, Williams, Kobe, Melo, Dirk

November 25th, 2013 at 9:51pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s deja vu for the Bulls as they’ll be without Derrick Rose for a while. The question now is whether they should keep this gang together in hopes of putting it all together late in the season upon Rose’s return, or cut bait and begin repurposing, writes Zach Lowe of Grantland. Breaking the team up could also have the added benefit of lightening this season’s tax bill in the process. Here’s more from around the Association..

The Nets were linked to Derrick Williams before he was shipped to the Kings earlier tonight, but team sources tell Fred Kerber of the New York Post (on Twitter) that they weren’t among the interested clubs.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com looks at how Kobe Bryant‘s new deal affects Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. Melo will hit the open market after the 2013/14 season and Los Angeles has been linked to him for quite some time. The question now is, will Anthony still be attracted to L.A. now that they likely would have to fill out the roster with minimum salary retreads.
Meanwhile, Brad Townsend of the Dallas News wonders what an extension for Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki might look like in the wake of Kobe’s new deal.
Heat veteran Rashard Lewis gave serious thought to retiring, but he’s very happy with his choice to continue, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Lewis thought he was finished, but he now finds himself as a significant contributor in Miami.

Shane Battier Will “Probably” Retire

November 24th, 2013 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Heat forward Shane Battier says that he’ll “probably” retire after this season, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

“In all honesty, this is probably my last year, and so, I’m not saving myself for anything,” he said. “My mindset is really, ‘Just go ’til the wheels fall off.’ If that means I crash and burn at Christmas, that’s the way I go out. “But I’m not saving myself for anything. My role now, with this starting lineup, is just playing my tail off and bring energy and, you know, go as long as I can go.”

Battier has found himself the starting power forward the past seven games and leads the NBA with eight charges drawn. Couple that with some serious banging down low for rebounds, and Battier has taken a beating early on in the 2013/14 campaign. Coming into 2013/14, Battier owned career averages of 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks over 904 career games with the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Heat. The former Duke star has been to the playoffs in nine of his 12 seasons in the NBA.

Eastern Notes: Garnett, LeBron, Cavs

November 23rd, 2013 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Prior to last night’s 111-81 loss to the T’Wolves, Nets forward Kevin Garnett told reporters that he’s not ready to discuss his future beyond this season. “I focus on what’s happening [now],” Garnett said after the Nets’ shootaround. “There is a lot of emotions that come with this building. … But, obviously, different time, different personnel, different times.” Last night, coach Jason Kidd said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was KG’s last time on the hardwood in Minnesota. Here’s more out of the East..

The other potential summer suitors for Heat star LeBron James aren’t looking so hot right now, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Cavs have been atrocious to start the year and things aren’t much better with the Knicks, who are perpetually linked to James despite not having the cap flexibility necessary. The Lakers should have the cash needed to make a run at LeBron and the other top free agents in the class, but things are pretty dysfunctional in L.A. as well.
Nate Duncan of HoopsWorld isn’t sure what to make of the Cavs‘ situation. Nearly everyone on the Cleveland roster has disappointed offensively, including banged-up offseason-acquisition Andrew Bynum and first overall pick Anthony Bennett.
Pacers center Roy Hibbert is confident that Jeff Green can be the Celtics‘ go-to guy, despite his inconsistencies, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Hibbert added that with Danny Ainge at the helm, the C’s are sure to put quality talent around Green in the years to come.
in today’s mailbag, Winderman writes that the Heat are working on grooming Quincy Douby, currently with the Sioux Falls SkyForce, strengthening his point guard skills. The Rutgers product is known for his tremendous range and scoring ability, but has never been much of a passer.

D-League Notes: Kelly, Harris, Heat, Expansion

November 21st, 2013 at 9:57pm CST by Charlie Adams

The D-League’s regular season is underway, and the D-League website features a list of young prospects to follow during the 2013/14 season. Some of the young players on the list currently have their rights held by NBA squads, but many are training camp invitees that didn’t make an opening night roster. There’s no telling when the next Jeremy Lin might unexpectedly emerge so it’s definitely worth monitoring the young talent found in the NBA’s official minor league organization.

Here’s some D-League news and notes from Thursday night:

Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets that the Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Elias Harris from their D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders. Neither have seen much NBA action yet this year, and Eric Pincus of the LA Times tweets that their recall is probably just a formality.
Ira Winderman points out (via Twitter) that the D-League affiliate for the Heat is sporting a particularly impressive roster. Although the Heat do not own their rights, it’s worth noting that Miami’s developmental squad houses three former NBA players: Bill Walker, DeAndre Liggins, and Quincy Douby.
Dan Reed, president of the D-League, envisions his circuit expanding into a 30 team organization where each NBA club has it’s own minor league affiliate. Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports sat down with Reed, who appears confident that his vision will one day become a reality: “If you had asked me this three or four years ago, I would have said it will be a very long time horizon. If you ask me now, that time frame has shortened substantially.” Reed has been the president of the D-League since 2007.
To keep up with all the D-League assignments and recalls throughout the year, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors 2013/14 D-League Assignments page.

Southeast Notes: Afflalo, LeBron, Hawks

November 18th, 2013 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Only one Southeast team is in action tonight, and while much has been made of the poor performance by Eastern Conference teams so far this season, a win by the Bobcats today would increase the Southeast’s overall winning percentage to a respectable .500. It’ll be a tough task for the Bobcats though, as they play in Chicago against a Bulls team coming off a win against the previously undefeated Pacers. As we look forward to seeing if Charlotte can pull off an upset, here are a few notes from around the Bobcats’ division:

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Arron Afflalo drew “lots of interest” over the summer, but the Magic ultimately elected not to move him.
David Beckham is looking to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Miami, and may end up working with LeBron James, according to Alex Miller of the Daily Mail. While the potential partnership doesn’t mean anything tangible at this point, the fact that LeBron is pursuing a Miami project may bode well for the Heat‘s chances of keeping him beyond this season.
No NBA team was caught off guard by the incredible collection of talent on display at the NCAA’s Champions Classic in Chicago last week. Nonetheless, seeing all of those prospects in one place could have influenced the plans of an NBA team like the Hawks, as one team executive tells David Aldridge of NBA.com: “The only thing about Chicago that’s interesting is if it changes Atlanta’s plans, or someone’s, who says ‘Ah, screw it, let’s just start selling players.'”

Southeast Links: Williams, Nelson, Chalmers

November 15th, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks didn’t get the full return on their mid-level investment in Lou Williams last season, as the sixth man went down in January with a torn ACL. Still, he didn’t take nearly as long to come back as Derrick Rose and others who’ve suffered similar injuries, as Williams is playing in Atlanta’s game tonight against his former team, the Sixers. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

Jameer Nelson has never played for a team other than the Magic, and he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com that he’d like that to remain true when he calls it a career. He acknowledges that he could be traded this season and understands he’s powerless to stop the Magic if they want to make that happen. Nelson envisions being the one making those decisions as a GM once he retires and can also see himself as a coach.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asked Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel if impending free agent Mario Chalmers could be playing himself out of the Heat‘s price range with his performance this year. Chalmers, who is making $4MM in the final year of his deal, could be a casualty as the Heat are mindful of luxury tax implications. Miami has already exercised its 2014/15 option on the cheaper Norris Cole.
Martell Webster finds himself in a familiar position as Trevor Ariza is once again sidelined with a leg injury, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Webster stepped into the starting lineup in Ariza’s place last season and went on to post career-best numbers and earn a four-year, $22MM deal from Washington.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Nets, McHale, Felix

November 14th, 2013 at 11:10pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Shortly after the Nets’ 21-point loss in Sacramento on Wednesday night, Brooklyn GM Billy King had a closed-door meeting with head coach Jason Kidd and Kevin Garnett to presumably discuss (as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News surmises) why almost nothing seems to be going according to plan in Brooklyn right now. In another Nets-related piece, Lenn Robbins of NBA.com writes that the current roster hasn’t shown they deserve a player’s coach like Kidd.

Here’s more of the miscellaneous links to pass along tonight:

When asked further about why Omer Asik didn’t play during tonight’s game in New York, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said that Asik told him that he wasn’t feeling well earlier (Sean Deveney of the Sporting News via Twitter). It should be noted that this was Asik’s first DNP-CD of his NBA career.
Cavaliers shooting guard Carrick Felix recently returned to the practice floor after being out with a sports hernia, but head coach Mike Brown made it clear that the 23-year-old rookie would find his minutes in the D-League once he’s ready to play (Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Zach Harper of CBS Sports details why Andre Iguodala may be the ultimate role player.
Although Michael Beasley may be a ways away from being a contributor with consistent playing time on the Heat, NBA.com’s Couper Moorhead tells us how the former second-overall pick continues to work hard and has taken a significant step forward to improve his overall game.
Joseph Lombardo, who founded the investment firm Prim Capital (which previously handled the investments and finances of the NBPA), has been charged with fraud, according to the Associated Press. Authorities say that Lombardo used a signature stamp to forge the signature of a deceased general counsel for the NBPA and another employee that awarded Prim Capital a $3MM fee over five years.
Nate Duncan of Hoopsworld goes in depth about what to make out of the Timberwolves’ and Pacers’ hot starts this season.