Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Wiggins, Exum, Anderson

June 10th, 2014 at 10:22am CST by Chuck Myron

Andrew Wiggins has auditions for the Sixers and Bucks on his agenda in the next couple of weeks, but the Cavs will work him out closer to the draft, preferring to hire a coach before taking a look at key prospects, reports Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Ford and others have plenty more as draft prospects criss-cross North America to put themselves on display for teams, as we detail below:

Ford adds the Sixers to the list of teams working out Dante Exum, but it looks like he won’t be headed to any team that doesn’t possess a top-four pick, Ford adds (Twitter links). The Cavs are the only top-four team without a workout on Exum’s docket.
Kyle Anderson will work out for the Jazz, according to Anderson’s Twitter account (hat tip to Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune).
Roscoe Smith is auditioning for the Rockets and Warriors, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Travel issues prevented Jordan Adams, Markel Brown and Joe Harris from attending today’s workout with the Hornets as planned, prompting the team to add former University of North Carolina shooting guard Leslie McDonald as a substitute. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer has the details via Twitter.
The Hornets will also take a look at Cory Jefferson this week, as Boston Globe correspondent Jake Fischer reports, adding that the power forward from Baylor will perform for the Wolves and Wizards, too (Twitter link).
The Wizards, Pacers and Heat are on Keith Appling‘s workout schedule, Fischer also tweets. Fischer adds the Cavs and Wizards to the teams working out Bryce Cotton (Twitter link).
Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Sam Dower and Markel Starks will join Jefferson and Appling in working out for the Wizards today, the team announced. Jamil Wilson will also take part, confirming an earlier report indicating that he was expected to work out for Washington.
Chaz Williams will show off for the Jazz, Warriors, Bucks and Cavs over the next eight days, sources tell Josh Newman of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Snyder, Nuggets, Fisher

June 8th, 2014 at 11:47am CST by Eddie Scarito

In his introductory press conference, new Jazz coach Quin Snyder didn’t oversell the team’s goals, writes Brad Rock of the Deseret News. In regards to his team’s chances to contend, Snyder said, “You know, it’s hard to give specifics. I think (it’s) what I mentioned before about building an identity and not skipping stops in the process, and trying to do something that will last, where you can become a playoff team and become a playoff team for a long time.” When asked about the franchise’s ability to attract free agents, Snyder responded, “I mean, in a manner of speaking, I was a free agent.” He also applauded the Jazz ownership’s commitment, the practice facilities, and the tradition of loyalty, saying Utah is “an attractive place,” notes Rock.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Hornets, Dolan, Celtics

June 8th, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons have big plans for their new NBA D-League team in Grand Rapids, writes David Mayo of MLive. Coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy intends to use the D-League as a major part of their development plan for young players, reports Mayo. Van Gundy said, “If you get that coach integrated with what you’re doing, and you’re playing the same system and everything else, I think that D-League thing can be very, very valuable. And we’ll take the hiring of that coach as a very big part of our staff because I think it can be that valuable.“

More news from the east:

If the Hornets don’t want to regress next season they will have to add some offensive weapons to their roster, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Knicks owner James Dolan needs to observe how Heat owner Micky Arison and Spurs owner Peter Holt do business, writes Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. Lawrence cites Dolan’s tendency to meddle in basketball affairs as one of the main issues affecting the franchise’s ability to rebuild and contend.
If the Celtics want to acquire Kevin Love from the Timberwolves the possibility of re-signing him will be directly tied to what GM Danny Ainge decides to do with Rajon Rondo, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Without Love the team has less of a reason to retain Rondo, and without Rondo the team would be less likely to entice Love to stay in Boston, opines Murphy.

Durant, James Lead All-NBA First Team

June 4th, 2014 at 1:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:02pm: Haynes clarifies to Hoops Rumors that Lillard’s bonus comes from his shoe endorsement deal, not his NBA contract, so his cap hit remains the same for next season.

12:07pm: Lillard receives a $250K bonus for his third-team selection, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes doesn’t specify whether it was counted as a likely or unlikely bonus, but since Lillard signed the rookie scale contract just after going No. 6 overall in the 2012 draft, it’s almost certainly an unlikely bonus, meaning his cap figure for next season will receive a bump, just as with Noah.

11:27am: Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul and James Harden make up the All-NBA First Team, the league announced. Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard and Tony Parker are on the second team, while the third team is Al Jefferson, Paul George, LaMarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic and Damian Lillard. The selection means George will earn roughly 27% of the salary cap next season, rather than 25%, as a result of the Derrick Rose Rule provision in his extension that kicks in for 2014/15.

Durant, the league’s MVP, was a unanimous first-team selection, while James received first-team nods from 124 of the 125 media voters. Curry was the highest vote-getter who failed to make the first team, collecting 65 first-team votes. The rest of the second team combined to receive just 30 first-team votes.

Carmelo Anthony came closest to making the teams among those who didn’t, followed by John Wall, Tim Duncan, DeMar DeRozan and Anthony Davis. A total of 22 players received first-team votes, while 39 got votes for at least one of the teams.

Noah’s first-team nod gives him a $500K bonus that was originally deemed unlikely. It’ll be added to his cap figure, but it probably won’t be enough to tip the Bulls over the luxury tax line this season, as they scrambled to make late season moves to avoid any scenario in which they would have to do so. The bonus will nonetheless impinge on Chicago’s cap flexibility for the summer ahead, since it will be counted as likely for 2014/15 and be a part of Noah’s cap hit, taking it from $12.2MM to $12.7MM.

Rockets Likely To Decline Parsons’ Option

June 4th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Rockets are leaning toward turning down their option on Parsons, but the team has yet to finalize its decision, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Houston is nonetheless likely to decline the option, unless it gets the sense that he’ll receive offers it deems too high, Feigen hears. The willingness to make Parsons a free agent this summer indicates the team’s confidence in its ability to sign a marquee free agent this summer, as Feigen observes. Houston would have to clear a significant amount of salary off its books to make that happen, but the Rockets like their chances of moving Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, since they would be looking for cap flexibility rather than players in return, Feigen reports.

TUESDAY, 9:35pm: The Rockets plan to decline Chandler Parsons‘ fourth-year team option and make him a restricted free agent this summer, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski ofYahoo Sports. Parsons’ 2014/15 option is worth $960K, and if Houston decided to ultimately pick up that option, the 6’9 forward would hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2015. The team is said to be wary of allowing Dan Fegan – Parsons’ agent – the ability to land his client a monster contract on the open market next year, and by letting Parsons hit restricted free agency this July, Houston could simply match an offer sheet and keep him on a long-term deal.

Interestingly, Wojnarowski points out a few other distinct advantages that Houston has by letting Parsons hit free agency now. The Rockets reportedly have their sights set on chasing after big time free agents who have the option of opting out of their deals this summer, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Dirk Nowitzki. In one scenario, Wojnarowski writes that the Rockets could secure a max free agent to play alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden, and then subsequently re-sign Parsons to a new contract below the max-level range. Wojnarowski also hears that the Rockets are also pursuing Timberwolves star Kevin Love in trade talks, adding that Parsons could alternately be used as a bargaining chip in a potential sign-and-trade with Minnesota.

Selected 38th overall in 2011, Parsons has not only proven to be one of the most promising young players at his position, but one of the best value players in the entire league. In 74 games this past season, the former Florida Gator averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.2 SPG in 37.2 MPG while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.0% from long distance. After earning roughly $890K in 2013/14, Parsons – according to a league executive – could command as much as $12MM or $13MM annually on his next contract.

Houston will have until June 30 to formally decline the option. At the very least, says Wojnarowski, doing so clears the way for Parsons to receive an enormous payday now and creates a better climate for the Rockets to negotiate an extension with their prized young forward.

Eastern Rumors: Heat, Stephenson, Draft

June 3rd, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Bosh made comments in March that seemed to indicate that he knew LeBron James would remain with the Heat for next season, but Dwyane Wade said Monday that the team’s trio of stars haven’t spoken with each other about this summer’s free agency. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has that and more, including the latest from Bosh, who reiterated his own plans, once more making his intention to stay with the Heat clear.

“I want to come back. That’s OK to say, I think,” Bosh said. “I can’t speak for anything else and I don’t want to take away from the subject at hand, but I like it here. It’s Miami. Enough said. People are dying to get here.”

While we wait to see if James and Wade are just as enthusiastic about Miami as Bosh is, here’s the latest from around the Eastern Conference:

Lance Stephenson‘s agent, Alberto Ebanks, is hopeful that he and the Pacers will reach agreement on a new deal this summer, as Ebanks tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Still, Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said Monday that while he wants Stephenson back, he added that the team will set a price point for the shooting guard and won’t exceed it, Zagoria notes.
K.J. McDaniels, Jabari Brown, Drew Crawford, Lamar Patterson and Scottie Wilbekin are among the prospects scheduled to work out for the Hornets on Wednesday, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Wilbekin returns for a second time after performing for the team Monday as part of a group that included Justin Cobbs, Langston Hall, Sean Kilpatrick and Ian Miller, as Bonnell also notes. (All Twitter links).
An ankle injury scrubbed Jahii Carson‘s scheduled audition for the Raptors today, observes Holly MacKenzie of Sportsnet (Twitter link).

Poll: Who Wins The NBA Finals?

June 3rd, 2014 at 11:38am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s only fitting that one of the most thrilling NBA Finals in history is followed with a rematch the next June. The Heat and Spurs will once more play for the championship, and more than just legacy will be at stake.

No one who can elect free agency this summer would be more sought after than LeBron James, but even as he sits atop the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, a third straight title for the Heat would apparently make it even less likely he leaves Miami. It seems a long shot that James would sign elsewhere even if the Heat come up short over the next two weeks, but most reports regarding his free agency haven’t come from the four-time MVP himself. He’s kept steadfastly quiet, breeding uncertainty, so his Heat teammates might be playing as much to preserve their shot at future championships as they are for a championship this year.

The Spurs have most of their key players under team control for 2014/15, unlike the Heat, who have only Norris Cole on a guaranteed contract for next season. Tim Duncan possesses a player option, although he’s hinted that he intends to pick it up and continue playing for San Antonio rather than retire. Still, he’s 38, Manu Ginobili is 36, and Tony Parker is 32. Miami’s stars are beginning to age but not to the degree that San Antonio’s have. If the Heat take care of the Spurs quickly, signaling regression from last season’s seven-gamer, perhaps this will be the summer that Gregg Popovich, R.C. Buford and company start building around Kawhi Leonard, who’s up for a rookie sale extension this summer.

In any case, the series will be eminently compelling, and the subplots that threaten to echo in the months ahead make it even more so. Let us know how you think the Finals will turn out, and leave a comment with your prediction for what happens to each team in the offseason.

Draft Notes: Jazz, Gordon, Ennis, Napier

June 3rd, 2014 at 8:41am CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz aren’t looking at potential replacements for Gordon Hayward in the draft because the team is confident the soon-to-be restricted free agent will be back with Utah next season. That’s what Jazz vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin told reporters, including Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. It jibes with longstanding mutual interest between Hayward and the team, with a nod to the inherent control that clubs have over restricted free agents, but it also demonstrates the link between the draft and free agency. Both are on the horizon, so here’s the latest on the draft as prospects demonstrate what they can do for teams:

Monday’s Kings audition for Aaron Gordon didn’t really amount to a workout in the team’s eyes, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). The power forward simply took a few shots and met with owner Vivek Ranadive and GM Pete D’Alessandro, according to Jones.
Tyler Ennis will work out for the Hawks, Hornets and Nuggets, notes Jonathan Santiago of Cowbell Kingdom.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com adds Shabazz Napier to the list of those working out for the Suns (Twitter link).
P.J. Hairston will perform for the Sixers next week, agent Juan Murrow tells Tyler R. Tynes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Russ Smith, Nick Johnson, Jahii Carson and Sam Dower are among the players showing off for the Raptors today, the team announced (on Twitter).
Artem Klimenko is working out for the Mavs, Heat and Clippers, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Love, Celtics, Brand

June 2nd, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

You might think that the Heat have been talking three-peat every day for the last three years, but you’d be mistaken. “We talked about it from the first day, we talked about the legacy of this team,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “The players that weren’t here that first year, they inherited all of those experiences. But it was only that first day. We’ve never brought it up since then. It was about now tackling the challenges of the day‑to‑day life of an NBA season.” More out of the Eastern Conference..

If Rajon Rondo made a pitch to Kevin Love to sell him on the Celtics, he’s not admitting it, as the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn writes. “I talked to Kevin for about 39 seconds,” Rondo said. “It was all over the web? Well, we do work together. We played against each other. We compete, so when I saw Kevin, I spoke, wished him good luck on his time here in Boston.” Rondo also reiterated his desire to retire with the C’s.
Elton Brand, who spent last season with the Hawks, intends to play a 16th NBA season, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Brand played 73 games, including 15 starts, for the Hawks last season after signing a $4MM deal. That was the most games Brand has played in since he appeared in 86 regular season and postseason contests with the Sixers in 2010/11.
Shane Battier has signed on to be a college basketball analyst with ESPN next season and, as expected, will be retiring from the Heat, writes Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. Before he gets set for the broadcast booth, he’ll try and help the Heat capture a third consecutive title. Battier received preliminary inquiries to run for a Senate seat in Michigan or work in the Pistons’ front office, but chose broadcasting first, tweets Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report. Out of respect for the Finals, however, he’ll says he’ll wait until it’s all over before he addresses the new ESPN gig (link).
With the Clippers about to sell for $2 billion, John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com wonders how much the Sixers would go for if they were on the market. Ultimately, Gonzalez feels that a $1 billion price tag for the Sixers isn’t implausible.

Draft Notes: McRae, Hood, Young, Suns, Smart

June 2nd, 2014 at 5:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier today, our own Zach Links (Twitter links) spoke with Tennesee guard Jordan McRae who told Hoops Rumors that he has worked out for the Heat, Pistons, and 76ers in addition to his previously reported audition with the Bulls. Still on the docket for McRae are workouts with the Bucks, Raptors, Mavericks, Wizards, Pacers, and Rockets. In total, McRae says he has “about nine” workouts to go, so there should be even more clubs on the horizon for him (link). DraftExpress currently has McRae pegged to go to Toronto at No. 59 in their mock draft. Here’s the latest draft news from around the league..

Rodney Hood, James Young, Zach LaVine, and Clint Capela are among those working out for the Suns today whom we hadn’t previously heard about. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has the details (Twitter links).
Marcus Smart says he’ll work out a second time for the Magic, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
The Knicks will audition Patric Young, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com hears (Twitter link). They brought Markel Starks in for a look this weekend, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Orlando Sanchez has already shown off for Kings, and he’ll also do so for Pacers, as Josh Newman of SNY.tv chronicles.
The Bucks brought Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cameron Clark, Josh Huestis, Melvin Johnson, Ovie Soko, and Fuquan Edwin in for auditions today, the team announced. Our own Zach Links interviewed Huestis in April as a part of our Prospect Profile series.
Edwin also has the Suns on his agenda, and he’s already worked out for the Spurs, Sixers, Kings and Clippers, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds the Knicks and Sixers to the list of teams for which Antetokounmpo auditioned (Twitter link).
Bryce Cotton is headed for a workout with the Mavs on Wednesday, tweets Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal.
DeAndre Kane, Jake Odum, Jakarr Sampson, and Okaro White are among those performing for the Grizzlies today, as Michael Cohen of The Commercial Appeal details in a subscription-only piece.

Zach Links contributed to this post.