Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

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.