Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Exercise 2014/15 Option On Norris Cole

October 8th, 2013 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially exercised their fourth-year option on Norris Cole, the team announced today (Twitter link). Cole had already been under contract for the coming season, but now his deal will be guaranteed for 2014/15 as well. He’ll be in line for a salary of $2.04MM in ’14/15.

Cole, 24, has been the Heat’s backup point guard for the last two years, winning a pair of titles with the team. The former 28th overall pick posted identical PERs of 7.9 in his first two NBA seasons, along with 6.1 PPG and 2.0 APG in 145 career contests (19.7 MPG).

Despite a recent report suggesting that Miami was gauging Cole’s trade value, a Heat source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that it was little more than “due diligence.” For his part, Cole isn’t letting the rumors bother him, as Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.

For a complete breakdown on 2014/15 rookie contract options, be sure to check out our tracker. Decisions on those third- and fourth-year options are due by Halloween.

Roster Battles: Spurs, Warriors, Heat, Sixers

October 8th, 2013 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have been searching for a backup small forward since releasing Stephen Jackson in the spring, and the team may have found its man in Sam Young. However, as Young competes for a roster spot in San Antonio, the veteran tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that Spurs fans haven’t forgotten the role he played in the Grizzlies’ 2011 upset of the West’s No. 1 seed.

“That was one of the biggest moments in Grizzlies history, so when we beat them, a lot of Spurs fans were upset,” Young said. “When I got here, a couple people let me know on Twitter; a lot of people let me know on Facebook. Even a couple coaches talked about it, but it’s cool. They’ve embraced me.”

Here’s the latest on a few more players hoping to earn roster spots around the NBA:

The Warriors will have to cut at least three players before the regular season begins to reduce their roster to 15 players, but camp invitee Dewayne Dedmon may be playing his way onto the team. As Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News details, coach Mark Jackson said after last night’s game that Dedmon is “an NBA player today” and “really does have a chance” to earn one of the open roster spots. Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group notes (via Twitter), that Dedmon’s strong play may not bode well for the chances of fellow camp invitees Seth Curry and Cameron Jones.
It’s still early in the preseason, but Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald thinks the Heat‘s roster already looks set. In Goodman’s opinion, Roger Mason Jr. and Michael Beasley will earn the final two roster spots.
Sixers coach Brett Brown sees NBA potential in undrafted rookie Khalif Wyatt, who is currently vying for a roster spot in Philadelphia, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Scott Cacciola of the New York Times examines Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ quest to earn a spot on the Knicks‘ roster.

Odds & Ends: Beasley, Pelicans, Lawal

October 7th, 2013 at 9:36pm CST by Zachary Links

There are tons of intriguing minimum-contract players around the league this year, writes HoopsWorld’s Mark Deeks. Omri Casspi of the Rockets had 20 points off of 9-10 shooting in his preseason debut while the Lakers‘ Xavier Henry had 29 points of his own. DeJuan Blair, Anthony Morrow, Chris Andersen, Aaron Brooks, and Antawn Jamison are just some of the other notable vets playing on bargain basement deals in 2013/14. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

Heat forward Michael Beasley is changing agents, according to Guido Guida of La Gazzetta (via Twitter). The former No. 2 overall pick left Jeff Schwartz to join up with Jared Karnes of A3 Allegiant Athletic Agency. You can keep up with everyone’s representation using the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune looks at Arinze Onuaku‘s quest to make the Pelicans roster and his journey getting there.
Sixers newcomer Gani Lawal plans on sticking around in the NBA for a while, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The forward believes that if he hadn’t torn his ACL as a rookie with the Suns in 2010, he’d be an NBA starter.
Charles O’Bannon says he’s officially retired from playing after searching for another NBA gig and playing in Japan, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. O’Bannon, the brother of former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon, spent two years in the NBA with the Pistons.

Eastern Notes: Humphries, Bucks, Griffin

October 7th, 2013 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

As preseason action gets underway and NBA teams adjust to new-look rosters, a few news items are trickling out of Eastern Conference camps. Let’s round up the latest….

Kris Humphries recognizes that he’ll be a trade candidate for the Celtics this season, but tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that he won’t let that be a distraction as long as he’s in Boston. “If you worry about the future, then you lose focus on what you have to do today, and that’s basketball,” Humphries said. “Anyone can be traded at any time unless you have a no-trade clause. That’s what it is.”
In a piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Charles F. Gardner speaks to Bucks GM John Hammond about relying so heavily on free agency to build the team’s roster during the offseason.
With Eric Griffin looking good in camp, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explores the Heat‘s options for keeping Griffin either on the NBA roster or on their D-League affiliate.
Chris Copeland didn’t go into free agency this past summer expecting to leave New York, but ended up signing with the Pacers for a handful of reasons, including his potential role, the team’s chance to win a title, and a raise in salary. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News has the details.

Amico On Heat, Cole, Bulls, Howard, Casspi

October 6th, 2013 at 7:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Sam Amico of FOX Sports has tons of info in today's column, let's dive in and check out some of the highlights..

The Heat certainly aren't desperate to shake up the roster, but word is they’ve explored what backup point guard Norris Cole may bring in a trade. While Cole is rather inconsistent on offense, he's a very strong on-ball defender.
Amico cautions against reading too much into the reported friction between Bulls GM Gar Forman and coach Tom Thibodeau. Phil Jackson and exec Jerry West didn’t get along in L.A. but they co-existed well enough to see the club win three straight titles. Jackson and GM Jerry Krause got along even worse than that in Chicago, so it shouldn't affect the on-court product at all.
Ron Howard, currently in camp with the Pacers, is someone to keep an eye on. He might not be a fit in Indiana, but execs from around the league feel that he'd be a nice locker room addition to a young squad.
It's early, but Amico came away impressed by Omri Casspi in the Rockets-Pelicans preseason opener. Casspi has languished on the Cavs' bench for the last two years but will look to start anew in Houston.

Southeast Notes: Big Three, Beasley, Maynor

October 5th, 2013 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

Today's look at the Southeast Division..

Heat president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison have a great deal to do with the future of the Big Three, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Arison has to be willing to spend an astronomical amount of money to keep all three in place because of the luxury tax and Riley, who turns 69 in March, may not want to keep his job in Miami forever.
In today's mailbag, a reader asks Winderman if offseason acquisition Michael Beasley is engaged in Heat practices. If the low-risk signing fails, Winderman says that it won't be because of a lack of effort as Beasley is working hard to get himself ready for the upcoming season. What could hurt him, however, is making the transition to being a complementary player which will call for a greater emphasis on passing.
After signing a two-year, $4MM deal with the Wizards this summer, Eric Maynor's goal is to be a steady complement to John Wall, writes Michael Lee from the Washington Post. Washington was sloppy on offense last season and the addition of Maynor, who has a career 2.81-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, should help to straighten out the offense.
Rookie Victor Oladipo is ready to help the Magic turn things around, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.

Southeast Notes: Allen, Gordon, Oden, Heat

October 4th, 2013 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

It doesn't sound like Ray Allen plans to walk away anytime soon after changes to his diet this offseason have him feeling revitalized, Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald writes. The Heat guard says he's feeling great this offseason after switching to the protein-heavy Paleo diet and he's at his lowest weight since his days at UConn. Here's today's look at the Southeast Division..

Bobcats guard Ben Gordon should benefit greatly from the defensive attention new center Al Jefferson should attract in the low post, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “Not having to work so hard to create a shot, that’s going to really open my game up,” Gordon said. “I’m looking forward to being a recipient of the (defensive) attention Al receives. He’s a very willing passer.”
Miami has relied on small-ball out of necessity in recent years but the addition of Greg Oden could signal a change, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. "We now have that option," LeBron James said of going with a bulkier lineup. "To have two physical bigs that can rebound, can block shots, can finish at the rim, I think it's great for our team and I'm really excited about it."
The Heat have been a man-to-man team for quite some time now, but a reader question prompted Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel to wonder if Miami might try out the zone a little more with Greg Oden in the mix. However, the Heat' have concerns about rebounding and stopping opposing 3-point shooters and zone defense would leave them vulnerable.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, Raptors, Pacers, Heat

October 3rd, 2013 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett now playing in Brooklyn, and Rajon Rondo still making his way back from an ACL injury, expectations aren't high for the Celtics in 2013/14. In fact, GM Danny Ainge tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com that he frequently hears from C's fans who want the team to lose games and pick up a top draft pick for 2014. Ainge suggests that fans hoping for losses should be careful what they wish for, and also says he doesn't believe there's necessarily a franchise-altering player in next year's draft.

"If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was out there to change your franchise forever, or Tim Duncan was going to change your franchise for 15 years? That might be a different story," Ainge said. "I don't see that player out there."

Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

While there's no clear frontrunner yet for the 15th and final spot on their regular season roster, it seems the Raptors will indeed carry a full 15-man roster, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Julyan Stone, Carlos Morais, and Chris Wright are in the running for the last opening.
The Pacers have done an admirable job building their roster into one capable of title contention without ever bottoming out, but theirs is hardly a blueprint for other small-market teams to follow, writes Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com at SBNation.com.
Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe spoke to 2013 second-rounder Colton Iverson about spending this season in Turkey, and the possibility of joining the Celtics down the road.
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explores how the Heat's addition of Michael Beasley could impact the roles of Rashard Lewis and James Jones, who are both in contract years.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Jazz, Bulls, NBPA, Collins

September 30th, 2013 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The potential expiring contracts for the Heat's Big Three will be a major topic of conversation throughout the 2013/14 season, but LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both downplayed the subject at Media Day in Miami today.

"You have concern when you feel people want to go elsewhere," Wade said, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). "I don't think nobody is looking to go elsewhere."

Here's more from around the NBA:

Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey confirmed that the team is still in talks with Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward about possible rookie-scale extensions, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
In talking to reporters, including Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, about why he decided to sign with the Bulls, Mike Dunleavy Jr. pointed to the team's "high character."
Dahntay Jones is ready to compete in training camp for a spot on the Bulls' regular-season roster, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details.
Former Illinois guard Brandon Paul, who went undrafted in June, explains to Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside why he's heading overseas rather than to NBA training camp. According to Paul, he received and passed on camp invites from the Wolves, Nets, Blazers, and Heat.
After previously having tackled ten of the best contracts of the offseason, Mark Deeks of HoopsWorld shifts his focus and identifies ten of the worst contracts, including the Bobcats' signing of Al Jefferson, and the Pistons' deal with Josh Smith.
The NBA Players Association is aiming to have a new executive director in place by the 2014 All-Star break, sources tell Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that Jason Collins continues to work out "a ton" as he attempts to stay in shape in the hopes that an NBA team will show interest in signing him once the season gets underway.
Evaluating the Kings' signing of DeMarcus Cousins to a max extension, Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com gives the team a grade of D+ and the player a grade of A.

Heat Signed, Released Ricky Sanchez

September 30th, 2013 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

When the Heat traded Dexter Pittman to the Grizzlies at last season's trade deadline, Miami acquired the rights to 2005 second-rounder Ricky Sanchez as part of the swap. However, the Heat no longer hold Sanchez's NBA rights, having signed him on September 16th and released him this past Friday, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).

While the Heat presumably would have preferred to stash Sanchez overseas, the Puerto Rican big man was a free agent this summer. So when Miami issued the required tender to retain Sanchez's rights, he signed that offer, forcing the team's hand, as Winderman explains (via Twitter). Because the club wasn't interested in bringing him to camp, he was subsequently waived, meaning he's now free to sign with any team, NBA or otherwise.

Sanchez, 26, played for Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico last season, averaging 11.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 42 contests.