Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Rumors: Wizards, Magic, Heat

September 16th, 2013 at 1:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

The way the Magic, Hawks and Bobcats stand with training camp approaching figures to make for some intrigue in the weeks ahead, as I examined this weekend. Those three teams have fewer than 13 guaranteed contracts, so there are regular season jobs up for grabs. The same might not be true for the Heat and the Wizards, though Michael Beasley's presence could make it interesting for Miami, and there are other developments for Washington's team, as we detail:

Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld remains in charge, but D.C.'s front office is getting a makeover, the team announced on its website. Tommy Sheppard gets a promotion and will presumably serve as Grunfeld's right-hand man. The Wizards have brought in other officials from the Raptors, Thunder and Hawks.
Washington's offseason additions will allow the Wizards to play more small-ball this season, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com examines. The opposite approach is taking place in Orlando, where No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo will play the point and Maurice Harkless will see some action at two guard, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweets.
In today's mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Michael Beasley could eventually find his way into the Heat's starting lineup ahead of Udonis Haslem. Winderman doesn't see that as a likely outcome, as the starting five is already overloaded with scorers. Beyond that, Beasley has to prove himself as being worthy of a roster spot and worth an extra $2MM+ when factoring in his salary along with the luxury tax.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Jordan, Heat, Magic, Raptors

September 15th, 2013 at 10:08am CST by Chuck Myron

Three Eastern Conference teams are carrying only 11 fully guaranteed deals, as I noted when I looked at how training camp rosters are shaping up for each team in the East. That means there should be plenty of intrigue ahead over the next several weeks for the Sixers, Cavaliers and Bulls as they decide how they'll look come opening night. Here's more from the East:

Former Knicks center Jerome Jordan has reached a deal to play in Italy with Virtus Bologna, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports. Jordan played summer league ball for the Knicks and Pacers this year. The Knicks considered formally bringing him back to the team, but it appears the former second-round pick will instead play overseas this season.
Chris Bosh's ability to establish himself as the Heat's second option over Dwyane Wade may be the key to convincing LeBron James to stick around, opines Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Maurice Harkless and Tobias Harris are two of the jewels of the Magic's rebuilding efforts, but they could wind up fighting each other for minutes this season, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Doug Smith of the Toronto Star addresses a few Raptors items in his mailbag column. The team invited three players to training camp in the past few days.

Eastern Rumors: LeBron, Cavs, Beasley, McGrady

September 14th, 2013 at 3:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Eastern Conference figures to be more competitive this time around, with Derrick Rose back to boost the Bulls, an improved Pacers squad, and the best team money can buy for the Nets all around to challenge the Heat. Still, the majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in yesterday's poll think the East will once more field the league's worst team, picking the Sixers to finish last. Here's the latest from the conference that has produced the last two champions and the last two teams to finish with the league's worst record:

The Cavaliers surely wouldn't mind it if LeBron James has a change of heart and wants to rejoin the wine-and-gold next summer, but the team isn't counting on him coming back to Cleveland, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer writes in her weekly mailbag column. Boyer also says she believes the Cavs are looking for another big man and a backup point guard, and she doesn't think a poor season for the team will mean the ouster of GM Chris Grant.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports confirms that Michael Beasley's minimum-salary contract with the Heat is essentially a training camp invitation, with no guaranteed money (Twitter link).
Tracy McGrady reveals to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star that he wishes he never left the Raptors for Orlando in 2000, and he feels like the heavy minutes he played for the Magic took a toll on his body, which broke down long before most others do.
We rounded up news on Atlantic Division teams earlier today.

Odds & Ends: Hamilton, Bogut, Heat, Beasley

September 14th, 2013 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Even though most of the big fish are off of the board at this stage of free agency, there are still some notable names searching for jobs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter links) went to bat for two in particular: Richard Hamilton and Jamaal Tinsley. Even though Hamilton is obviously past his prime, he still makes sense for the minimum salary and his averages of 9.8 points and 2.4 assists last season are nothing to sneeze at. Meanwhile, Tinsley averaged 4.4 dimes in 18.5 minutes for the Jazz and Kennedy argues that he could be even more as a facilitator with a better supporting cast. Here’s more from around the Association..

In a video interview with Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Bogut explained that he’s not worried about working out a new contract with the Warriors. Even though the big man was on the trading block this summer, he said in July that he doesn’t have any hard feelings towards Golden State management.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the newly-acquired Michael Beasley will wind up being the sixth man for the Heat. While nothing is guaranteed in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, he expects Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole, and, most likely, Udonis Haslem, all to see minutes ahead of the former No. 2 overall pick.
More from Winderman, who writes that Beasley and Greg Oden give the Heat an injection of youth and hope that can help spark the club. In another time, owner Micky Arison might have spent on pricier, more reliable options, but the luxury tax has necessitated cheaper acquisitions to round out the bench.

Eastern Notes: Livingston, Oladipo, Beasley

September 13th, 2013 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

It's not as easy as it used to be for NBA players to transition to front office positions, as Sam Amick details in his latest piece for USA Today. Still, the NBA Player's Association has tried to help its players become more familiar with the league's CBA, setting up events like a July seminar that featured presentations from several team executives. Shaun Livingston is one player who is appreciative of the NBPA's efforts.

"I'm really trying to take advantage of it," said the Nets guard. "And learn and soak everything in to where if I can study and meet the right people and stars can align then I can really create some good opportunities."

Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

At a season ticket-holder's event in Orlando, second overall pick Victor Oladipo said that he "really didn't want to go to Cleveland," the team with the No. 1 pick. Oladipo has since apologized for offending Cavs fans, hinting that the comment was meant to reflect how much he wanted to land with the Magic. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details.
Heat fans are somewhat divided on the signing of Michael Beasley, so Ira Winderman's Friday mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel is an extended all-Beasley edition, breaking down the move.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com provides an interesting take on the concept of tanking and roster-building, with a focus on teams like the Sixers and Bucks.

Odds & Ends: Pistons, LeBron, Anderson

September 12th, 2013 at 10:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

A panel of HoopsWorld columnists discussed their thoughts on the Pistons' offseason additions, current strengths and weaknesses, and where the team projects to finish in the Central Division standings this year. Count Brandon Jennings among those who seem most eager to get the season started, as he believes that with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Josh Smith, Detroit should be a dominant rebounding force on both sides of the court (Detroit Free Press staff report). Here's the rest of tonight's noteworthy links:

Ken Berger of CBS Sports believes that with so many variables to consider, there's no way that even LeBron James knows what he's going to do on July 1st next year, when he'll have the ability to exercise his early-termination option and hit unrestricted free agency.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN (via Twitter) doesn't think it's a guarantee that UCLA's Kyle Anderson will declare for the draft after this year, especially since he's not considered a lock to get selected in the first round at this point.
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com gives the Trail Blazers a "B" for their offseason report card, highlighting their coaching staff and frontcourt as the team's strongest suits and identifying defense as their weakest one. In another a piece, Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge.com relays Damian Lillard's interview with True Hoop TV's Henry Abbott about his workload and expectations defensively.
Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation wades through the changes and holdovers of the Northwest Division and touches upon what to expect from each team in 2013/14.
Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld held his weekly chat with fans, answering questions about Seattle, the Knicks, how Danny Granger's return from injury could affect Paul George, and the Pelicans' playoff chances among other topics.

Eastern Notes: Wilkins, Smith, Heat, Wizards

September 12th, 2013 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Eastern Conference teams have reached agreements with free agents today, as the Sixers worked to finalize a deal for Darius Morris, while the Bulls signed a pair of players – Patrick Christopher and Kalin Lucas – for camp. Here's more from around the East:

Free agent forward Damien Wilkins has been working out for the Hawks in Atlanta, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The 33-year-old, who has played for the Hawks, Pistons, and Sixers in the last three seasons, also worked out for the Spurs last week, says Charania. No deal is imminent, but the Hawks appear to have some interest.
Two months after he officially signed his deal with the Pistons, Josh Smith tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com that he feels great about choosing Detroit. "Our team, our roster, is very impressive to me," Smith said. "Everybody wants to get better and everybody wants to do it together. Whenever you are able to be a part of something like that, it’s special."
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel is surprised the Heat would bring back a player like Michael Beasley, who "didn't exactly do things the Heat way," and that the team may give him minutes over guys like James Jones and Rashard Lewis, who have "toed every Heat line."
Although Mike James has played for several NBA teams since 2009, this will be the first time since then he has participated in training camp, writes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. James reportedly agreed to a camp deal with the Bulls.
The Wizards have hired former Raptors executive Marc Eversley as vice president of scouting, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

Poll: Is Michael Beasley Worth The Risk?

September 11th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Alex Lee

The Heat announced earlier today that they have brought back Michael Beasley, who they let go three years ago after making the Kansas State product the No. 2 overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. As our Luke Adams indicated today, few scouts question Beasley's natural ability, potentially making him the consummate buy-low reclamation project for a team like the Heat.

Beasley's deal with Miami is non-guaranteed and requires him to make the roster in training camp to secure his one-year minimum contract salary of $1MM, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj agrees that Miami could be a good spot for Beasley, with a strong veteran leadership group and stability in place throughout the organization. He writes that several of the team's key veterans were supportive of the signing.

It certainly seems like many people, including the Heat brass, think this is a no-risk situation for Miami. But is it? Beasley's issues with marijuana are well-documented and his on-the-court statistics are headed in the wrong direction. Not only did the 6-foot-10 Beasley average a career-low in points and rebounds last season (10.1 and 3.8 per game), his PER has dropped every year since his rookie season. Coming off two titles and with one project already on the roster in Greg Oden, is adding the enigmatic Beasley worth the risk for the champs?

Heat Sign Michael Beasley

September 11th, 2013 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Three years after the Heat parted ways with their 2008 lottery pick, Michael Beasley is headed back to Miami. The Heat announced today (Twitter link) that Beasley has signed with the team, following his release from the Suns.

It won't cost the Heat anything to roll the dice on Beasley, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, who hears that the 24-year-old has agreed to a non-guaranteed, make-good contract. The source adds that the club considers the fall audition to be no-risk, and worth the gamble, according to Winderman.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported over the weekend that Miami was weighing the possibility of signing Beasley. Team sources shot down the rumor to multiple local beat reporters, but it appears that was a smoke-screen, or the club either reconsidered its stance.

The second overall pick in the 2008 draft, Beasley had the least productive year of his career in 2012/13, setting career-lows in PPG (10.1), RPG (3.8), and FG% (.405), among other categories. It also marked the fifth straight season that his PER has declined, from 17.2 in his rookie year to 10.8 in '12/13.

The general consensus among NBA fans and observers suggests Beasley still has plenty of talent, which could shine through if he can get his off-court issues under control. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com wrote earlier today at SBNation.com though, there hasn't been a whole lot of evidence recently to suggest that the Kansas State product can be an above-average NBA contributor. Perhaps reuniting with Erik Spoelstra and Dwyane Wade in Miami will help Beasley to deliver on the promise he showed as a Wildcat.

The Heat currently have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, and have suggested there's a decent chance their regular-season roster won't include additional players. Still, Beasley becomes the fourth player the club will bring to camp on a non-guaranteed contract, so the team certainly figures to consider its options next month for those last two roster spots.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Nash, Sixers

September 10th, 2013 at 9:15pm CST by Michael Pina

A few random notes from around the league.

The Heat have told agents they may be content keeping the 13 guaranteed contracts they already have on their roster, rather than adding more players for the season, according to a tweet from the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman.
InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina breaks down Steve Nash as starting point guard for the Lakers this season and what the team should expect—specifically related to his place on the depth chart and whether he can stay healthy.
Brandon Williams has accepted a job with the Sixers beneath general manager Sam Hinkie, according to a tweet from Grantland.com's Zach Lowe. Williams previously worked in basketball operations for the league.