Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Notes: Majerle, Turner, O’Neal, Hunter

January 23rd, 2013 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

It seems as if there has been some unease in the Suns' coaching ranks since Alvin Gentry and the club parted ways last week, with three assistant coaches having been worthy candidates for the interim job. Here's the latest on that situation, along with other notes out of Phoenix:

Although assistant coach Dan Majerle has left the Suns, GM Lance Blanks doesn't think that relationship is in disrepair, telling Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he had "positive" discussions with Majerle. "Dan told [Lindsey Hunter] and me that he wanted to move on," Blanks said. "Change is hard for people, and I understand that."
According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Sulia), Majerle, rather than Hunter, likely would have been the players' choice for interim coach had they been given a vote. Elston Turner, who also hoped to land the interim job, has been counseled to remain on the team's staff in hopes that "being a good soldier in this situation" will result in a chance at a head coaching job in the future.
While Blanks and Jermaine O'Neal both downplayed reports of an altercation between the two, Bucher says (via Sulia) O'Neal is upset that the Suns plan to diminish his role. Bucher wonders if the Suns may eventually trade or release O'Neal, speculating that the Celtics, Heat, and Sixers would have interest.
Hunter appeared on KTAR in Phoenix, admitting that he was surprised to be named the team's interim head coach. Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.

Ray Allen Considering Retirement

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

So far in Miami, Ray Allen has played the role many expected he would. Averaging just 25.5 minutes per game, a career-low by a wide margin, the veteran sharpshooter has remained efficient, shooting 43.2% from three-point range and posting a 16.1 PER to go along with his 11.2 PPG. Despite his early success with the Heat, Allen tells Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that there's no guarantee this season won't be his last.

"It’s possible, yeah," Allen said of retiring after this season. "Who knows what’s going to happen over the course of the summer? I have two years left on my contract. We’ll see how it goes."

Allen's deal includes a 2013/14 player option worth about $3.23MM in what will be his age-38 season. If he continues to be healthy and productive for the rest of '12/13, I'd be pretty surprised if Allen called it a career. However, it sounds like the 10-time All-Star doesn't necessarily want to stick around long enough to see his skills significantly deteriorate.

"I don’t know when I’ll retire," Allen said. "I’d like to get through the year first. I feel great; my body feels good. I just got to get through…. I’m at a point where I’ve been pretty successful and I’ve gotten to the point where I really understand the game and how to play it. But I’m not going to be that guy who just hangs on. At some point, I can let it go."

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Miami Heat
Ray Allen

Pacific Notes: Gasol, O’Neal, Suns, Lakers

January 22nd, 2013 at 2:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Lakers big man Pau Gasol is less-than-thrilled about coming off of the bench, but he says that he still wants to stay in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, it’s not his call. Here’s the latest out of the Pacific Division with the latest Gasol trade speculation..

Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com asks if the Mavericks should be interested in Gasol. While MacMahon believes that Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki would make for a strong combo in the frontcourt, he doesn’t believe that it would be wise for Dallas to compromise their cap flexibility this summer by dealing for Gasol.
Suns center Jermaine O’Neal and General Manager Lance Blanks engaged in an expletive-laced confrontation in the coach’s office on Monday, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. It was initially reported today that O’Neal missed practice with a medical issue and wouldn’t make the team’s trip to Sacramento. The veteran is on a one year deal for the veteran’s minimum.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel looked at packages the Heat could put together to pry Gasol away from the Lakers. The salaries would match up in a deal sending Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, James Jones, and Dexter Pittman to L.A., but one has to imagine that the Lakers can do better.
The shakeup in Phoenix continues as Dan Majerle will not return as a Suns assistant, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Meanwhile, assistant Elston Turner‘s future is still up in the air, Coro tweets.
Unless the Lakers want to move one of their future Hall of Famers, they won’t be able to make an impact move before the deadline, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Aldridge On Hawks, Smith, Batum, LeBron

January 21st, 2013 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

NBA.com's David Aldridge has his new weekly column up, and as usual, it's packed full of interesting notes, quotes, and stories. Let's take a look at some highlights….

The Hawks' Larry Drew was the NBA's Coach of the Month in December, but as we saw with Avery Johnson, that doesn't always guarantee job security. The Hawks have dropped eight of their last ten and there has been speculation around the league that GM Danny Ferry is waiting for the end of the season to remove Drew and hire Mike Brown. For his part, Ferry says that he has enjoyed working with Drew and plans to discuss his future with him after the season.
Ferry acknowledged that he made decisions this summer with the idea of freeing up cap space down the line. It was a plan that he knew wouldn't yield a world-beating Hawks team in 2012/13. "I had no preconceived notions," Ferry said. "We were in a situation where we had six guys back and we were going to have to fill the roster with six guys to stay under the tax. Ownership gave me permission to go over the tax, but I didn't think there was anything we were going to be able to do to be a contender even over the tax."
Prior to his suspension, Josh Smith told Aldridge that he had a great deal of confidence in the Hawks' core and believed that they could be a couple pieces away from contending.
Nicolas Batum's says that his lucrative new deal hasn't put pressure on him and has instead left him feeling liberated. The forward is averaging 16.8 PPG with 5.9 RPG per game this season which are both career highs.
There has been some buzz about a possible return to the Cavaliers for LeBron James in 2014, but Aldridge believes that Cleveland will still be more than two years from contending with a core including Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

Odds & Ends: Andersen, Grizzlies, Lakers, Nash

January 21st, 2013 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Happy Martin Luther King Day to our American readers. For the NBA, the holiday means plenty of afternoon basketball, with Pacers/Grizzlies and Kings/Hornets contests already underway. As we look forward to a few more daytime games, including the Nets and Knicks playing in Madison Square Garden, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Although Chris Andersen just signed a 10-day contract with the Heat, the club would like to keep him for the rest of the season if things work out, tweets Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears from sources that it would probably be easier for the Grizzlies to find good value on the trade market for Zach Randolph, rather than Rudy Gay. However, Memphis isn't actively looking to move either player at this point, according to Kyler.
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com points out that, despite not being asked about whether the Lakers need to make a trade or signing, Kobe Bryant made an interesting comment when talking about the team's struggles: "Unless they're going to do something roster-wise, I got to continue to push through it. If this is what we're rolling with, then I can't make excuses. I got to go out there and do my job."
Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's younger brother, would like to return to the Knicks next season once he gets healthy, as he tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Smith was expected to make the team this fall but was waived after suffering a knee injury.
Although Steve Nash seriously considered returning to his home country and signing with the Raptors last summer, Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star argues that Nash wouldn't have been an ideal fit in Toronto.

Heat Recall Dexter Pittman From D-League

January 20th, 2013 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Lee

Two days after being assigned to Sioux Falls Skyforce, Dexter Pittman has been recalled by the Heat, according to a team release. Pittman will be available for Miami's home game against the Raptors on Wednesday night.

Pittman was recalled to the Heat on January 17 for one game and was then re-assigned to the D-League. He was initially sent down on December 26 after nearly two months in the NBA. In 12 games for Sioux Falls, Pittman has averaged 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds and was named to the 2013 NBA D-League Showcase Second Team.

Winderman On Jones, Miller, Scola, Bosh

January 20th, 2013 at 3:41pm CST by Sean Highkin

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a new mailbag column covering a variety of Heat-related topics. Here are the highlights:

James Jones and Mike Miller would be the most logical trade candidates on the Heat's roster, although Jones has repeatedly said he only wants to play in Miami, and Miller's contract would prevent the Heat from getting anything of value in return.
Winderman doesn't see Luis Scola as a viable option for the Heat, given the restrictions on trading him due to the amnesty clause, and the fact that he would have to take a buyout with the Suns in order to sign.
Winderman isn't buying the recent talk that the Heat should trade Chris Bosh, arguing that he makes them better and they wouldn't be able to get equal value on the trade market.

Odds & Ends: Prigioni, Hawks, Kupchak, Bonner

January 20th, 2013 at 1:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Here's news from around the league on a busy Sunday, with one month and a day to go before the trade deadline:

The Knicks would have offered Pablo Prigioni a contract long before last summer if former coach Mike D'Antoni hadn't been so doubtful of the Spanish leaguer's foot speed, as Marc Berman of the New York Post reveals.
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer sees plenty of complications to any return of LeBron James to the Cavs.
If Hawks GM Danny Ferry decides to change coaches over the summer, Quin Snyder and Mike Brown would be early favorites, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
There's speculation Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak could lose his job if the team doesn't make the playoffs, writes Bob Finnan of The News Herald. Finnan rounds up the week's rumors from around the league, and chronicles the rise of agent Rich Paul.
Players union vice president Matt Bonner shared his reaction to a law firm's report about its investigation into the organization's practices, and said he's not interested in succeeding Derek Fisher as union president, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News recounts.

Heat Sign Chris Andersen, Jarvis Varnado

January 20th, 2013 at 9:54am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have signed big men Chris Andersen and Jarvis Varnado, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets confirmation of the Andersen signing, which Winderman had indicated by revealing the Birdman was practicing with the team this morning. The team has sent out a release making their deals official. Both are on 10-day contracts. It's the second 10-day deal with Miami for Varnado after his first deal expired Friday night.

Andersen is returning to the NBA after the Nuggets placed him on amnesty waivers this summer. The Heat has shown interest in him multiple times since then, bringing him in for a workout earlier this month. Shortly after the workout, the team signed Varnado and Josh Harrellson to 10-day deals instead, but elected not to bring Harrellson back when his short-term pact ended last night.

The Heat ostensibly made the moves to shore up their rebounding, as no team has collected fewer boards this year. Andersen has averaged 5.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game over his 10-year career. Even though his minutes were down to 15.2 per contest last season in Denver, the 6'10" Andersen still notched 11.0 rebounds per 36 minutes, better than his career rate of 10.5.

Varnado, a rookie, has seen just 30 minutes of playing time in stints with the Celtics and Heat this year, but put up 10.0 RPG in 30.5 MPG over 10 D-League games this season. He was in traning camp this fall with the Heat, who originally drafted him 41st overall in 2010.

Amico On Gay, Kings, Millsap, West, Oden

January 20th, 2013 at 8:38am CST by Chuck Myron

The latest piece from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is brimming with juicy material, so let's dive right in.

Even though the Grizzlies are reportedly in a "holding pattern" regarding trades, Memphis is still talking to other teams about moving Rudy Gay. The clubs engaged most heavily in those discussions are the Bobcats, Timberwolves, Suns and, more recently, Hawks. Nonetheless, a source tells Amico not to expect a Gay trade until after the All-Star break.
Speaking of holding patterns, that appears to be the current state of any potential Kings sale, Amico writes. Whatever happens, it's "pretty clear" this is the final season for Geoff Petrie as GM. He's in the final year of his deal, and the 64-year-old reportedly wants to retire.
We heard Friday about the Nets' possible interest in Paul Millsap, and Amico confirms Brooklyn, along with the Bucks and Nuggets, are among teams that could make a push for Millsap at the deadline. Most of the teams in that mix would want to offer Millsap an extension immediately upon acquiring him, since he's in the final year of his contract.
Like Millsap, David West is another power forward set to hit the unrestricted free agent market, but the Pacers are confident they can re-sign him, Amico reports. That's why the team is largely ignoring trade offers for him.
Greg Oden hopes to sign with a team around the All-Star break or right after the trade deadline. Interested clubs include the Celtics, Heat, Mavericks and Cavaliers.