Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Sign Justin Hamilton

September 10th, 2013 at 5:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 5:06pm: The Heat have offically announced Hamilton's signing in a press release. The release also includes confirmation that Miami has signed Eric Griffin, whose agreement with the team was reported nearly a month ago.

SUNDAY, 11:28am: The Heat will bring Justin Hamilton to training camp, agent J.R. Hensley tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hensley says his client, who's been working out at the Heat's home arena the past few weeks, will ink a deal with the team in the days ahead. The 45th pick in the 2012 draft still isn't participating in any contact drills as he recovers from a hamstring injury that kept him out of summer league.

The signing will force Miami's brass to either keep the former LSU center into the regular season or cut him in training camp and lose his rights. The Heat could keep Hamilton's NBA rights in perpetuity if they elect not to sign him, as they did last year when he played in Europe. With some agents hearing that the Heat plan to carry only the minimum 13 players amid a luxury tax crunch this season, it's somewhat surprising that the team appears to be bringing Hamilton aboard now. Miami already has 13 fully guaranteed contracts.

Hamilton split 2012/13 between BC VEF Riga in Latvia and KK Cibona of Croatia. In all, he averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game. His numbers as a senior at LSU weren't staggering, either, as he put up 12.9 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 30.0 MPG.

LeBron Hopes To Table Contract Talk For Season

September 10th, 2013 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With LeBron James less than 10 months away from potentially becoming a free agent, it's fair to assume he'll receive plenty of questions about his future from the media this season. However, LeBron doesn't intend to discuss his contract situation throughout the year, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst. Windhorst writes that the four-time MVP plans to address it briefly on the first day of camp, then table the subject until after the season.

James, a few years removed from "The Decision," has been much more reserved when it comes to discussing his future this time around. According to Windhorst, LeBron even hopes to squash free agency talk within his inner circle.

"All LeBron is thinking about is winning a third straight title," said agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. "He has no interest in talking about next season and everyone around him knows it."

As we heard earlier today, the 28-year-old intends to focus solely on the Heat's success on the court this season, as the team attempts to win its third straight title. He has yet to make any decisions about next summer, and that's fine with Heat president Pat Riley.

"I don't know LeBron's stance," Riley said. "He'll probably say one time, 'I'll talk about it next year.' We haven't discussed it yet, but we will. I'll tell him the main thing is to make sure the main thing remains the main thing. And the main thing is to win the championship."

When next July does roll around, there's no guarantee that James will even opt out of his current contract, which doesn't expire until 2016. LeBron will have an early termination option next summer, and a player option the following summer, which means he could choose to opt out either year. But even if he does elect free agency, he wouldn't necessarily be committing to leaving Miami, since he'd have the option of negotiating a new long-term deal with the Heat.

Of course, just because LeBron doesn't want to discuss his contract situation until after the season, that doesn't mean we won't hear plenty of rumors and speculation over the next several months. For now though, it seems that the Heat superstar won't be fueling the rumor mill with any quotes of his own.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Hawks, Heat, Sixers

September 10th, 2013 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With his free agency potentially less than a year away, LeBron James continues to brush off questions about his future. Most recently, it was ESPN.com's Chris Broussard who asked the Heat superstar about his plans for the summer of 2014.

"I have absolutely no idea," James said. "I would love to spend the rest of my career in Miami with this great team and great organization as we continue to compete for championships. That's ideal. But we don't know what may happen from now to the end of the season. That's the nature of the business. It's the nature of not knowing what tomorrow brings."

As the reigning MVP continues to focus on the coming season, let's check out a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Former Texas-San Antonio guard Chris Allen will work out for the Hawks today, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter).
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel believes 2012 second-rounder Justin Hamilton is more likely to start the 2013/14 season with the Heat's D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, rather than with the NBA club.
Sixers second-round pick Arsalan Kazemi may be headed to Iran for the coming season, tweets Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival. That news isn't confirmed yet, and wasn't included in the daily update of our international player movement tracker, but we did hear earlier this summer that the Oregon product was expected to play overseas in 2013/14.

Heat Rumors: Workouts, Beasley, Battier

September 9th, 2013 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

2:01pm: Former Ohio State guard Je'Kel Foster will work out for the Heat as well, reports Charania. As our international tracker shows, Foster played in Germany last season.

1:33pm: In addition to the players mentioned below, the Heat also plan to work out free agents Julyan Stone and Vander Blue this week, according to Winderman.

1:15pm: Word broke over the weekend that the Heat may be considering the possibility of bringing back former second overall pick Michael Beasley, following his release by the Suns. While Miami's apparent level of interest varied from report to report, you can certainly make the case that Beasley would be a low-risk addition on a minimum-salary contract. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel acknowledges as much in his latest mailbag, but notes that the Heat have been reluctant to add other potential off-court distractions such as Stephen Jackson and DeShawn Stevenson, making a reunion with Beasley a long shot.

Here's more on the Heat:

Former Heat swingman Yakhouba Diawara expects to sign a deal with a Eurocup team this week, but will work out for Miami before then, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The Pepperdine product has been weighing NBA and overseas options, and will work out for the Magic as well, but is likely to continue his career in Europe. As our international player movement tracker shows, Diaware played for Venezia in Italy in 2012/13.
Justin Holiday, released earlier this offseason by the Sixers, will also work out for the Heat, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Holiday, who is set to work out for the Jazz as well, aims to earn an NBA roster spot, and views an overseas contract as his Plan B, as he tells Haynes. Although he played in the D-League last season, Holiday isn't currently considering that possibility.
Shane Battier will contemplate the possibility of retiring when his current contract expires in 2014, but isn't ruling out free agent opportunities yet, as Winderman details at the Sun Sentinel. "This door is always open," Battier said of continuing his career for multiple years. "This is not a farewell tour, no. But if it is, it is. And I'll enjoy this year and try to make the most of it."
2012 second-rounder Justin Hamilton confirmed that he has signed with the Heat, via a tweet. We heard yesterday that Hamilton would be in camp with the team.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Pistons, Pierce, Williams

September 8th, 2013 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

We learned earlier today that the Heat are bringing Justin Hamilton to camp, which wasn't a huge surprise since the former LSU big man has been working out at AmericanAirlines Arena for the last few weeks. Hamilton had his moments with the Heat during the 2012 offseason, after he was acquired in a draft-night trade with the 76ers, leading some on the Heat staff at the time to see him as a more promising prospect than Jarvis Varnado. However, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes that Hamilton still faces long camp odds with Greg Oden already something of a long-term developmental project and the Heat possibly keeping the minimum of 13 players to start the year. Hamilton's chances of making the team could also rest on the Heat's ability to move Joel Anthony's pesky contract. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference..

The Central Division is one of the most fascinating divisions in the NBA because of the expectations of competitiveness from each team, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. For the Pistons, their best-case scenario will be seeing Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith become bona fide NBA stars. For the Bulls and Pacers, their ceilings see them as real championship contenders.
John Havlicek told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Sulia link) that he believes the departed Paul Pierce is the greatest one-on-one Celtics player of all-time.
Former Nets big man Jordan Williams signed with Spanish club Bilbao Basket last week but was waived over the weekend, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Southeast Rumors: Drew, Jardine, Turkoglu

September 8th, 2013 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's the time of year when the choice for some players is a spot at the end of an NBA bench or an overseas excursion. Three players appear to be teetering on the edge of playing with a Southeast Division team or seeking employment with another circuit. Here's the latest:

Undrafted point guard Larry Drew II will audition for the Heat this week, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Drew was supposed to join the Heat in summer league, but a quad injury derailed that plan. He's the son of Bucks coach Larry Drew.
A report in July said undrafted point guard Scoop Jardine would likely wind up in Bobcats camp, but the former Syracuse mainstay has signed with KK Zadar of Croatia, tweets Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival.
Hedo Turkoglu remains under contract with the Magic, but his camp is continuing talks with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Mirsad Turkcan tells Niki Bakouli of Eurohoops.net. The overseas club reportedly extended a $3.4MM offer to the veteran forward.

Heat Open To Signing Michael Beasley?

September 7th, 2013 at 5:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

5:38pm: CBS Sports' Matt Moore believes the Heat are in the unique position where they can gamble on Beasley despite his on- and off-court issues, just like they have with Greg Oden despite his injury history.

Meanwhile, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler is surprised at the reported interest from the Heat after what the Team said following his trade to the Timberwloves to free up "Big Three" cap space in 2010 (Twitter). But fellow HoopsWorld scribe Alex Kennedy reminded Kyler about the three beat reporters who have denied the initial report from Woj (Twitter).

Kyler also tweets that Beasley could work out if the Heat veterans are on board with the deal, and he buys into his role with the team since he still possesses the talent that made him the No. 2 pick in 2008.

3:43pm: The Heat are engaging in "due diligence" on Beasley, but they haven't talked to him yet, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

3:09pm: A source tells Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald that there's no chance the Heat would sign Beasley, and a Heat insider tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that there's no truth to Wojnarowski's report (Twitter links)

3:04pm: The Heat are considering bringing back Michael Beasley, their former No. 2 overall pick whom the Suns bought out this week, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Several of the team's top players support the idea, and Beasley has interest in rejoining his original NBA team, according to Wojnarowski.

Beasley was never better than when he was with the Heat, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel pointed out today, but it's been a steady drop-off since then, with his PER declining in each of the four seasons since his rookie year. Beasley's arrest in August on a charge of marijuana possession is the latest chapter in his extensive history with the drug, and the Suns cited the need for a culture of professionalism when they let him go. Still, Phoenix is just a year removed from signing him to a three-year, $18MM contract, so it's clear that some within the league have been willing to overlook his faults.

Hoops Rumors readers are split on whether signing the 6'9" forward would be prudent for any team. The Heat have their $3.183MM taxpayer's mid-level exception available, but I'd be surprised if Beasley signed with them for more than the minimum, particularly considering the team's tax issues.

Spencer Lund contributed to this post.

Heat Notes: Beasley, Odom, Melo, Arroyo

September 7th, 2013 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

Here's a look at the latest out of South Beach..

It may surprise some to hear, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel says that Michael Beasley's production was never better than at the outset of his career with the Heat. The former No. 2 overall pick saw his PER drop annually from 17.1 as a Miami rookie in 2008/09 to 16.1 in his second and final season with the Heat, to 15.5, 13.0 and 10.8 over the past three seasons. For all of his struggles, he's managed to earn $33MM over the course of his career, to date.
In today's mailbag, a reader asks Winderman what he would do if he were in Pat Riley's position and could add Lamar Odom, Beasley or Fab Melo to the Heat roster. Winderman's answer – none of the above. In his mind, the team doesn't need the drama that could come with any of those three free agent opitons.
Another reader asks if Carlos Arroyo return would make sense as the Heat look to add a third point guard to their roster. Arroyo, however, has done his best work on the international stage rather than in the NBA. Furthermore, Miami needs a one guard in the mold of Garrett Temple who can be a strong defender.
Winderman caught up with former Heat veteran Rasual Butler, who says that he is quite hopeful about his chances of getting back to the NBA for the first time since 2011/12 when he was with Toronto. The 34-year-old is in camp with the Pacers, who are in need of shooting off the bench.

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Miami Heat

Teams With Preseason Cap Decisions

September 6th, 2013 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Most NBA teams will have to make a handful of personnel decisions next month, paring down their roster sizes from the 20-player summer max to the 15-man regular season limit. However, just because a camp invitee earns a spot on the regular season roster doesn't mean his contract automatically becomes guaranteed.

For most players on non-guaranteed deals, the date of truth won't come until January 7th. January 10th is the day that all full-season contracts become guaranteed for the season, so if players aren't released on or before the 7th, clearing waivers by the 10th, they'll be assured of a full-season salary. Until that point though, teams can release non-guaranteed players and only pay a pro-rated portion of their salaries.

That January 7th deadline doesn't apply to everyone on non-guaranteed deals though. As our schedule shows, a few players have contracts that specifically included earlier guarantee dates, with many coming by the end of October. So while many teams will only face preseason decisions on who to keep and who to cut, this handful of clubs will be facing decisions on larger commitments. Let's break them down, case by case….

Oklahoma City Thunder: Ryan Gomes
Currently guaranteed for $25,000.
Becomes guaranteed for $50,000 if not released on or before October 1st.
Becomes guaranteed for $75,000 if not released on or before October 30th.

Gomes' bonuses are awfully insignificant in the big picture, but for a small-market team hovering right around the tax line, they're not entirely inconsequential. I imagine OKC will guarantee Gomes at least $50K, allowing him to try to earn a roster spot in October, but if he doesn't impress, the team could save a little cash by cutting him before October 30th.

Denver Nuggets: Quincy Miller
Currently guaranteed for $150,000.
Becomes fully guaranteed ($788,872) if not released on or before opening night (October 29th).

Miller is just entering his second year and is on a minimum-salary contract. We've also seen the Nuggets carry projects at the end of the bench before, such as Julyan Stone. But there's also a new GM and coach in place, and Miller's production last year was extremely limited — he appeared in just seven games for the Nuggets, and didn't blow anyone away in 26 D-League games either (11.3 PPG, .391 FG%). Without an impressive preseason, Miller could be in danger of being cut before Denver's regular-season opener.

Orlando Magic: Kyle O'Quinn
Becomes fully guaranteed ($788,872) if not released on or before opening night (October 29th).

Unlike Miller, O'Quinn gave his NBA team some solid minutes last season, recording a 15.8 PER in 57 contests (11.2 MPG). Based on his rookie season and the fact that the Magic aren't exactly in win-now mode, O'Quinn looks like a safe bet to remain on the regular-season roster and earn a fully guaranteed salary.

Miami Heat: Jarvis Varnado
Becomes guaranteed for $250,000 if not released on or before opening night (October 29th).

Varnado earned a championship ring with the Heat last season, but with the team more conscious of cutting costs due to increasing tax penalties, he may become a cap casualty this time around. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel views Varnado as a long shot to stay with the club long enough to earn that $250K bonus.

Philadelphia 76ers: James Anderson
Becomes fully guaranteed ($916,099) if not released on or before October 31st.

Sixers GM Sam Hinkie nabbed Anderson and Tim Ohlbrecht off waivers from his old team in Houston earlier this summer, and based on Philadelphia's free agent activity since then, there's no reason to think both players don't have a great chance to earn roster spots. A poor camp could derail Anderson's chances, but with the Sixers prioritizing player development over playoff contention for 2013/14, the ex-Spur is in good position for a guaranteed salary for now.

Portland Trail Blazers: Terrel Harris
Becomes guaranteed for $150,000 if not released on or before October 31st.

Because Harris was a throw-in for salary-matching purposes in the three-team deal that also sent Robin Lopez to Portland, it's possible the Blazers always intended to cut him eventually. That became more of a certainty after he was suspended for violating the NBA's drug policy. Now, it sounds like Harris won't even start camp with the team, let alone finish it.

Utah Jazz: Jerel McNeal
Becomes fully guaranteed ($884,293) if not released on or before October 31st.

Despite never actually appearing in a regular-season game, McNeal has spent parts of two seasons on NBA rosters, meaning he could be in line for a fully guaranteed third-year salary before he even makes his NBA debut. And like the Sixers, the Jazz aren't a team that will cut young players to ensure that veterans get playing time, so I would guess McNeal earns a regular-season roster spot, barring a disastrous camp or injury.

Knicks, Bucks, Heat Eyeing Hassan Whiteside

September 4th, 2013 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent big man Hassan Whiteside hasn't appeared in an NBA game since April 2012, but is drawing some attention from NBA clubs, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy tweets that the Knicks, Bucks, and Heat have expressed interest in the former Sacramento big man.

Whiteside, 24, was drafted 33rd overall by the Kings in 2010, but only appeared in 19 games for the club before he was released. The seven-footer spent most of last season in the D-League, making the most of limited minutes for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In just 11.8 minutes per contest (36 games), Whiteside averaged 6.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG.

As our 2013/14 roster counts show, New York, Milwaukee, and Miami all have 15 players under contract, but for the Knicks and Heat, not all of those deals are fully guaranteed, meaning there could end up being roster openings. The Bucks, on the other hand, are carrying 15 guaranteed contracts, so if Whiteside receives multiple camp invites, he may opt for a situation where he has a better chance to earn a roster spot.