Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Miles, Harrington

January 19th, 2013 at 11:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With LeBron James currently slated to become a free agent in 2014, Mary Schmitt-Boyer of The Plain Dealer thinks that speculation about a possible return to the Cavaliers could become a hot topic over the next 18 months. Don't count former Cleveland guard Mo Williams among those who thinks about the notion much, telling Schmitt-Boyer when asked about the possibility of LeBron's homecoming: "I don't know, I don't know. I think that is a question for him only." Here's more links from the rest of the NBA tonight:

In another article, Schmitt-Boyer extracts thoughts from C.J. Miles' former coach Tyrone Corbin about the shooting guard's solid development in Cleveland.
In what is considered a big step in the right direction during his recovery, Al Harrington participated in 3-on-3 scrimmages with the Magic at the end of Saturday's practice (Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports).
Rockets coach Kevin McHale, who says that he hasn't seen or spoken with Royce White in over a month, responded with "Out of sight, out of mind" when asked about the rookie forward's current status with the team, notes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press.
In another article regarding the Timberwolves' newly signed wing player Mickael Gelabale, Richardson writes that the Frenchman garnered recommendations from fellow Olympic teammates Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, and Ronny Turiaf. Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune says that Gelabale looks at his opportunity at an NBA comeback as something that has been on his mind for the last five years.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida delves into Vince Carter's goal of someday making it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lawrence On Suns, Babby, Blanks, Heat, Europe

January 19th, 2013 at 4:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News consistently delivers at least few noteworthy rumors in his weekly column, and this week's edition is no exception. He touches on the state of the Nets and some chirping between Dwight Howard and former Lakers sharpshooter Robert Horry, and we'll round up the rest right here:

Suns president Lon Babby is in the final year of his contract, and is "probably done" in Phoenix, where owner Robert Sarver, not known for his patience, appears anxious to make changes, Lawrence hears, adding that GM Lance Blanks could also be on his way out.
In addition to a big man, the Heat are also looking for an upgrade at point guard. Lawrence suggests the Heat, who aren't re-signing Josh Harrellson to another 10-day contract, are still mulling whether to sign Chris Andersen, who worked out for the team earlier this month.
Lawrence doesn't think London, which played host on Thursday to the Knicks–Pistons game, is anywhere near ready for an NBA franchise, and believes the league might be better off expanding into Barcelona or Rome, where there's greater interest in the game. Commissioner David Stern foresees multiple NBA teams based in Europe within 20 years.

Heat Won’t Bring Back Josh Harrellson

January 19th, 2013 at 2:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

Josh Harrellson's 10-day contract expires at midnight tonight, and it will signal the end of his tenure with the team, according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, who tweets that the team will not give the second-year big man another 10-day deal. The same appears to be the case for Jarvis Varnado, who became a free agent today after the Heat failed to re-sign him to another deal when his 10-day contract ended last night.

Harrellson will explore other options that will net him more playing time, Goodman notes. He made the Heat out of training camp on a non-guaranteed deal before he was waived January 7th, and he returned January 10th on his 10-day pact. Still, the 6'10" University of Kentucky product appeared in just six games for a total of 31 minutes after averaging 14.6 minutes across 37 contests for the Knicks last year. New York let him go over the summer in the sign-and-trade deal that brought Marcus Camby to the Knicks, and the Rockets waived Harrellson shortly thereafter.

The Heat are set to have 13 players on their roster once Harrellson's deal is finished tonight, giving them plenty of flexibility to shore up their rebounding woes. The Heat recently auditioned Chris Andersen, and Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors examined the Birdman and other options who could help the team improve its work on the boards. Miami is 30th in the league in total rebounds this season.

Odds & Ends: Andersen, Knicks, Gay, Bobcats

January 19th, 2013 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Birdman has likely flown across the Knicks' radar, but the club has yet to engage Chris Anderson in serious talks or bring him in for a workout, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The free agent has obvious Knicks ties thanks to his time playing with J.R. Smith in Denver and his ties to GM Glen Grunwald. Here's more from around basketball on this Saturday afternoon..

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links) wonders if the Bobcats are willing to take on Rudy Gay's sizable contract. The forward will earn $17.9MM next season and $19.3MM in 2014/15. Charlotte is reportedly very interested in the Grizzlies star.
Meanwhile, GM Rod Higgins tells Bonnell (on Twitter) that there is no limit as to what the Bobcats might try to do before the deadline.
After their recent west coast swing, it's safe to say that this Heat roster is more than qualified to win another title as currently assembled, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
The Raptors need to seek out talented veterans with winning experience in the opinion of Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Star (via Twitter).
The Suns' front office is responsible for the club's woes, not former coach Alvin Gentry, opines Tom Ziller of SB Nation. I had a similar take in this morning's edition of Hoops Links.

Stein On Heat, Bosh, Gay, Mavs, Smith

January 19th, 2013 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

In his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein of ESPN.com runs down his picks for this year's All-Star reserves. On Stein's ballot, the Nets get a representative in Houston, but it's not star point guard Deron Williams, who is barely shooting 40% from the floor. Instead, it's center Brook Lopez who has given the Nets the kind of steady offense that Williams hasn't been able to. Here's more from Stein's column..

No matter how much TNT's Charles Barkley clammors for a major trade in Miami, the Heat just aren't looking for that sort of shake-up. Sources familiar with the club say that they aren't prepared to part with Chris Bosh, not only out of fear of a major change, but because it would make things umcomfortable from a player-relations perspective to break up the star trio.
Sources close to the situation tell Stein that the Mavericks are not among the teams that have expressed interest in Grizzlies' Rudy Gay. The Mavs were previously mentioned as being among the clubs interested in the forward. Meanwhile, we learned yesterday that the Bobcats are aggressively pursuing him.
The "Bank of Cuban" may be reopening its doors in Dallas, but the Mavericks still want to preserve their wiggle room this offseason. That's why even though the Mavs can offer cap relief to teams at the trade deadline, Stein doesn't expect them to take on significant contracts. Instead, they're more likely to trade Vince Carter to a contender that could use an extra shooter, or move Brandan Wright to a team in need of another big man. That could yield them some picks or perhaps allow them to shed even more salary.
While the Hawks could move Josh Smith for an impact player, Stein is skeptical that they would want to sacrifice their cap space this summer.

Heat Assign Dexter Pittman To D-League

January 18th, 2013 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any further moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Heat have assigned Dexter Pittman back to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced today in a press release. It'll be Pittman's second stint this season in the D-League, where he's averaged 12.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 10 contests. Pittman had been recalled from Sioux Falls before last night's game to provide frontcourt depth for the Heat, but didn't see any action.

D-League Moves: Pittman, Jones, Plumlee

January 16th, 2013 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves posted to the top of the list throughout the day:

The Heat will recall Dexter Pittman from their D-League affiliate in time for tomorrow's game, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. When I examined potential solutions for Miami's rebounding woes earlier today, I noted that giving Pittman and other internal frontcourt options more minutes could be a short-term approach for the club.
Terrence Jones has been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets announced today in a press release. Jones was recalled from the D-League on Monday, but wasn't active for Houston's game against the Clippers last night.
The Pacers have re-assigned Miles Plumlee to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It's already the fifth time this season that Plumlee has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. While he's barely seen the court for the Pacers, the 2012 first-round pick has averaged a double-double in eight games with Fort Wayne, posting 13.4 PPG and 11.5 RPG.

Potential Rebounding Options For The Heat

January 16th, 2013 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Heat continue to maintain the best record in the Eastern Conference, the team has struggled as of late, playing sub-.500 ball so far in 2013. A few factors have contributed to Miami's recent slide, but the team's primary concern is its rebounding. The Heat rank dead last in the NBA in offensive rebounds (8.0) and total rebounds (38.6) per game. In Miami's last four losses, the club has been outrebounded 188-132, an average defecit of 14 boards per game.

Chris Bosh has offered to play fewer minutes if it means getting better rebounders into the game, and LeBron James has said the current roster has to figure out a way to improve on the glass, but so far not much has worked. Coach Erik Spoelstra and president Pat Riley are undoubtedly mulling changes, either to the lineup or the roster. So what are Miami's options, as the club looks to improve its rebounding numbers? Let's break them down….

Internal options:

The Heat have embraced the small-ball approach that helped propel them to a Finals win last season, with Udonis Haslem (19.5) and Joel Anthony (9.9) both averaging career-lows in minutes per game. Haslem, Anthony, and Dexter Pittman aren't exactly among the league's most-feared interior players, but increasing their minutes during the regular season could take some of the rebounding pressure off of scorers like James and Bosh. For what it's worth, Anthony's 11.6% rebound rate so far in 2012/13, while not exceptional, is the best of his career.

Free agents:

With no cap space or mid-level money left, the Heat can only offer 10-day contracts or minimum-salary deals, but that should be more than enough to draw the interest of rebounding specialists. Miami recently worked out Chris Andersen, a guy who could help on the glass, though it's not clear how much he has left at age 34. Andersen isn't the only veteran big man still on the market — as our free agent list shows, other options include Kenyon Martin, Troy Murphy, and Dan Gadzuric. If the Heat prefer to go younger, players like Samardo Samuels and Luke Harangody (14.7 RPG in six D-League contests) are also available.

Trade candidates:

Because the Heat have so few assets outside of their big three, it's hard to find many realistic matches on the trade market. Someone like Haslem, Anthony, or Mike Miller would probably need to be included in a deal for any player earning a decent salary, but those guys have undesirable long-term contracts, making them tough to move.

Miami's most valuable trade chip is probably Norris Cole or the 76ers' lottery-protected 2013 first-round pick. But even combining those two pieces would mean the Heat could only acquire a player on a very small salary, with Cole only making $1.08MM this season. That likely eliminates possibilities such as Jason Maxiell, Glen Davis, Jason Thompson, and Samuel Dalembert, since they're all earning $5MM+.

There are still a few intriguing options out there. Brandan Wright and DeJuan Blair are inexpensive, and I'm sure the Mavs and Spurs, respectively, would be very open to swapping their bigs for that Sixers pick. Timofey Mozgov and Marreese Speights are also names worth considering, though the Heat don't match up particularly well as trade partners with either the Nuggets or Grizzlies. Still, if the Heat decide to explore trades, they'd probably be better off engaging these Western Conference clubs, since I doubt many Eastern Conference contenders would be eager to help the Heat patch up their biggest hole.

At 24-12, the Heat are hardly in perilious danger, despite their recent play. Even if the rebounding woes continue, I think Miami is the odds-on favorite for the No. 1 seed in the East, so we shouldn't anticipate a panic move. The Heat will likely experiment with different lineups and perhaps bring in a couple new players on 10-day contracts in the coming weeks.

If rebounding is still a major concern when the trade deadline approaches, a move for someone like Blair appears to be a reasonable bet. The free agent market will also be worth monitoring after the February 21st deadline, when veterans are waived or bought out. But considering this Heat team had similar frontcourt issues last season and still came away with a championship, it's probably not realistic to expect the club to make a major splash before season's end.

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Miami Heat

Central Links: Cavaliers, James, Pacers

January 15th, 2013 at 9:01pm CST by Alex Lee

The latest news and notes from around the Central Division on Tuesday night:

Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines that even with all the recent LeBron James talk with regard to the summer of 2014, the Cavaliers must put a winner on the floor next year to prove to everyone they're not the perennial doormat they've been of late. We've heard the team will do nothing to jeopardize their 2014 financial flexibility, but Pluto warns against putting all their eggs in that basket.
Meanwhile, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio writes that while the Cavs aren't remotely banking on James returning to Cleveland, there seems to be a lot of arrows pointing in that direction. Amico says, depending on the development of the pieces in Cleveland, it could be a perfect fit and based on what he hears from around the league, the animosity over "The Decision" won't be nearly as big an obstacle as one might think.
Grantland's Zach Lowe breaks down the dominant Pacers defense, which he describes as "potentially historically great." However, Lowe says, no team as offensively challenged as Indiana has been this year has ever won the NBA title. The imminent return of Danny Granger should help, but to have a chance at dethroning the Heat, the Pacers will probably need other players, like Roy Hibbert, to step up without losing much on the defensive end of the floor.

Heat Could Pursue Timofey Mozgov

January 14th, 2013 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

7:14pm: Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel tweets that there are no rumors about a trade of Mozgov to the Heat, indicating that Mozgov's comments were simply in response to a question about the Heat's need for a center.

12:22pm: We heard in mid-December from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports and Zach Lowe of Grantland that the Nuggets were making Timofey Mozgov available, and it appears that stance hasn't changed in the last month. Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida also reports that Denver is looking to deal Mozgov, and it sounds like the 26-year-old is fully aware that he could be on the move.

"It think it’s logical, you can see that, trading me," Mozgov told Tomasson. "I’m in my contract year. So if they can get something for me… I don’t think it would be a surprise for me (to be traded)."

One team that always seems to be in the market for a big man, and could use some rebounding help, is the Heat. Tomasson writes that the Heat could pursue Mozgov, though it's not clear what could of package they could put together that would entice the Nuggets. One of the team's top potential trade chips, Norris Cole, may not interest Denver since the Nuggets already have Ty Lawson and Andre Miller at the point. Miami could also dangle the 76ers' (lottery-protected) 2013 first-round pick, and multi-team deals are possible, as Tomasson notes.

Mozgov's inexpensive salary ($3.14MM) may make it more palatable for the Heat or another team to acquire him. Miami isn't a likely suitor for pricier bigs, since the club would probably need to include undesirable contracts like Mike Miller's or Joel Anthony's to match salaries, but Mozgov could potentially be had for one or two less expensive players.