Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat, Spurs Discussing Andray Blatche

August 5th, 2012 at 8:35am CST by Sean Highkin

SUNDAY, 8:35am: Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says the Heat are doing background work on Blatche, even though Miami may not be a good fit for the former Wizards player. While the move would give the Heat an inexpensive yet potentially effective piece off the bench, Blatche may have a greater opportunity to earn playing time on a different roster.

SATURDAY, 6:20pm: ESPN's Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are two of the teams that have expressed interest in signing Andray Blatche. Blatche was waived by the Washington Wizards on July 17 using the amnesty clause. No team placed a bid on the remaining three years and approximately $23.4MM on his contract, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.

Blatche, 25, averaged 8.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG for the Wizards during the 2011/12 season. He appeared in just 26 games during the season, in which he battled various injuries.

Odds & Ends: International, Celtics, Sixers, Heat

August 4th, 2012 at 11:21am CST by Michael Pina

As Olympic basketball is underway this Saturday morning, Hoopsworld.com's Alex Raskin takes a look at a few international prospects who could someday make it to the NBA.

Here's a look around the rest of the league.

With almost all of the market's free agents already signed to contracts, Hoopsworld.com's Lang Green takes a look at a few unsigned players, such as Andray Blatche, Jermaine O'Neal, and Carlos Delfino, who could still have an impact next season.
CSNPhilly.com has a piece asking whether or not the Sixers, a team that was minutes away from an Eastern Conference finals berth a few months ago, have an uncertain season ahead of them.
ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg writes that the Celtics have done a great job of re-tooling their roster in spite of Ray Allen's departure.
Sun-Sentinel.com's Ira Winderman explores Heat president Pat Riley's recent comments regarding the belief that his team doesn't need a true, dependable center. Is Riley right?
NBA.com's Josh Cohen writes that no matter what the Magic do moving forward, they shouldn't rush any important decisions.

Riley: Heat Don’t Need To Add Center

August 2nd, 2012 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

In an appearance on 560 WQAM in Miami, Heat president Pat Riley acknowledged that the team could use another big man, but said he didn't view it as an essential addition, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

"We definitely are going to continue to look for somebody in that spot," Riley said. "But unless there's an injury, we really don't need a center…. We signed Chris [Bosh], basically, in my mind, fully in my mind, not in the back of my mind, he was probably going to be our center in critical situations. Chris Bosh is a power forward, he's a Tim Duncan-type player, but when you watch the San Antonio Spurs play, Tim is in the middle. That's all there is to it."

Since acquiring their Big Three, the Heat have dealt with a hole at the center position, rotating players like Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, Dexter Pittman, and Ronny Turiaf in and out of the spot, with mixed results. Still, it's hard to argue with Riley when he says adding a big isn't a necessity, considering the team is coming off a championship.

If the Heat do add a big man, Darko Milicic has been rumored as one possibility. Winderman also points to Mickell Gladness and second-round pick Justin Hamilton as low-cost options. With no mid-level or bi-annual exceptions left to sign free agents, the Heat could only offer minimum-salary contracts.

International Moves: McCalebb, White, Roberts

August 2nd, 2012 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

We haven't been keeping up with international free agent signings this summer like we have with NBA transactions, but occasionally there are a few items of interest to pass along. Here are a few notable recent moves from overseas:

Top international player Bo McCalebb will remain overseas rather than making the leap to the NBA anytime soon. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes, Turkey's Fenerbahce Ulker announced today that they've signed the former University of New Orleans standout. The deal will be for three years, with a third-year option.
2010 Pistons second-round pick Terrico White has signed in Serbia with Radnicki Kragujevac, according to Carchia.
According to various reports, Brian Roberts, who had been playing in Germany, has left his team and will receive a training camp invite from the Hornets. This move has yet to be confirmed by any Hornets beat writer or the team itself.
Jarvis Varnado, who was selected 41st overall by the Heat in the 2010 draft, is hoping to sign with Miami this summer, and isn't considering offers overseas at the moment, says Carchia.

Darko Milicic Not Considering Playing Overseas

August 1st, 2012 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Darko Milicic is still seeking a new contract after having been amnestied by the Timberwolves last month, but he expects that contract to be with an NBA team rather than an international club. Agent Marc Cornstein tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that his client isn't considering playing overseas, and that he will be back in the NBA.

Shortly after he was waived by Minnesota, Darko was said to be drawing interest from the Heat, Nets, Clippers, and Bulls. The latter two teams have signed other veteran bigs – Ryan Hollins for the Clippers and Nazr Mohammed for the Bulls – so it would seem the Heat and Nets would be the two frontrunners for the 2003 lottery pick, and Tomasson confirms that Miami still has interest. However, according to Cornstein, Darko is still looking at a number of teams, with no definite timetable for his decision.

Because he's still earning a pay check from the Timberwolves, Darko has indicated that playing time will likely be a more important factor in his decision than salary. I'd expect to see him sign a minimum-salary deal with a team that could offer him a spot in its frontcourt rotation.

Southeast Notes: Bobcats, Heat, Magic, Howard

August 1st, 2012 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

On this day 12 years ago, the Heat and Hornets consummated a blockbuster swap that was, at the time, the largest trade in Heat history. The nine-player deal saw Jamal Mashburn, P.J. Brown, and three others head to Charlotte in exchange for four players, including Anthony Mason and Eddie Jones. We're certainly not expecting a move that big out of the Southeast or any other division today, but there are a few links worth passing on out of the Southeast, so let's round them up….

The Bobcats made "a big push" to sign Carl Landry, but there was mutual interest between Landry and Warriors since the start of free agency, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks the Heat would still like to add a veteran big man, if possible.
While the exact details of the Magic's long-term plan remain unclear, the team intends to follow the model established by the Spurs, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Chris Broussard suggests the steps Dwight Howard should take to rehabilitate his image and part ways on good terms with the Magic.

Rivers Takes Blame For Allen Leaving Celtics

August 1st, 2012 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Although much has been made of Ray Allen's reportedly frosty relationship with Rajon Rondo, coach Doc Rivers tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that Rivers, rather than Rondo, should be blamed for Allen's departure from Boston. According to Rivers, Allen wasn't pleased with a reduced role in the Celtics' offense and rotation, a decision made by the coach.

"I'm the guy who gave Rondo the ball," Rivers said. "I'm the guy who decided that Rondo needed to be more of the leader of the team. That doesn't mean guys liked that – and Ray did not love that – because Rondo now had the ball all the time…. And that bothered Ray.

"And not starting [games] bothered Ray," Rivers continued. "I did examine it, and the conclusion I came back to was this: By doing the right things, we may have lost Ray. If I hadn't done that, I would've been a hypocrite. In the opening speech I make every year, I tell the team: 'Every decision I make is going to be what's good for the team, and it may not be what's good for the individual.'"

According to Rivers, he mediated issues between Rondo and Allen for most of the five years that both players were in Boston together, with the relationship between the backcourt mates worsening in 2010/11. Wojnarowski reports that Allen also took issue with how he was compensated, his reduced role, and the fact that his name was constantly included in trade talks.

Rivers doesn't believe Allen's role will be any greater in Miami than it would have been in Boston. However, the C's coach points out that it may be easier for a veteran player to accept a lesser role when he's getting a fresh start, rather than being gradually shifted into that role by a team that used to feature him more. Rivers also holds no ill will toward the veteran sharpshooter for his decision to sign with the Heat.

"For a week or two, I was really disappointed, pissed, because I thought it was for all the wrong reasons," Rivers said. "It was more about himself, his team. And then, I realized: Well, it should be about himself. It was free agency. I wasn't thinking right."

Raja Bell Close To Buyout With Jazz

July 30th, 2012 at 7:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

JULY 30: Bell's buyout with the Jazz hasn't been finalized and there's a holdup in negotiations, a league source tells Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Utah would like to sign off on Bell's buyout and move on from last season's drama while Bell's camp has yet to agree to the terms, Smith tweets.

JULY 8: Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that Raja Bell is on the verge of a buyout with the Jazz. The 6'5'' shooting guard averaged 6.4 PPG and shot 39.1% from three point range in 34 games last season. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (via Twitter) says that Bell could be interested in returning to his hometown to play for the Heat. The Lakers could also be a possibility, as the 35-year-old guard would be reunited with former-Suns teammate Steve Nash.

Smith also mentions that Bell holds no ill-will toward the Jazz and greatly respects GM Kevin O'Connor. The 12-year-veteran elaborated further on his current situation with Smith (Sulia link):

"We typically play it pretty close to the vest. [Agent] Herb [Rudoy] and I are pretty private. But, in essence, [I'm] pretty much a free agent. I don't think the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed. But we've been given the greenlight by Utah to go ahead and find something that works for us. We've agreed to the terms. So I think it's safe to say now we are in the market again and we're entertaining our options at this point."

During the summer of 2010, Bell signed with Utah despite heavy interest from the Bulls and Lakers. In May of this year, we documented Bell's intentions of moving on from the Jazz and recalled the tension brewing between him and head coach Tyrone Corbin over the course of the season. Although Utah made the playoffs this year, Raja did not play in any of team's postseason games.

Odds & Ends: Vaughn, Heat, Jerebko, Pistons

July 28th, 2012 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Magic have their head coach in former Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn – now it’s on to the small matter of figuring out what to do with Dwight Howard. Here’s the latest from around the Association..

While some outsiders might be surprised to see Vaughn get the head coaching job in Orlando over more high-profile candidates, the Spurs saw this coming, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “Jacque Vaughn is a star,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said upon hiring Vaughn two summers ago. “You can see the same qualities in him that you saw in Avery [Johnson].”
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn’t think that the Heat have to rush into adding a big man as it is July and there are still plenty of centers available.
LeBron James had high praise for Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko and called him a “shining star,” writes Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press. Jerebko inked a four-year, $18MM deal with Detroit prior to the start of the 2011/12 season.
As far as Alonzo Mourning is concerned, the original Dream Team is the best USA basketball team ever assembled, Winderman writes. The former center believes that the second-best squad assembled is the 1994 USA team (also known as “Dream Team II”) which featured Mourning in the middle.

2011/12 Taxpaying Teams

July 25th, 2012 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

While teams get their books in order for the 2012/13 season, navigating the salary cap and the luxury tax threshold, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com takes a look back at the league's 2011/12 finances. Deeks shares the official list of teams that paid the luxury tax in 2011/12, along with the amount each club paid. The list is as follows:

Los Angeles Lakers: $12,557,264
Boston Celtics: $7,365,867
Miami Heat: $6,129,340
Dallas Mavericks: $2,738,843
San Antonio Spurs: $2,514,275
Atlanta Hawks: $666,199

The more punitive luxury-tax penalties introduced in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement have yet to kick in, so the tax penalties for the aforementioned six teams come by way of the old system — teams are penalized $1 for every dollar they spend over the tax line. In 2011/12, that tax line was at $70,307,000, so the Hawks, for instance, spent $70,973,199 on their roster.

Tax penalties for 2012/13 will remain the same as in 2011/12, but next offseason the CBA's increased restrictions take effect in earnest. In the summer of 2013, teams over the luxury tax line are ineligible to acquire players in sign-and-trade deals, while clubs that exceed the tax threshold for the 2013/14 season will pay an incremental rate based on team salary.