Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Lottery, Raptors, Lin, Heat

May 29th, 2012 at 10:25pm CST by Michael Pina

Tomorrow night's draft lottery will have huge implications for the Warriors and Jazz, writes the Deseret News' Jody Genessy. Here are a few more items from around the NBA:

Hoopsworld.com's Stephen Brotherston asks what position the Raptors should be targeting as they head into the draft.
On June 13, a hearing to determine whether the Knicks can re-sign Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak without using any of their exceptions will be held, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. The union is seeking the restoration of both players' Bird rights, and a decision will be made before July 1. The union is expected to lose the hearing.
The Oregonian's Joe Freeman writes about the Trail Blazers working out two centers today: North Carolina's Tyler Zeller and Illinois' Meyers Leonard.
Sources have told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin that the Lakers are talking about making Los Angeles D-Fenders general manager Glenn Carraro their team's assistant general manager.
ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan writes about how tomorrow night's draft lottery could have an especially large impact on the Nets and Mavericks.
FoxSports.com's Chris Tomasson says LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are doing more than enough to fill in for Chris Bosh's absence.
CBSSports.com's Ken Berger writes that at a time he's badly needed by his team, there's something wrong with Ray Allen.

Winderman On Bosh, Odom, James

May 27th, 2012 at 8:45am CST by Daniel Seco

The Heat will get underway in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday against the Celtics after Boston knocked off the Sixers in Game 7 of the Conference Semifinals on Saturday evening. The series marks a rematch of sorts as the two teams faced each other in the playoffs last season when they met during the Conference Semifinals with the Heat winning the series 4-1. Let's check in with the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman for the latest news out of South Beach.

Winderman is unsure of Chris Bosh's status for the Eastern Conference Finals and thinks the Heat aren't expecting anything out of the former Georgia Tech big man against the Celtics. Without Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have stepped up their play to the next level and have seen improved efforts from the role players around them. While the Heat should be OK against the Celtics without Bosh, there's little chance that the squad could take down the Thunder or the Spurs without him in the NBA Finals.
Don't count on the Heat acquiring Lamar Odom during the offseason, writes Winderman, as the former Lakers Sixth Man of the Year probably won't come cheap even after a disastrous season in Dallas. Odom would have to be bought out by the Mavs and then willing to take a heavy discount to take his talents to South Beach. Look for the former Rhode Island star to return to the Lakers or sign with the Knicks as he needs to find an environment that he is familiar with so he can revive his career.
Winderman says it doesn't make any sense to compare James and Wade in terms of who is the better leader or who is the best player on the team. As we've seen over the course of the past week, the success of the Heat is predicated on both players working in unison at a high level. Simply put, it doesn't matter who the face is of the franchise is if the team is winning games.

Odds & Ends: Lowry, Raptors, Heat, Jennings

May 26th, 2012 at 4:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

John Havlicek's famous steal in the 1965 Eastern Division finals might be the most storied of many Game 7 moments between the Celtics and Sixers, who look to add another chapter in tonight's Game 7. Still, many Boston fans have another theft on their minds as they file into the Garden this evening, since it's the 25th anniversary of Larry Bird's game-saving steal against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. Here's the rest of what's going on around the Association today:

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo and Daryl Morey, his Rockets counterpart, are likely to discuss a trade for point guard Kyle Lowry. Earlier today, we passed along a report from Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle about Lowry's dissatisfaction in Houston.
Feigen disagrees with Kyle Lowry's conclusion that he can't flourish under Rockets coach Kevin McHale, pointing to Lowry's early-season play as evidence.
Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier, who both signed multiyear deals when the lockout ended in December, are two of the role players who paid dividends for the Heat in this week's elimination of the Pacers, writes Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
Brandon Jennings isn't worried about whether the Bucks will offer him an extension this summer, as Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel reports. "I will let (agent) Bill Duffy handle that," Jennings said. "That's what he does. I will leave it up to Bill Duffy and (Bucks general manager) John Hammond. It's really not my department." Earlier this month Duffy said he was surprised by Hammond's comment than a Jennings extension "is not something we have to do."
Howard Beck of The New York Times looks at what James Harden brings to the Thunder as the decision of whether to extend his rookie contract looms for GM Sam Presti this summer.

Odds & Ends: Haslem, Howard, Wizards, Lakers

May 24th, 2012 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Udonis Haslem will sit out Game 6 of the Heat/Pacers series tonight, serving a one-game suspension for his flagrant foul in Game 5. But Haslem and agent Henry Thomas intend to appeal the suspension nonetheless, hoping to regain the $35K the Heat forward will lose.

"We'll file an appeal to the union," Thomas told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. "This is a guy who has been in the league for nine years and he doesn't have the reputation of being a dirty player. He's a hard-nosed player. But he's not dirty, and he doesn't want this to follow him around. … He's disappointed (with the suspension). He feels he tried to make a play on the ball."

As Haslem waits for his appeal to be heard, here are a few more Thursday notes from around the NBA:

If Dwight Howard is available this summer, the Rockets are one team who might be willing to trade for him without assurances he'd re-sign, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. I wrote earlier today that acquiring a star will be the Rockets' primary goal this offseason, and even coming off back surgery, Howard would certainly qualify.
The Wizards have yet to make a decision on coach Randy Wittman, but sources suggest to Michael Lee of the Washington Post that Wittman is a good bet to return to Washington.
Appearing on Colin Cowherd's radio show, Jerry West weighed in on the state of the Lakers, and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
One NBA GM told Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) that Dion Waiters might be the player besides Anthony Davis with the most superstar potential in this year's draft class.
Members of the Pistons' staff were upset that Greg Monroe wasn't named to this summer's U.S. Select Team, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explains why it will be difficult for the Mavericks to trade Lamar Odom next month.

Odds & Ends: Knicks, Bucks, Heat, Nicholson

May 21st, 2012 at 12:54pm CST by Daniel Seco

Here's the latest news and headlines from around the NBA…

There are five ways the Knicks' Big 3 can improve in their second season together, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Bradley Center will be now known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center in a step toward getting the Bucks a new arena in the near future.
The Heat's success is predicated on strong play by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but also relies on a different role player stepping up each night, suggests Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Thunder and the Celtics are the two most likely teams to draft St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson.
Teams from smaller markets are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to winning an NBA championship, writes Richard Florida of The Atlantic.
HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham gives his take on the top five comebacks in NBA playoff history.
Commissioner David Stern filled the NBA's Competition Committee with his own people so that changes can be made to existing rules, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
Kurt Helin of NBC's ProBasketballTalk blog says Mo Williams expects to pick up his player option of $8.5MM for the 2012/2013 season.
Mike D'Antoni isn't up to much these days after resigning as the Knicks head coach in March, writes SI.com's Jack McCallum.

Pacers-Heat Notes: Gordon, Granger, Wade, Riley

May 20th, 2012 at 2:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

There's been no shortage of drama in the Heat-Pacers series, and the leadup to this afternoon's pivotal Game 4 has been no exception. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that Juwan Howard and Lance Stephenson, who directed a choking gesture at LeBron James during Game 3, had a verbal altercation 90 minutes prior to tipoff, the latest chapter in a history of animosity between the two. With Erik Spoelstra going to his fourth staring lineup in four games this series, let's check in on the rumors surrounding these playoff combatants:

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald believes Hornets restricted free agent Eric Gordon, thought to be a Pacers target, might not get a max deal because of the knee problems he's dealt with the past two seasons. Finnan could see the Hornets and Pacers working out a sign-and-trade with Danny Granger headed to New Orleans, Gordon going to Indiana and Pacers shooting guard Paul George shifting to small forward.
HoopsWorld's Stephen Litel argues that the Heat should try to trade Dwyane Wade if the team fails to come back to win the series.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com says team president Pat Riley failed to stock the roster with competent role players, and that's one of the reasons Heat coach Erik Spoelstra may lose his job if he doesn't deliver a title.

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Heat, Thunder, Spurs, Lakers

May 20th, 2012 at 12:15pm CST by Daniel Seco

Let's go coast to coast to catch up on the latest news and headlines before King James and the Heat look to make it a series against Indiana…

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has been using whatever time off his team is afforded to allow them to rest and get healthier, reports the Associated Press (via the Boston Herald).
ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst says Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra needs to make adjustments to his strategy if Miami wants to have any chance of winning against the Pacers.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have matured and proven that they can co-exist in Oklahoma City, writes Sam Amick of SI.com.
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski believes the Thunder look like a team with legitimate title aspirations thanks to strong play by Durant and Westbrook.
The Spurs relied on heavily-efficient play to overcome a 24-point deficit to the Clippers on Saturday, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation says the Lakers should trade Andrew Bynum so that the 24-year-old center's talents don't go to waste in Los Angeles.
Gregg Popovich's decision to sit Tim Duncan during the 2000 NBA playoffs proved to be the right decision 12 years later, contends J.A. Adande of ESPN.com.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com believes the Celtics need to find a better balance in terms of getting Kevin Garnett more involved in the game on Monday evening against the Sixers.

Heat Notes: Spoelstra, Hibbert, Wade

May 20th, 2012 at 9:39am CST by Daniel Seco

There's more on the line for the Heat today than simply evening the series or falling 3-1 to the Pacers. For LeBron James and friends, a victory would serve to erase much of the doubt surrounding the star-crossed franchise while a loss would further fuel speculation of a break-up upon the season's completion. Let's check up on the latest Miami news and headlines before this afternoon's action gets underway.

CBSSports.com's Ben Golliver says the Heat would be taking two giant steps backward if they can't advance past the conference semifinals with the blame falling squarely on Erik Spoelstra's shoulders. One of the many issues surrounding the team is their inability to make a shot unless their name is LeBron. Look for Spoelstra to come up with a different starting lineup with hopes of shaking things up in the Heat's favor against the Pacers.
Roy Hibbert's emergence as a dominating presence in the playoffs has been a major reason why the Pacers have excelled aside from taking advantage of Chris Bosh's absence, writes Peter Vecsey of the New York Post. The former Georgetown star has 44 points, 40 rebounds and nine blocks through three games against the Heat. With his strong performance during the playoffs coming on the heels of a breakout regular season, the restricted free agent should expect a long-term contract this offseason.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel believes it would be unfair to place a Heat collapse on Dwyane Wade even with his struggles as the team has collectively failed to make adjustments throughout the series. It's not too late for the Heat, but the team needs to right the ship on Sunday afternoon if they want to have any semblance of a chance to win the series. If the Heat lose the series to the Pacers, look for a long summer ahead in which all options sans moving James are on the table.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Wade, Heat, Howard

May 19th, 2012 at 8:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Links out of the Southeast division as the Heat get set for Game 4 in Indiana tomorrow afternoon..

Hawks General Manager Rick Sund’s contract expires next month but he has yet to commit to a return or publicly address his future, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sund may also retire, take a part-time role with the Hawks, or jump ship to another team.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether playing in the Olympics makes much sense for Dwyane Wade, who could use the rest for his 30-year-old body. Winderman notes the pressure that sponsors put on Wade and other superstars to play for their country.
If the Rockets take a stab at trading for Magic big man Dwight Howard, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that the package would be centered around Kevin Martin and Luis Scola because the salaries match up. Even if Howard doesn't sign a long-term extension with Houston, they would at least have Martin and Scola off of the books for a proper rebuild.

Odds & Ends: Oden, Magic, Jones, Bucks, Bosh

May 18th, 2012 at 10:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Links from around the league..

Earlier today we learned that Greg Oden will be undergoing a radical knee procedure to revive his career, but Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge (via Twitter) points out that the Trail Blazers were considering the operation way back in February.
Some out of the box thinking from Alex Kennedy of Hoops World (via Twitter) as he suggests that the Magic look into trading for Dwyane Wade or LeBron James this summer. However, Kennedy doesn't envision the Heat being forced to blow everything up.
Kentucky's Terrence Jones would give the Bucks some badly needed toughness, writes David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required).
Chris Bosh may have seemed like a third wheel to some, but the Heat are really missing the forward now, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.