Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Goran Dragic Signs With Bucks

March 4th, 2023 at 11:03pm CST by Luke Adams

11:03pm: The signing is official, the Bucks announced in a press release.

12:14pm: Free agent guard Goran Dragic is meeting with the Bucks in Milwaukee this afternoon and intends to sign with the team for the rest of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski first reported on Thursday that the Bucks were the frontrunners to sign Dragic, and it seems no rival suitors have jumped the line since then. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Dragic would have welcomed an offer from the Heat, but Miami isn’t in the market for another point guard.

Dragic, who will turn 37 in May, began this season on a minimum-salary contract with Chicago and was part of the Bulls’ rotation at point guard. However, while he appeared in 51 games, Dragic was only averaging 15.4 minutes per night, his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2008/09. After the Bulls added Patrick Beverley on the buyout market, Dragic was the odd man out, resulting in his release.

Dragic is no longer the player he was in 2017, when he averaged 20+ points per game, or 2018, when he earned his lone career All-Star berth, but he was somewhat productive in Chicago this season, averaging 6.4 PPG and 2.7 APG on .425/.352/.659 shooting.

He’ll join a Bucks team that starts Jrue Holiday at the point, with Jevon Carter backing him up. As long as Milwaukee is healthy, it seems unlikely that Dragic will have much of a role, especially once the playoffs begin. But he’ll provide some reliable veteran depth at a position that wasn’t especially deep for the Bucks.

If Dragic signs his minimum-salary contract on Saturday, he’ll earn $617,911 the rest of the way, with the Bucks taking on a $390,433 cap charge. Even after re-signing Meyers Leonard to a 10-day contract, Milwaukee has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Erik Spoelstra Won’t Commit To Kyle Lowry’s Return

March 4th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Meeting with reporters before Saturday’s game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra refused to say whether he expects Kyle Lowry to play again before the end of the regular season, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Spoelstra added that Lowry continues to make progress with the soreness in his left knee that has now caused him to miss 12 consecutive games. The 36-year-old point guard was able to practice with the team last weekend, but he hasn’t played since February 2.

Lowry, who’s appeared in 44 games this season, has experienced a sharp decline in his production since signing with Miami two years ago. In 107 total games with the Heat, the six-time All-Star is averaging just 12.8 points and 6.6 assists per night and he’s in the midst of the worst shooting season of his 17-year career, hitting 39.6% from the field and 33.3% on three-pointers.

Lowry still has one season left on the three-year, $85MM contract he signed as a free agent in the summer of 2021. He’ll make $29.68MM next season before reaching free agency again in 2024.

Miami reportedly explored the trade market for Lowry before last month’s deadline, but found little to no interest because of his age, contract and injury woes. The Heat may try again to find a taker this summer in the hopes of getting Lowry’s salary removed from next season’s cap.

New Starting Five Hasn't Been As Effective As Old Group

March 4th, 2023 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Love has started all five games since he arrived in Miami, but the Heat have lost four of those games and the new starting five of Love, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Gabe Vincent has a net rating of minus-9.4 so far. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, that same group with former starter Caleb Martin in Love’s place has a plus-18.6 net rating this season. For his part, Martin is still getting used to his new bench role. “It’s a little different, man,” he said on Friday. “… It’s just adjusting to whatever is going on. It’s also more of a role of gassing yourself out, being that spark coming off the bench as opposed to maintaining.”
The much-vaunted Heat culture is being tested by the team’s inconsistent performances as of late, with Butler suggesting after Friday’s loss to New York that Miami needs to play with more urgency. “We really get bored with the process and I can’t tell you why. We play hard and sometimes we get back in the game like we did tonight and sometimes we don’t,” Butler said, according to Chiang. “But either way it goes, if we just play basketball the right way the entire game, I don’t think we’re in this situation more often than not. But for some odd reason, we think it’s going to be easy so we just go out there and go through the motions.”

Sixers Notes: Tucker, Butler, McDaniels, Embiid

March 1st, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

P.J. Tucker seemed like a perfect fit during his lone season with the Heat, but he couldn’t turn down the three-year, $33MM offer he got from the Sixers last summer, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 38-year-old forward said he expected to retire with Miami, but the realities of NBA business pushed him toward Philadelphia.

Multiple sources tell Chiang that the Heat wanted to re-sign Tucker, but they only offered $26.5MM over three seasons through their Non-Bird exception. Miami could have used its $10.5MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to match the offer from Philadelphia, but passed on the opportunity because of Tucker’s age and the limits the deal would have placed on other potential moves.

“I wanted the full mid-level,” Tucker said. “I thought I deserved the full mid-level and that was something that I wanted. They knew that coming out of the gate. I expressed that I wanted that from the beginning. I feel like for what we did, for what we had, I feel like I deserved that and it just is what it is. But I don’t fault them at all. I understand they didn’t want to be hard-capped and wanted to be able to make moves later with whatever they thought the team may need.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Jimmy Butler keeps reminding the Sixers why it was a mistake to trade him, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Butler knocked Philadelphia out of the playoffs last season, and he contributed several clutch plays on Monday as the Heat pulled out a narrow road win. Pompey notes that the Sixers haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since sending Butler to Miami in 2019.
Jalen McDaniels is learning to adjust after being traded to the Sixers at last month’s deadline, Pompey writes in another Inquirer story. Through six games, McDaniels is seeing less playing time and fewer scoring chances than he did with the Hornets. “I will say when I was in Charlotte, (there were) more opportunities with the ball in my hand more,” he said. “But here you have three guys (Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey) that are going to take most of the shots. So just me playing off them is something I can do that’s probably part of my game as well. So I feel like it’s a plus, even though I’m not touching it as much as I was in Charlotte.”
Joel Embiid has been through a series of demoralizing defeats during his time in Philadelphia, but he hasn’t demanded a trade or lost faith in the organization, as Ben Golliver of The Washington Post details.

Heat Notes: Lowry, Dragic, Jovic, Yurtseven

March 1st, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Lowry will miss his 10th straight game Wednesday due to knee soreness, but the Heat haven’t been aggressively pursuing another point guard in the buyout market, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Lowry was flown to Philadelphia on Sunday and took part in a practice in hopes of playing Monday. He was briefly upgraded to questionable before being ruled out.

Jackson cites several factors for the team’s lack of urgency to find a replacement for Lowry, even with Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Reggie Jackson all receiving buyouts and John Wall still on the market. Heat officials remain confident that Lowry will eventually return and can still play at a high level, and they’re happy with how Gabe Vincent has performed in his absence.

Miami also believed it had greater needs in the frontcourt, Jackson notes, which is why Kevin Love and Cody Zeller were prioritized on the buyout market. The front office looked into Westbrook, a source tells Jackson, but decided not to pursue him due to deficiencies on defense and with three-point shooting, as well as a negative review from a league insider.

Jackson hears that the Heat also had interest in Kyrie Irving when he asked the Nets for a trade, but management wasn’t unanimous in believing he would be a good addition. Miami never aggressively pursued a deal with Brooklyn, according to Jackson’s sources.

There’s more from Miami:

Longtime Heat point guard Goran Dragic may seem like an obvious target after being waived by the Bulls Tuesday, but Jackson doesn’t expect him to wind up in Miami. He and the team still have a good relationship, but sources tell Jackson there are more likely destinations, including the Mavericks, where he could team with fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic.
After falling into seventh place during a recent losing streak, the Heat will open a crucial six-game home stand Wednesday as they try to avoid the play-in tournament, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. It’s not a position the team expected to be in, but Udonis Haslem said players are focused on landing a top-six spot. “I don’t operate well in losing spaces. I’m tired of losing like Jimmy (Butler),” Haslem said. “We just got to keep fighting, though. We got a locker room full of fighters, we got a locker room full of guys who have built their reputation off hard work and they wouldn’t be here without that. So we got to go back to our roots and what got us here — busting our [butt] and working hard.”
The Heat have assigned Nikola Jovic and Omer Yurtseven to their G League affiliate as they try to return from injuries, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jovic has been sidelined since late December with a back injury, while Yurtseven is rehabbing from ankle surgery that has kept him out all season.

Heat Notes: Lowry, Love, Haslem, Cain

February 27th, 2023 at 7:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat guard Kyle Lowry missed his ninth consecutive game on Monday night due to left knee soreness but coach Erik Spoelstra provided an encouraging update, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Lowry had been listed as questionable to play before being ruled out.

“I didn’t need that. I didn’t even see that he got upgraded,” Spoelstra said. “That’s more training staff and league-related just to cover yourself. I’m more encouraged just by the work he has been able to do the last 10 days. He’s definitely making progress. I don’t have a timetable for his return. But he’s certainly doing a lot more.”

We have more from the Heat:

By using their bi-annual exception to secure Kevin Love‘s services as a free agent, the Heat have put themselves in a slightly better position to re-sign him this summer, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes. They can now give him a 20% raise on that amount (up to $3.7MM) to re-sign him as a non-Bird free agent without using any other exception money.
When he finally retires, Udonis Haslem will explore becoming a minority owner of the Heat and remaining active in the team’s daily doings, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “My commitment, even though I’ll be retired, is to be here just as much as the players and the staff and be committed to the process of the future and winning,” he said. “I look to take a path of ownership, but to be a working owner, not a guy who crosses his legs and sits on the sideline. I want to be a guy that connects the dots between the locker room and front office, connects the dots between the front office and the owners. Sometimes, you can miss things in those area.”
Two-way player Jamal Cain returned to the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce prior to Monday’s game, according to Chiang. Cain played five minutes against the Bucks on Friday in his first NBA appearance since mid-January.

Frustrated Butler "Tired Of Losing"

February 26th, 2023 at 7:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have lost four straight, including a five-point decision to the lottery-bound Hornets on Saturday, and Jimmy Butler is fed up, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Butler said he was “tired of losing.”

The Heat recently added Kevin Love and Cody Zeller but that hasn’t turned their fortunes around in the short run. “I don’t think anybody in here wants to lose,” Butler said. “We’ve got to figure this out very, very quickly.”

Kyle Lowry, who has been dealing with left knee soreness, has been upgraded to questionable for the Heat’s game against Philadelphia on Monday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. Tyler Herro is listed as questionable due to a rib contusion.

Heat Notes: Love, Martin, Crowder, Tucker

February 25th, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love‘s first game with the Heat was forgettable, but there’s reason to believe things will get better, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “We have to just throw that one away,” Love said after going scoreless in a 29-point loss at Milwaukee. However, Jackson points out that the night wasn’t a complete disaster for the veteran big man. He had eight rebounds and four assists and seemed to mesh well with his new teammates after going through just one practice.

Jackson notes that Bam Adebayo tends to excel when he’s paired with tall power forwards who can shoot, which hasn’t been the case for nearly two years. The most prominent examples are Kelly Olynyk and Meyers Leonard, who are both similar to Love in what they can do on the court.

“The biggest thing for me is passing, starting that fastbreak, closing possessions on the defensive end, using my shooting ability to help this team,” Love said. “… Nobody has to cater to me. I want to make the game easier for these guys.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Love’s addition means Caleb Martin is back on the bench after making 49 starts this season, Jackson adds. Martin, who was primarily a reserve during his first three NBA seasons, said he’s willing to accept whatever role coach Erik Spoelstra believes is best. “I prepared myself for something like that to happen,” Martin said. “It’s Spo’s job to figure out the best lineups, how guys fit in. He knows I’m one of those guys that’s willing to do what I’ve got to do.”
New Bucks forward Jae Crowder had Miami on his list of preferred destinations during his long holdout in Phoenix, Jackson tweets. Crowder, who made his season debut Friday night, played for the Heat when they reached the NBA Finals in 2020.
Because of an oddity in the schedule, the Heat won’t get their first look at P.J. Tucker until Monday night, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The defensive specialist played an important role in helping Miami post the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, but he hasn’t fit in as well with the Sixers. “Tuck always figures it out,” Spoelstra said. “I mean if you’re going to judge him by that last line in the box score, you are just really mistaken of how he can impact winning. Tuck does all those little, intangible things that really impact winning, that most people don’t really recognize.”

Heat Notes: Love, Martin, Lowry, Yurtseven

February 24th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Rory Maher

New addition Kevin Love got the surprise start at power forward on Friday night for the Heat, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. That moves Caleb Martin to the bench for the first time in 2022/23, Winderman adds (via Twitter).

Head coach Erik Spoelstra said it was a bit surprising that Love was available and a called the decision to sign him a “no-brainer,” Winderman writes in a story for The Sun Sentinel.

“First you go through the trade deadline and see if there was anything that makes sense, and there really wasn’t.” Spoelstra said. “And then you’re just hopeful, you’re not really sure of who’s going to get bought out. And you hear rumors. This one was a little bit of a surprise. And then when Kevin became available or at least there was possible discussion about it, everybody was all in on it. It was a no-brainer. The fit just makes a lot of sense for all of us.”

Part of the reason I’m surprised that Love got the starting nod is that Martin has been solid this season, averaging 10.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .454/.361/.764 shooting in 49 games (30.3 MPG). The other reason I’m surprised is that Love had been out of Cleveland’s rotation for the final 12 games leading into the All-Star break, which is reportedly why he wanted a buyout — this is his first appearance in a month.

Here’s more from Miami:

The team’s other recent addition, center Cody Zeller, was the first reserve to enter for the Heat in Friday’s contest, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). Zeller spent his first eight seasons in Charlotte, but played for Portland in ’21/22.
Point guard Kyle Lowry, who has been dealing with knee soreness, isn’t traveling with the team this weekend, but there’s a chance he could rejoin the team in Philadelphia on Monday, per Winderman (Twitter link).
According to Jackson, the Heat are weighing the possibility of using Lowry off the bench when he returns, though that decision also depends on how well Gabe Vincent and the Heat perform in his absence. Lowry heard his name pop up in trade rumors, but no deal was made. Jackson writes that Lowry and the Heat are on good terms and they’re confident on his knee prognosis, which played a factor in Miami adding two frontcourt players and not another ball-handler.
The plan is for Omer Yurtseven to play with Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, in about a week, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). Yurtseven is ramping up for his season debut following ankle surgery. “It’s going to be South Dakota, play in Sioux Falls for a bit and then feel good and move on,” Yurtseven said. “Step by step.”

Heat Notes: Love, Zeller, Home Stretch, Spoelstra

February 23rd, 2023 at 4:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Heat power forward Kevin Love unpacked the thinking behind his decision to sign with Miami, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). Love inked a rest-of-season deal worth $3.1MM with the Heat after reaching a contract buyout agreement with the Cavaliers. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“I felt it was a great opportunity for me to come here and just further what the Heat has had in place for so long and help them with size and shooting and rebounding and everything that are strengths in my game,” Love explained over a Zoom chat with several Miami reporters. “A lot of things factored into it. But for me, I think it was that role of being able to be myself and play to my strengths on a team that could really use it.”

As Chiang notes, the 6’8″ big man will help add some size and shooting in the frontcourt for a Heat team desperate for both. Chiang writes that there is a possibility Miami eventually starts Love over 6’5″ Caleb Martin.

There’s more out of South Beach:

The Heat’s other new post-trade deadline addition, center Cody Zeller, also spoke on Wednesday about joining the team, Chiang writes in another piece. Zeller, who signed a prorated veteran’s minimum contract to play for the club this season, is not quite sure how he will fit into the team’s roster just yet, as he told reporters in his own Zoom call. “I’ll do whatever role they want me to,” Zeller said. “I feel like I’m healthy. I can help a team if I’m called on. I’ll fit in wherever they need me.” While still with the Trail Blazers, Zeller suffered a patellar avulsion fracture in his right knee in January 2022 that required surgery. “I talked a lot with coach [Erik] Spoelstra and Pat Riley when I came to work out here about how I’ve hated playing the Heat throughout my whole career because you always know it’s going to be a tough game, you always know it’s going to be hard-playing guys, it’s going to be a physical game… So it’s kind of fun for me to be on the other side of it to be able to add to that and to kind of be able to be on the other side of it.”
In another Herald article (subscriber link), Chiang writes that the 32-27 Heat have a lot of lineup elements, including incorporating Love and Zeller, to sort out over the home stretch of the 2022/23 season as the seventh seed in the East prepares for a playoff run.
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra will need to tinker with his team’s rotation and even its starting lineup as the club gears up for the postseason, opines Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Though Winderman anticipates that Martin will retain his role as the team’s starting power forward over Love for the immediate future, he does think the team will take a look at whether to start Gabe Vincent over Kyle Lowry, how much run Victor Oladipo will receive as a high-upside reserve, and who will ultimately be the team’s primary backup center.