Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs, Kevin Love Complete Buyout; Heat In Lead To Sign Him

February 18th, 2023 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

3:46pm: The buyout is now official and Love has been waived, the Cavs announced in a press release.

“Kevin Love had an outstanding run with the Cavaliers, including memorable on-court moments, four NBA Finals appearances and an NBA Championship in 2016,” said president of basketball operations Koby Altman. “Kevin represented the organization and the city of Cleveland with the utmost charm and professionalism during his nine seasons in Northeast Ohio.

“He also embodied everything a franchise would want in a player, and the admiration and gratitude we have for him will ultimately land his jersey in the rafters of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. We thank Kevin for his impact and wish him nothing but the best, knowing that he has solidified his place in the hearts of Cavaliers fans and this organization forever.”

11:07am: The Cavaliers and Love have completed a buyout, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Wojnarowski confirms that Miami is the frontrunner to sign Love, but says he intends to talk to to the Sixers before finalizing a decision.

9:29am: The Heat have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Kevin Love once he finalizes a buyout agreement with the Cavaliers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Charania explains, other teams with interest in signing Love believe he favors Miami due to the Heat’s ability to offer a defined role, as well as their position in the standings.

The Heat are currently the seventh seed in the East, but have a three-game cushion on the eight-place Hawks and are within striking distance of the Knicks and Nets, the two teams directly ahead of them for the East’s final two guaranteed playoff berths.

Miami has been on the lookout all season long for power forward help following P.J. Tucker‘s exit in free agency last summer. Caleb Martin has served as a de facto starter at that spot for much of the season, but the 6’5″ wing lacks the size to match up with stronger, more physical fours.

Love, who has been out of the Cavs’ rotation and is said to be nearing a buyout, can’t replicate what Tucker did for the Heat last season, since he’s not as stout or as versatile defensively. But the 34-year-old can bring some size, scoring, and rebounding to a Miami team that ranks 26th in the NBA in offensive rating (111.1) and 27th in rebounds per game (41.4).

Love’s averages of 8.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG on .389/.354/.889 shooting in 41 games (20.0 MPG) for the Cavs this season are somewhat underwhelming, but he put up 13.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and a .430/.392/.838 shooting line in a similar role (22.5 MPG) across 74 appearances for Cleveland last season.

The Heat have an opening on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move would be necessary to add Love, though there are still a few steps to go before the move can become official. The Cavs will need to formally buy out and waive Love, then he’ll spend two days on waivers. Once he become a free agent, Miami would still need to hold off a last-minute push from rival suitors to make things official with the five-time All-Star.

The Suns are among the teams believed to have interest in Love, while the Lakers were also reportedly “kicking the tires,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance (YouTube video link).

Cody Zeller Worked Out For Heat

February 17th, 2023 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat recently brought in free agent center Cody Zeller for a workout, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Zeller spent his first eight NBA seasons in Charlotte, then played for Portland in 2021/22. He had a limited role for the Blazers last season, averaging 5.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG in a career-low 13.1 minutes off the bench in 27 games before a right patellar avulsion fracture ended his season.

Zeller signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with Utah this past September, but failed to earn a spot on the Jazz’s regular season roster and was waived at the end of the preseason. He has been seeking a new NBA home since then and also worked out for the Lakers earlier in the season.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported this week, the Heat – who have one spot available on their 15-man roster and can create a second opening when Jamaree Bouyea‘s 10-day deal expires – are prioritizing frontcourt targets. Winderman mentioned Kevin Love and Serge Ibaka as possibilities and it appears the team is considering other vets as well.

Power forward is the spot the Heat would really like to address, but their center rotation isn’t entirely settled either. While rookie big man Orlando Robinson has been Bam Adebayo‘s primary backup for much of the season, he’s approaching the games-played limit on his two-way contract and would need to be promoted to the 15-man roster to remain active beyond that limit.

The Heat traded away Dewayne Dedmon prior to this month’s deadline and don’t seem comfortable relying on veteran Udonis Haslem to play a regular role. Omer Yurtseven is nearing his return from left ankle surgery, but it’s unclear how effective he’ll be after being sidelined for several months.

Suns Among Teams Interested In Kevin Love

February 16th, 2023 at 10:39pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns are among the teams interested in Kevin Love if he finalizes a buyout with the Cavaliers, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said in an appearance on Pardon the Interruption (YouTube link).

As Windhorst points out, Love was teammates with Suns president of basketball operations James Jones when Cleveland won its lone championship in 2016, so there’s a connection there. Love also played with Kevin Durant and Chris Paul on Team USA in 2012, when the Americans went undefeated in the London Olympics.

The Suns have an open roster spot and both their taxpayer mid-level and bi-annual exceptions available, so they could offer Love more than a minimum-salary contract if they’re so inclined.

According to Windhorst, Love requested the buyout due to a lack of playing time, having been a healthy scratch for the past 12 games. Windhorst suggests the Cavs weren’t “thrilled” with the request, but they had gone 9-3 with Love out of the rotation, so they didn’t want to switch things up when they’re having success without him.

A few teams called Windhorst after the news broke requesting background information on the veteran big man, so he is attracting interest despite having a down year — Love is averaging career lows in points (8.5), rebounds (6.8), minutes per game (20.0). A thumb injury, which is now healed, limited his effectiveness from an efficiency standpoint, as his FG% (.389) and 3PT% (.354) are his worst marks since 2012/13, when the 34-year-old played just 18 games due to injury.

Windhorst says the Heat are “very interested” in Love, but notes that Cleveland might have to play Miami in the first round of the playoffs — paying him to join a direct competitor in the East obviously doesn’t make much sense. Windhorst wonders if the Cavs will negotiate to try to force Love to join a Western Conference team instead.

Heat Notes: Love, D. Robinson, Injuries, Herro

February 16th, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat may be able to attract Kevin Love by offering a starting role, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. News broke late Wednesday night that Love is involved in buyout talks with the Cavaliers, and Miami was mentioned as a possible destination for the 34-year-old big man, who was recently removed from the rotation in Cleveland.

Caleb Martin currently serves as the Heat’s starting power forward, but at 6’5″ it’s not his natural position. Love could bring more size, better rebounding and improved passing to the starting lineup if he can be convinced to sign with Miami. Winderman notes that the addition of Love would also reduce the urgency to give a standard contract to Orlando Robinson, who is nearing the end of his eligibility on his two-way deal.

The Heat have their full $4MM+ bi-annual exception available, as well as $3MM+ on their mid-level exception, which gives them an advantage in the buyout market over teams that are limited to minimum-salary offers. Miami has also been linked to players such as Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley, but Winderman hears that the front office is prioritizing front-line help over a guard, making Love or Serge Ibaka a more likely target (Twitter link).

There’s more from Miami:

Duncan Robinson was able to return Wednesday after finger surgery in January sidelined him for the past 20 games, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson, who still feels discomfort in his finger, was originally expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, but he played Wednesday because the team has so many other injured players. “That was one of the things that I knew when I elected to do the procedure is that there was going to be pain,” Robinson said. “But it’s significantly less than it was before and it functions better than it did before.”
The Heat will welcome the All-Star break to heal up from their injuries, Chiang adds. Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo and Omer Yurtseven were all unavailable Wednesday, and Miami ranks second in the league with 235 missed games. All five players are expected back at varying points after the break ends. “The biggest thing for us is we’re glad everybody will get fresh legs,” Martin said. “We’ve been down a lot of guys most of the season, so it will be good to get everybody fresh from the jump.”
Herro is considered day-to-day with a left knee contusion, but he’s still expected to participate in the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, according to Chiang.

Kevin Love, Cavaliers Nearing Buyout Agreement

February 16th, 2023 at 12:11am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is working toward a buyout agreement with the team, sources inform Shams Charania and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

Love is currently making $28.9MM in the final season of a four-year, $120MM contract extension he signed with the team in 2018. The deal kicked in the following season.

According to The Athletic’s writers, the Heat are already said to be interested in procuring Love’s services. Given Miami’s issues with floor spacing and its lack of traditionally sized power forwards, this would feel like a natural fit.

The 34-year-old big man has been with the Cavaliers since he was traded to the club by the Timberwolves ahead of the 2014/15 NBA season.

Love, a five-time All-Star, won a title in Cleveland in 2016 alongside All-Stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. As Charania and Lloyd note, the former No. 5 pick out of UCLA was the only remaining player from that title team who was part of the exciting ’22/23 club that is currently the fourth seed in the East.

The 6’10” vet had fallen out of Cleveland rotation last month around the same time Dean Wade returned from a shoulder injury. Love played what could be his last game for the team on January 24, a 105-103 loss to the Knicks.

Even before that, Love had taken more of a backseat to Cleveland’s starting frontcourt tandem of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen this season. 6’7″ Cedi Osman has taken on more minutes as the team’s de facto reserve power forward of late.

Across 41 games while still in the team’s rotation, Love posted averages of 8.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG, with shooting splits of .389/.354/.889.

Bouyea Getting Opportunity During 10-Day Deal

February 14th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamaree Bouyea, who is playing on a 10-day contract, logged 28 minutes off the bench in the Heat’s 112-108 loss to the Nuggets on Monday. Miami will have to decide after the All-Star break whether to offer him another 10-day — or give him a two-way slot if the team elevates Orlando Robinson to the 15-man roster. “I feel like if we keep him around, he’ll continue to show he can really play basketball,” Bam Adebayo told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Injury Updates: Curry Brothers, LeBron, Kuzma, Robinson

February 14th, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s still no target date for Stephen Curry‘s return from a left leg injury, as he told reporters – including Kendra Andrews of ESPN – on Monday. The Warriors announced last week that Curry would be reevaluated after the All-Star break, but even if that assessment goes well, the former MVP won’t be ready to return to action right away.

“Ligaments can heal in all different types of timelines,” Curry said. “So there’s a window for each checkpoint. After the All-Star break, I will hopefully get back on the court, and then depending on how things go from there, we can key in on a specific date to get back.”

As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, the Warriors have a busy schedule out of the All-Star break, with six contests in nine days, so Curry’s missed games could add up quickly if he still needs a week or two to get up to speed after his next reevaluation.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

A left adductor strain has kept Nets wing Seth Curry on the shelf for the last five games, but he has been cleared to return on Wednesday vs. Miami, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Lakers star LeBron James has missed three straight games with foot and ankle injuries and could get an extra week of rest if he sits out the team’s last game before the All-Star break. However, head coach Darvin Ham said on Monday that “in all likelihood” James will return on Wednesday vs. New Orleans, writes Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group.
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma will be back in action on Tuesday night in Portland after missing four consecutive games with a left ankle sprain, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, who has been sidelined since January 2 due to finger surgery, appears to be on the verge of returning. He has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard Headline 3-Point Contest Field

February 14th, 2023 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will participate in this weekend’s 3-point contest in addition to the All-Star Game, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The eight-man field will be filled out by four non-All-Stars, according to Charania: Lillard’s Blazers teammate Anfernee Simons, Haliburton’s Pacers teammate Buddy Hield, Heat guard Tyler Herro, and Kings wing Kevin Huerter.

Some of those names had been previously reported, but Charania is the first to reveal all eight participants.

The eight-man field includes just one player who has previously won the event. Hield was the 3-point champion back in 2020 when he was still a member of the Kings. He also has the highest 3PT% of any of this season’s participants at 42.3% — that ranks 11th in the NBA among qualified players in 2022/23, so none of the league’s top 10 shooters are participating.

Last year’s winner, Karl-Anthony Towns, remains sidelined for the Timberwolves due to a calf strain, so he won’t get the chance to defend his title.

Markkanen will be the hometown favorite, with the event scheduled to take place this coming Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Heat Notes: Yurtseven, Lowry, O. Robinson, Ibaka

February 13th, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat’s approach to the buyout market may depend on the prognosis for Omer Yurtseven and Kyle Lowry, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami will have two roster openings when Jamaree Bouyea‘s two-way contract expires and will have to fill at least one of them within two weeks of that date.

Yurtseven is recovering after undergoing left ankle surgery in November and is expected to make his season debut shortly after the All-Star break. He appeared in 56 games as a rookie last season and might be entrusted with the backup center minutes. If the Heat are confident in Yurtseven, they may not look to add a free agent big man.

Chiang notes that the team’s level of confidence in Yurtseven could also affect Orlando Robinson, who has been the reserve center for the past month but can only be on the active roster for six more games on his two-way contract. Miami could fill one of its roster spots by converting Robinson to a standard deal, which would make him eligible for the playoffs, but the need to do that is lessened if Yurtseven takes over as the backup center.

Lowry, who’s dealing with soreness in his left knee, is expected to miss the rest of February and maybe more time beyond that, according to Chiang. The Heat are rumored to be a potential suitor for Russell Westbrook if he reaches a buyout with Utah, and Lowry’s health could affect how they proceed.

There’s more on the Heat:

There may be mutual interest with Serge Ibaka, who was waived by the Pacers over the weekend, Chiang adds. The 33-year-old only played 16 games for the Bucks before being traded, but he could provide shot blocking and outside shooting, along with a wealth of playoff experience.
Chiang points out that Miami can be competitive on the buyout market following last week’s trade of Dewayne Dedmon. The Heat are now almost $5MM under the threshold, allowing them to use their $4.1MM bi-annual exception or the roughly $3.2MM left on their mid-level exception without facing tax penalties.
Lowry’s injury may open the door to making him a bench player once he returns, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Even when healthy, Lowry hasn’t been up to his usual standards this season, averaging just 12.0 PPG while shooting 39.6% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. Gabe Vincent has been starting at point guard while Lowry is sidelined, and a buyout addition could take over that job for the rest of the season.

Heat Notes: Standing Pat, Lowry, Butler, Yurtseven, Westbrook

February 12th, 2023 at 10:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There are numerous factors why the Heat have not added a veteran player via trade or free agency for nearly eight months, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Topping the list for the Heat’s lack of activity is that all of their available trade assets, except for Caleb Martin, either regressed, stagnated, or got injured. Other factors include a lack of mid-range salaries to include in potential trades, and that fact that no All-Stars on other teams lobbied for a trade to Miami.

We have more on the Heat:

They were unable to move Kyle Lowry‘s salary before the trade deadline and there’s concern how well the veteran point guard can move physically the rest of the season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. Lowry has been dealing with left knee soreness and he could be sidelined for several weeks as he continues to receive treatment. He hasn’t played since Feb. 2.
Jimmy Butler played this weekend in both games of a back-to-back for the first time since late October, Chiang notes. However, Nikola Jovic (lower back stress reaction), Victor Oladipo (right ankle sprain), Duncan Robinson (finger surgery) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle surgery), as well as Lowry, remained sidelined. Coach Erik Spoelstra said that, among the injured players, only Oladipo has a chance to play before the All-Star break.
Yurtseven will be a free agent after the season and the team hopes he’ll provide a late-season boost, much like Oladipo did last season, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Yurtseven, who underwent ankle surgery in November, has been cleared for high-impact work. “I just like the progress,” Spoelstra said of Yurtseven. “Things in our center position are trending in a much better direction, for sure.”
The Heat have internally discussed adding Russell Westbrook in he chooses to take a buyout from the Jazz, according to Jackson. Westbrook may not make a decision about whether to go the buyout route until the All-Star break.