Amar’e Stoudemire Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Stoudemire, Horford, James

January 28th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

New Cavs coach Tyronn Lue has publicly criticized Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving for “worrying too much about their brand,” something that LeBron James says isn’t an issue for himself, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “All I wanted to do is win,” James told Haynes. “I do whatever it takes to win. I sacrifice whatever to win. When you’re younger, you don’t quite know how to do it at this level, but I did experience [winning] at the high school level. It don’t matter what level you are, if you’re able to win and win a championship, or win a national championship or a state championship, you have to make sacrifices. I knew I was a winner at heart and I knew I would put the work in to be a winner. I’m always the guy that understood that there’s no better recipe for your brand or your stature than winning. There’s nothing else better than that. There’s no other way to propel that to the highest level, than winning. So, that’s always been my mindset.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Heat power forward Amar’e Stoudemire believes he still has some basketball left in the tank and isn’t currently contemplating retiring at the end of this season, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post relays. He wants to play two or three more seasons, Lieser adds (on Twitter). “I’ve still got it,” Stoudemire said. “I’m not too far removed from doing that. It’s just a matter of finding a nice balance where I can stay consistent. My body’s been feeling great and strong. I feel healthy, my passion is there. If that continues, I’m just gonna feel better and better and I’m gonna play better and better. There’s a lot more left in me. No question.” The 33-year-old is averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.5 minutes over his 18 appearances this season.
The Hawks shouldn’t trade either Al Horford or Jeff Teague this season, Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution opines. Dennis Schröder isn’t ready to take the reigns as a full-time starter yet, and Horford fits the team’s system extremely well as a big man, Bradley writes. The scribe also adds that if the Cavaliers falter, Atlanta could be the beneficiary come playoff time, which would make dealing away one or both of the pair a riskier move than normal.

And-Ones: Nets, Mullin, Stoudemire

January 10th, 2016 at 10:42pm CST by Will Joseph

Current St. John’s coach and former Warriors GM Chris Mullin, who is from Brooklyn, is a name that Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com has heard in regards to the Nets’ new head coaching vacancy (Twitter link). This is the first mention of Mullin in connection to the Nets that we’ve learned of and it is not yet known how serious a candidate he is to consider.

In other news regarding the Nets’ shakeup today, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com hears reports that claim former GM Billy King will advise in the search for his successor are “totally true” (Twitter link).

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Amar’e Stoudemire considered signing with the Suns, which is one of his former teams, over the summer before he joined the Heat, opting to instead play on a title contender, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports (scroll down). The Suns drafted Stoudemire in 2002. He captured the Rookie of the Year award and made five All-Star teams with the Suns. “That’s why I chose Miami, but Phoenix is still not ruled out,” Stoudemire said. “I have a lot of basketball left in me.” Stoudemire, 33, will be a free agent again this summer.
Point guard Jordan Farmar, who last played in the league in 2014/15 for the Clippers and is mostly known for his time with the Lakers, wants to be back in the NBA and would not turn down a 10-day contract, international journalist David Pick reports (on Twitter). Farmer parted ways with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv today after signing overseas in July, according to the team’s Twitter (h/t Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
Tyson Chandler‘s four-year, $52MM pact with the Suns was one of the summer’s worst free agent deals because the 33-year-old has struggled mightily with his new team, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders opines. Omer Asik‘s contract with the Pelicans and Kyle Singler‘s deal with the Thunder also made Basketball Insiders’ list.
After making the playoffs last season and then signing Greg Monroe, the Bucks are a disappointing 15-24, but with young stars on the roster, Milwaukee’s position is still an enviable one going forward, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes. There is still a lot of hope that the Bucks can contend beyond this season because Jabari Parker is 20, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 21 and Monroe is 25, Thomsen adds. With another top-10 pick likely coming in June, the Bucks remain in good shape for the long-term, Thomsen contends.

Eastern Notes: Monroe, Irving, Stoudemire

November 24th, 2015 at 1:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Greg Monroe believes his departure from the Pistons played a role in Andre Drummond‘s ascension as the NBA’s leading per-game rebounder, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details. The Pistons replaced Monroe, who averaged 10.2 rebounds alongside Drummond, with trade acquisition Ersan Ilyasova, who’s averaging only 3.6.

“When you have someone you’re playing with that averages 10 rebounds, too, you’re going to get a few less rebounds,” Monroe said. “There’s a lot more rebounds available, so he’s gonna get more. It’s not surprising to me at all. He’s always had that motor. He’s always had that hunger to rebound.”

Drummond’s average on the boards has jumped from 13.5 last season to 17.6 this year. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Kyrie Irving is expected to return for the Cavaliers before January, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Concerns that his absence would linger into the new year existed over the summer.
Amar’e Stoudemire calls it a “long shot,” but he won’t rule out playing next season with Hapoel Jerusalem, the Israeli team in which he has an ownership stake, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Stoudemire is on a one-year deal with the Heat. “I had a pretty strong 14-year career so far,’’ Stoudemire said. “Right now I’m taking it one day at a time, one season at a time. I don’t know how much time left I have as a player. I’m just cherishing the moment and try to develop the young guys.’’
Offseason trade addition Jared Dudley is a smaller version of Nene in many ways, observes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Dudley insists that Nene, a free agent at season’s end, remains an integral part of the Wizards in spite of his reduced role, as Michael relays. “Offensively, it starts with Nene,” Dudley said. “He’s the one guy [on the second unit] that can get his own shot and then we move the ball. Me being the four, when I get the ball even when I’m open sometimes it’s getting the ball side to side and getting other guys involved.”

Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Celtics, Stoudemire

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov doesn’t feel like pushing the panic button despite the team’s woeful start, as he indicated to Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com in an email exchange. Prokhorov is preaching patience, which is something he hasn’t shown in the past, Vasquez notes. “We have a lot of new players and quite a few younger pieces, so it takes some time for the team to gel and to show its full potential,” Prokhorov told Vasquez, adding that “I think we’ve seen some positive progress and my hope is that these efforts will soon be reflected in the wins column.”

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics have positioned themselves for a very bright future, as Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post analyzes in his new role as the newspaper’s national NBA columnist. GM Danny Ainge made shrewd moves in the draft and in trades to secure quality pieces like Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas but that’s just the start, Bontemps continues. They have the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick next summer, courtesy of the 2013 Paul Pierce–Kevin Garnett trade, with an unprotected pick swap in 2017 and another unprotected first rounder in 2018 still to come their way from the deal. They could also have more than $50MM in salary-cap space next offseason to chase high-level free agents, Bontemps adds.
Heat power forward Amar’e Stoudemire blames his Knicks coaches for not taking advantage of his offensive skills in conjunction with Carmelo Anthony, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Stoudemire and Anthony wanted to run more pick-and-rolls together during Stoudemire’s years in New York but couldn’t get their coaches, namely Mike D’Antoni and Mike Woodson, to call those plays often enough, Berman continues. “I don’t think that pick-and-roll offense between Melo and I was ever taken advantage of, which we could have,” he told Berman. “The way he shoots the ball, handles the ball from the outside and the way I attack the rim, it could’ve been a pretty good combination. I don’t think the coaching staff at the time really bought into that.’’
The Raptors have to do a better job of getting everyone on the roster up to speed with all of their plays, according to Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Coach Dwane Casey has become increasing reliant on his reserves, and they haven’t demonstrated that they know the plays as thoroughly as the starters, Ganter adds.

And-Ones: Sixers, Bucks, Stoudemire

November 22nd, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Will Joseph

One reason why the Sixers are the worst team in the league right now is because almost half the team’s salary (which is close to $60MM) is going to players no longer on the roster, Michael Schwartz of ESPN.com details. Perhaps even more startling, 17 players make more this season than the combined salaries of the Sixers players who have taken the court this season, according to Schwartz. While the present is dreadful, the future seems bright, Schwartz writes, because the Sixers could own up to four first-round draft picks in the 2016 draft and already have five draft picks from the past three drafts under team control.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

The Bucks have assigned Damien Inglis to the Canton Charge of the D-League, Milwaukee announced in a press release. Inglis is headed to the Cavs affiliate as part of the flexible assignment rule since the Bucks are without a one-to-one partnership with a D-League team. Inglis has appeared in five games for the Bucks this season and averaged 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
Amar’e Stoudemire believes his lack of playing time is part of a bigger plan to preserve his body, Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. Stoudemire has played in only two games with the Heat despite saying he is healthy, Berman notes. “We’ve got a big picture in mind,” Stoudemire said. “We know we want to be there in the postseason. We want guys to stay healthy. Now, it’s not about wearing somebody down during the regular season. It’s about really just keeping the maintenance program and making sure we’re at 100% strength by the playoffs.” The veteran power forward inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with Miami this past summer.
David West, who signed with the Spurs for $1.5MM as a backup instead of staying with the Pacers for $12MM, is playing well while filling in for LaMarcus Aldridge, who remains sidelined, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes.

Eastern Notes: Harris, Stoudemire, Dudley

November 20th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite beginning their inaugural campaign winless, the Raptors‘ D-League affiliate isn’t going to judge its success based on winning percentage, but rather by how well it develops the franchise’s young talent like Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca writes. “It’s hard because so much in professional basketball is gauged on wins and losses, and it’s just not that way here,” said Raptors 905 coach Jesse Mermuys. “That’s not the goal and so really if we start getting guys called up, then we’re having success. And if we start losing players to other teams and for some reason Lucas and Bruno are able to enter a [NBA] game this season for whatever reason and perform at a decent level, then it’s a success. We’re just going to really focus on the players, put the players’ development in the forefront. That’s a hard thing for a coach to do but I’m fully aware of it. I’m committed to it.”

Here’s more from the East:

The Cavaliers have assigned shooting guard Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the second jaunt of the season to Canton for Harris.
Heat power forward Amar’e Stoudemire has only made two appearances this season and says that keeping himself prepared for this type of role is the most difficult thing that he has had to do in his career, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald tweets. The veteran big man inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with Miami this past summer.
Jared Dudley is finally healthy and he is beginning to make an impact on the court for the Wizards, but despite the swingman being primarily known as a scorer, he’s finding other ways to contribute to the team, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com notes. “It’s not so much scoring,” coach Randy Wittman said of Dudley. “Spacing, smart, ball movement, being in the right spot, fighting his tail off at the defensive end. I like those things that he’s done the last couple of games.“

Heat Notes: Wade, Stoudemire, Whiteside

November 19th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwyane Wade parlayed 21.5 points per game last season into a one-year, $20MM contract this summer, but even as he faces free agency again in the coming offseason, he’s not worried about his individual accomplishments, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Wade is averaging just 10.8 points per contest in his last four games.

“This year, this team is about trying to win. This is not a year where I’m worrying about scoring,” Wade said.

The Heat aren’t doing too much winning so far this year, at 6-4, but they have an opportunity to improve their record at home tonight against the Kings. See more from Miami:

Amar’e Stoudemire has only played in one game for the Heat this season, thanks in part to sore knees, but he’s not complaining and not looking for a trade, agent Travis King tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Stoudemire signed a one-year deal for the minimum salary with Miami in the offseason. “He’s fine with it; he’s a team player and is glad to be with the organization,” King said of his client’s lack of playing time. “… He talked to [Erik Spoelstra about the situation]. He has made his money. He doesn’t have to play for another contract. He just wants to win.”
Hassan Whiteside has maintained his strong play from the second half of last season into this season, as Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald examines, and he’s meshed well on both ends of the floor, as Matt Lurie of RealGM details. All of it is liable to add up to a maximum-salary deal this summer for last year’s minimum-salary signee, Skolnick writes.
Wade and Chris Bosh see plenty of depth on the Heat this year thanks to the infusion of youth that Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson represent, observes Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.

Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Heat, Wizards

September 29th, 2015 at 9:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is entering the final season of his current deal, but there is mutual interest between the team and the 26-year-old in reaching an agreement on a new contract next offseason, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Speaking about his feelings for Atlanta, Bazemore said, “I’ve come to love Atlanta. Of the whole summer, I was probably only gone two weeks. I’ve spent a lot of time here. I just moved into a new house. I’m renting it. Maybe I can buy it next year.” Bazemore and the Hawks will have to wait until next summer to work out a new deal since his current deal was signed for less than four years, meaning Bazemore is ineligible to sign an extension during the season, Vivlamore adds.

Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:

Heat assistant Dan Craig was officially named as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced. The news of Craig’s hiring was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Jaron Johnson‘s one-year deal with the Wizards is non-guaranteed and for the league minimum, while Jaleel Roberts‘ agreement is also for the minimum, but his includes a partial guarantee of $10K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links).
The Heat‘s deals with John Lucas III and Tre Kelley are one-year pacts for the league minimum and do not include any guaranteed salary, Pincus tweets.
Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said that it may make more sense for the team to carry the regular season maximum of 15 players rather than keeping a slot open, Vivlamore tweets. Atlanta currently has 13 players inked to fully guaranteed deals.
The Hornets are hoping that Jeremy Lamb will get off to a fresh start in Charlotte after not seeing much playing time during his three seasons with the Thunder, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Lamb was acquired back in June in exchange for for Luke Ridnour and a 2016 second-round pick.
Greg Stiemsma‘s and Nnanna Egwu‘s one-year, minimum salary deals with the Magic are non-guaranteed, while Keith Appling and Jordan Sibert‘s minimum salary arrangements include partial guarantees of $100K, Pincus relays in a series of tweets.
The presence of Goran Dragic, who re-signed with the Heat this offseason, was a big draw for Amar’e Stoudemire to join Miami as a free agent, Surya Fernandez of SB Nation tweets. Of Dragic, Stoudemire said, “If he would have stayed in Phoenix, I would have thought about going back to Phoenix.“

Southeast Notes: Richardson, Heat, Napier

September 24th, 2015 at 10:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It was concerns regarding his long-term health that led Jason Richardson to call it a career and retire, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports writes. “I didn’t want to limp the rest of my life,” Richardson told Spears. “I still have my whole life in front of me, God willing. I sat alone at a park in Atlanta thinking and no one said anything to me because they didn’t recognize me since I just got there. I talked to my wife for an hour on the phone and then I sat for five hours thinking while listening to music before deciding that retiring was the right thing to do.” The 34-year-old had signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Hawks for the league minimum back in August. “I worked hard and had love and passion for the game,” Richardson added. “But I didn’t want to be that guy who was just there collecting a paycheck.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is excited about the team’s offseason additions of Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. “If you had told me a year ago we would have an opportunity to sign both those players, I would have said that’s not realistic,” Spoelstra said. “We recruited Amar’e in 2010 and were fans of his game back then. His game has evolved and he has found a niche and a role the last couple of years we definitely can take advantage of. Gerald Green is an explosive player. Those type of game changing players are tough to find in this league. He has been very committed to get to know us and also be in a great shape. To be part of a championship culture and a team with high expectations. I told him you put on this jersey, there are different expectations. He loves the challenge of that.”
Point guard Shabazz Napier, whom the Magic acquired from Miami back in July, is expected to be the team’s third point guard behind Elfrid Payton and C.J. Watson, but the hope is that he can be developed into a future asset, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes.
The Magic are pleased with the progress they have seen from Payton, who is entering his second season in the league, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays. When asked about the young guard’s outside shooting, coach Scott Skiles said, “It’s better. He’s put in a lot of time. He’s dedicated himself to it. Obviously, it doesn’t stop just because the season starts. Elfrid’s a talented guy. He’s still a young player. It’s a tough position to learn. Generally, guys aren’t totally polished at that in their second year in the NBA. But as I said before, ‘progress, not perfection.’ We just want him to continue to make progress, and we’re really high on him.“

Heat Notes: Stoudemire, Whiteside, D-League

August 24th, 2015 at 5:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Two months ago, it seemed like the Heat might be on the verge of major changes, with Dwyane Wade pushing for a more lucrative deal than the Heat planned for him and uncertainty surrounding Luol Deng and his player option. Deng ultimately opted in, and while Wade opted out, he re-signed with the Heat on a one-year, $20MM deal. Miami also re-signed Goran Dragic and boosted its depth with the additions of Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green. There’s news on Stoudemire amid the latest from South Beach:

Stoudemire already feels comfortable with the Heat and said today that while he’ll accept whatever his role with the team might be, he feels he’s capable of playing like an All-Star again, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “From playing against Miami, the thing that you learn is that they always have a competitive spirit,” Stoudemire said. “There’s an aura around here that everyone works hard, that you have to be in top shape which is great because I want to be in the best shape of my life going into this season. I want to surprise the world and have a very, very productive year.”
Hassan Whiteside, who figures to be a hot commodity among free agents in 2016, will likely see only 20-25 minutes per game most nights this season for the Heat, assistant coach Dan Craig tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. However, Whiteside probably wants to have an expanded role in a contract year this season, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes in a mailbag column. While Craig cited small ball as a reason to keep the big man’s minutes low, the coach also said Whiteside has made progress toward becoming a better small ball player this summer.
The Heat and the D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce formally extended their one-to-one affiliation deal, the Heat announced. The Skyforce have been Miami’s exclusive D-League partner for the past two seasons even though Miami and Sioux Falls are separated by about 1,800 miles.