Andre Iguodala Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Iguodala, Williams, Winslow, Olynyk

February 10th, 2020 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

As Andre Iguodala remained in limbo for months in Memphis, rumors swirled about where he’d eventually land. When he spoke to Iguodala following his trade to Miami, Sam Amick of The Athletic pointed out that teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Rockets were mentioned more often than the Heat as possible destinations. However, the veteran forward told Amick he was impressed by what he’d seen from the Heat this season.

“I watched them on TV a few times, and they’d been doing so well that they’re on everybody’s radar,” Iguodala said. “Like, ‘Man, these boys can play.’ They’re disciplined, they’re playing the right way, the DNA that’s in the organization, and how they drive the DNA and all the players who come through their system, from seasoned guys to young guys to undrafted guys and all the picks. They’re doing a good job with developing their players.”

A report leading up to the trade deadline suggested that Iguodala may decide to sit out the rest of the season if he wasn’t sent to one of his preferred landing spots, and it wasn’t clear that Miami was on that list. The 36-year-old didn’t confirm one way or the other whether he had to be talked into joining the Heat, but did say that a conversation with team president Pat Riley made him enthusiastic about the move.

“It’s just really getting you excited to play basketball, and getting you excited about what you’re going to do and what you’re bringing to the table,” Iguodala told Amick. “And when someone tells you that this is what you do, and this is what we’ve seen you do historically, and this is what we want you to do for us, it’s like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to do that.’ So that’s always good.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

What can Iguodala bring to the Heat? Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald passes along thoughts from Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Kelly Olynyk, Udonis Haslem, and Jimmy Butler on that subject.
The Heat were among several teams to inquire on forward Marvin Williams when he was bought out by Charlotte on Friday, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Although Miami missed out on Williams, the team still could be active on the buyout market. Riley said on Friday that the team wouldn’t mind adding a frontcourt player to help with rim protection, if possible.
One Heat official told Jackson that Justise Winslow had hoped to have a more prominent role and be one of the faces of the franchise in Miami. Winslow may have more of an opportunity to get that kind of role in Memphis, once he gets healthy.
After trading Dion Waiters and James Johnson last week, the Heat can get up to about $27MM in cap room this summer. That number would increase even further if Olynyk declines his $13.2MM player option, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Olynyk hasn’t made that decision yet, suggesting he’ll have to weigh a handful of factors this spring. “I think it’s an accumulation of everything,” he said. “I mean, obviously you want to play. You want to win. You want to get paid. So, yeah, it’s like an accumulation of everything.”

Andre Iguodala Still Elite In Riley’s Mind

February 7th, 2020 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat president Pat Riley isn’t worried about Andre Iguodala‘s age or the fact the veteran forward hasn’t played this season, as he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald and other reporters. In fact, Riley took a different spin on Iguodala sitting out while waiting for the Grizzlies to trade him to a contender. Miami acquired Iguodala from Memphis in a deadline deal.

“He’s an elite defender, an elite team defender; an elite assist-to-turnover percentage. You don’t lose that in seven months,” Riley said. “Probably a blessing in disguise he didn’t play in seven months. He’s in shape. He’s definitely going to have to get his basketball legs under him. As long as he’s healthy he can play.”

Riley also touched on a number of other subjects:

He was unwilling to give Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari a guaranteed 2021/22 contract extension, which prevented a trade for the OKC forward. That supports an ESPN report earlier today. Miami wanted to protect its projected cap space for the summer of 2021, when several high-level players are expected to hit the free agent market. “I wanted everything. But I wasn’t going to … compromise a two-year plan,” Riley said, adding “I like Gallo. I think he would have fit in really well. “
Trading Justise Winslow to Memphis in a three-team deal that also included Minnesota was the hard part for Riley. Winslow has been injured most of the season. “I know he’s missed 150 games during 4 ½ years with us,” Riley said. “We’re going to miss him. The Memphis Grizzlies got a great young player.”
No decision has been made on whether to offer Derrick Jones Jr. a contract this offseason. Jones becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. “I like the fact he’s improved his three-point shooting,” Riley said. “Like the fact he’s become a better, more consistent defender. When that time comes we have a decision to make.”
The Heat will scour the buyout market for a rim protector, per Riley: “We will keep our eyes out. We are happy part of this transaction gives us the possibility of a buyout player later on.”

Heat Notes: Gallinari, Olynyk, Jones, Iguodala

February 7th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

For a few hours on Thursday, it looked as if the Heat would end up adding not just Andre Iguodala but Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari as well. However, Oklahoma City ultimately ended up not getting involved in the deal with Miami and Memphis that saw Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill land with the Heat.

Like they did with Iguodala, the Heat were trying to complete an extend-and-trade deal for Gallinari, but the team’s desire to keep its 2021/22 cap sheet as clear as possible complicated those extensions talks. If the Heat had been willing to do an extension that was guaranteed through 2022, ESPN’s Zach Lowe believes they likely would’ve been able to acquire Gallinari without surrendering any of their key young players.

According to Lowe, talks between Miami and Oklahoma City focused on draft compensation. The Thunder already own the Heat’s top-14 protected 2023 first-round pick and wanted the protections lifted on that selection so that Miami could also trade its 2025 first-rounder to OKC.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald explains (via Twitter), the Heat also probably could’ve acquired Gallinari without extending him, but they felt as if the risk of just renting the veteran forward for three months wouldn’t be worth the draft capital it would require.

Here’s more on the Heat:

There was a belief that Crowder and Hill would be re-routed to the Thunder along with draft picks if Gallinari was involved in that Heat/Grizzlies swap. However, that may not have been the only scenario in play — David Aldridge of The Athletic hears from sources that Miami was also willing to discuss Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones in potential trades.
Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights provides some new info on Iguodala’s extension with the Heat, tweeting that the two-year, $30MM deal – which is worth a flat $15MM per year with a team option on year two – features a 7.5% trade kicker. If he’s dealt, that bonus would only apply to Iguodala’s non-option year, unless the option is exercised before the trade.
The Heat have newfound flexibility for the summer of 2020 after moving James Johnson and Dion Waiters. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald explores possible paths Miami could take during the offseason, while cap expert Albert Nahmad of HeatHoops.com takes a more in-depth look at the financial situation facing the team as it considers its options for the next two summers.
Count head coach Erik Spoelstra among those impressed with what president Pat Riley has done to revamp the Heat’s roster over the last year, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today details. “He’s one of the great visionaries of this Association, and it never ceases to amaze me how he continues to reinvent and think differently,” Spoelstra said of Riley. “That’s what visionaries do. They think way bigger and much differently than we do.”

Heat Acquire Iguodala, Crowder In Three-Team Trade

February 6th, 2020 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

7:10pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Timberwolves, Heat, and Grizzlies. Minnesota became part of the deal by agreeing to acquire Johnson for Gorgui Dieng, as we outlined in a separate story, making it a three-team trade.

11:16am: The Grizzlies and Heat have agreed to a trade that will send Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill to Miami in exchange for Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, and James Johnson, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). No draft picks will be included in the deal.

Shams Charania of The Athletic (all Twitter links) first reported that Crowder, Hill, and Waiters would be involved in the trade, which broke last night.

There’s still time for the agreement to be expanded to include the Thunder and Danilo Gallinari, but those talks between Oklahoma City and Miami have “fully stalled,” according to Woj (Twitter link).

The Heat were hoping to fold an acquisition of the veteran forward into the trade, perhaps extending his contract in the process. However, Wojnarowski tweets that the Grizzlies and Heat are focusing on officially finalizing a two-team deal for now, with Miami still unable to reach an agreement for Gallinari.

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald has heard similar rumblings, tweeting that Crowder and Hill could be re-routed to Oklahoma City if the deal is expanded to include Gallinari, but for now Hill is under the impression he’ll end up in Miami, along with Crowder.

Even if the Heat can’t land Gallinari, they’ll add three veterans capable of playing rotation roles in Iguodala, Crowder, and Hill. Although Iguodala hasn’t appeared in a game at all since being traded from Golden State to Memphis in July, he played key minutes on the Warriors’ championship teams in recent years and will be well-rested for the stretch run.

As we detailed in a previous story, Iguodala and the Heat have reached an agreement on a two-year, $30MM contract extension as part of the trade. The second season of Iguodala’s extension will reportedly be a team option, allowing Miami to retain its financial flexibility to participate in a loaded free agent class in 2021. The Heat are expected to guarantee the second season of Iguodala’s deal for if they miss out on their top free agent targets in ’21, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Crowder and Hill, meanwhile, have helped the Grizzlies exceed expectations and compete for a playoff spot this season. Crowder has started 45 games, averaging 9.9 PPG and 6.2 RPG and playing strong perimeter defense, while Hill has averaged 5.7 PPG with a .381 3PT% in 48 games (18.8 MPG).

The trade will also help the Heat out financially, since they’re sending out more money than they’re taking back. ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets that Miami is now $3.4MM below its hard cap and reduced its projected tax bill by nearly $3.7MM. That could allow the Heat to be a player in the buyout market, though the team still has a full 15-man roster.

The franchise also cleared a significant amount of salary for 2020/21 in the deal, though Iguodala’s extension cuts into that newfound flexibility a little.

As for the Grizzlies, they’ll take on three pricey multiyear contracts in exchange for their three expiring deals. Having also extended Dillon Brooks on Wednesday, Memphis has gone from having $50MM in projected cap room to likely being over the cap this summer, tweets Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights.

Winslow is the prize of the deal for Memphis. The former lottery pick is under contract for $13MM annually through 2021/22, with a team option on the final year. Winslow has flashed tantalizing upside as a ball-handler and defender, but injuries have limited him to just 11 games this season. He’s currently sidelined with a lower back bone bruise.

Johnson and Waiters are on oversized contracts — Johnson is earning $15.35MM this season with a $16.05MM player option for 2020/21, while Waiters is owed $12.1MM this season and $12.65MM next year. Memphis’ willingness to take on those deals signals that the team is willing to roll over its cap room to 2021.

Both Johnson and Waiters have spent much of the season in the doghouse in Miami, but Johnson has at least appeared in 18 games, averaging 5.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .448/.356/.571 shooting in 15.6 minutes per contest.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On The Andre Iguodala Trade

February 5th, 2020 at 11:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Negotiations are continuing in an effort to make the deal sending Andre Iguodala to Miami a three-way trade that would also enable the Heat to acquire Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

One way the Heat could facilitate trade talks is to remove protections on a lottery-protected 2023 first-round draft pick they owe to Oklahoma City, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). That would free up Miami to unconditionally trade its 2025 first-rounder, explains Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Because of hard-cap restrictions, Miami will need to send out at least $39.8MM in salary to fit Iguodala ($17.2MM) and Gallinari ($22.6MM) on its roster, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). He notes that Justise Winslow, who is already believed to be part of the deal, Dion Waiters and James Johnson add up to $40.4MM.

Johnson’s representatives tell Jackson that they are expecting their client to be included in the transaction, but several other teams have expressed interest as well (Twitter link). Jackson identifies the Bucks, Rockets and Timberwolves as teams that have inquired about the veteran forward.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies held Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill out of Wednesday’s game in Dallas, and Dillon Brooks spoke after the game as if they were being traded, though that hasn’t been confirmed (video link via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon). Moving Crowder and Hill along with Iguodala would allow Memphis to take back up to $47MM+ in salary, if necessary.

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated, Iguodala said he plans to join the Heat and take his physical in Sacramento on Friday. He’s excited to be coming to Miami, but after not playing since June he isn’t sure when he’ll be ready to be activated (Twitter link).

“Jimmy Butler is very well respected in terms of passion and hard work he brings to the game,” Iguodala said. “His temperament and values he has really resonates with the Heat. They’re very well aligned. He’s brought out the most in those young guys. Those are some of the guys I’m really excited about. I feel I can make the most impact with those guys. I’m a big fan of Bam [Adebayo]. … Really looking forward to playing with him. … Been hearing about him last couple of years. Help him get better. Really excited about that opportunity.”

Andre Iguodala Headed To Miami, Will Receive Contract Extension

February 5th, 2020 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies have reached an agreement to send Andre Iguodala to the Heat, who will give him a two-year, $30MM contract extension, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Justise Winslow will be part of the package headed to Memphis in return, Woj adds (Twitter link).

The second season of Iguodala’s extension will be a team option, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). That will allow the Heat to retain their financial flexibility to participate in a loaded free agent class in 2021. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Miami will guarantee the second season of Iguodala’s deal for $15MM if the team misses out on its top free agent targets (Twitter link).

The trade takes a player off the board who was coveted by contenders around the league for his defensive toughness and playoff experience. Iguodala was widely expected to return to Golden State next season as a free agent, but the extension removes any chance of that.

Bobby Marks of ESPN notes that Miami is limited to two years on the extension along with 5% raises on top of his current salary because of extend-and-trade restrictions. (Twitter link). Normally teams can offer extensions up to four years with 8% raises.

Heat president Pat Riley is making an effort to acquire Oklahoma City’s Danilo Gallinari as well as Iguodala, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Gallinari was expected to have a short stay with the Thunder after he was acquired in July as part of the trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers. However, OKC has emerged as a strong playoff contender with Gallinari contributing 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per night. The 31-year-old has a $22.6MM expiring contract.

Heat In “Advanced Discussions” For Andre Iguodala

February 5th, 2020 at 6:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Miami is involved in “advanced discussions” with Memphis about acquiring Andre Iguodala, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Iguodala, an important component of the dominant Warriors teams of the past five years, hasn’t played at all since being traded to Memphis over the summer in a cost-cutting move. He is making $17,185,185 in the final year of his contract.

As we detailed yesterday, getting Iguodala to Miami won’t be easy. The Heat are operating under a hard cap and can’t take on more money than they send out in any trade. The Grizzlies will likely have to take on one or more multi-year deals, possibly James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk or Justise Winslow.

Memphis has also insisted on getting a first-round pick in return for Iguodala ever since acquiring him. Miami doesn’t have a first-rounder to offer until its conditional pick in 2025.

With the Grizzlies as a surprise playoff contender, some players have become irritated with Iguodala’s absence. Dillon Brooks said this week that the team can’t wait to face Iguodala on the court so they can “show him what really Memphis is about.”

Heat In Mix For Andre Iguodala

February 4th, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have emerged as a potential suitor for Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (video link), who reports that the two teams have had discussions.

While Miami would be a nice on-court fit for Iguodala, it may be tricky for the two teams to come to a trade agreement that works for everyone. The Heat’s only sizable expiring contracts belong to Meyers Leonard and Goran Dragic, who are key parts of the team’s rotation and seem unlikely to be moved for the former Finals MVP. As such, Memphis would likely have to be willing to take on a multiyear deal, with James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk, and perhaps even Justise Winslow among the candidates.

Additionally, the Heat are right up against a hard cap this season, so they won’t be able to take on more money than they send out. For instance, even though Johnson’s $15.35MM cap hit meets the salary-matching requirements to take back Iguodala’s $17.19MM salary, Miami would have to send out at least one more player because it can’t accommodate that extra money.

Finally, the Heat don’t have much draft capital available to dangle in trade talks, having moved so many of their future picks already. Their next available picks for trade purposes would be a conditional 2024 second-rounder or a conditional 2025 first-rounder. They also control the less favorable of the Sixers’ and Nuggets’ 2022 second-round picks, which could be included in a deal.

On top of all those roadblocks, there’s the question of whether or not Iguodala would be happy to land with the Heat. South Beach is a popular destination for most NBA players and Miami is a legit contender in the East, so presumably the 36-year-old would be satisfied with that outcome. However, Charania notes that Iguodala may want to play closer to home on the West Coast, and a report on Monday indicated the veteran could sit out the rest of the season if he isn’t sent to one of his preferred landing spots.

Although it’s not clear what those preferred landing spots are, it’s probably safe to assume the Lakers and Clippers are among them. If Iguodala is bought out, the two L.A. teams would likely be the frontrunners to sign him, but the Grizzlies have insisted all season long that they’ll find a pre-deadline trade involving the ex-Warrior. We’ll find out this week if they’re right.

Dillon Brooks On Iguodala: Can’t Wait Until We Trade Him

February 4th, 2020 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

Before the Grizzlies defeated the Pistons on Monday night, maintaining their hold on the No. 8 seed, a report surfaced suggesting that Andre Iguodala is preparing to sit out the season if he’s not traded to one of his preferred landing spots, or bought out. After Memphis’ win, forward Dillon Brooks weighed in on the Iguodala rumors, as Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.

“Andre Iguodala’s a great player. I feel like he’s doing the right thing for his career, but we don’t really care,” Brooks said. “It’s not a distraction at all. I laugh at that type of stuff.

“A guy that’s on our team that doesn’t want to be on our team,” Brooks continued. “I can’t wait ’til we find a way to trade him so we can play him and show him what really Memphis is about.”

Although no other Grizzlies players conveyed a similar sentiment to reporters, Brooks’ teammates Ja Morant and De’Anthony Melton published cryptic tweets seemingly supporting his message.

Iguodala was sent from the Warriors to the Grizzlies in a July trade as Golden State cleared salary to bring in D’Angelo Russell. Although that trade was a salary dump that netted Memphis a first-round pick, the Grizzlies are confident Iguodala can be flipped for positive value and has insisted all season long they plan to move him rather than buy him out. The team has until Thursday afternoon to make that happen.

The Grizzlies and Iguodala reportedly reached a mutual agreement in the fall to have him remain away with the team, so the front office has no issue with his absence, but it’s not hard to see why some Grizzlies players may share Brooks’ sentiment.

When Iguodala talked in September about the trade, he recalled predicting in the summer that he’d be moved to “Memphis or some s–t,” implying that it was among the worst possible outcomes. And even as the upstart Grizzlies have outperformed expectations and moved into the playoff picture, the former Finals MVP has shown zero interest in playing for the team.

While a few young Grizzlies players may be eager to show Iguodala what he’s missing out on, veteran forward Jae Crowder took a more measured stance, as Barnes details.

“I would like to keep a lot of stuff in-house but we respect what he’s done,” Crowder said of Iguodala. “He’s a Hall-of-Famer. In my eyes, he’s a Hall-of-Famer. He’s proven in this league, so as long as he handled it like a professional, I believe he is. … I would not say that he’s been a distraction at all. Like I said, he hasn’t been here. But we respect what he wants at this time of his career, and you have to respect it.”

Trade Rumors: Covington, Randle, Henson, Celtics

February 3rd, 2020 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers are among the teams pursuing Timberwolves forward Robert Covington, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reports. A package of their first-round pick this year, forward Maurice Harkless, and a young player such as Jerome Robinson or Terance Mann could be enough to secure Covington, Deveney continues. Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, Suns center Aron Baynes and Magic guard D.J. Augustin are among the other potential targets for the Clippers, Deveney adds.

We have more trade chatter:

The Knicks have engaged in trade talks with the Hornets involving forward Julius Randle, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets. Charlotte would be a surprising landing spot for Randle, who has a guaranteed $18.9MM salary for next season. However, the Hornets have three frontcourt players with large expiring contracts and will need reinforcements.
The Knicks had talks with the Cavaliers which included center John Henson but those discussions have died down, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Henson has an expiring $9.7MM contract.
Celtics GM Danny Ainge would like to strengthen the team’s bench but doesn’t see the center position as a major weakness, Jacob Camenker of NBC Sports Boston relays. The Celtics are reportedly one of the teams interested in acquiring Rockets center Clint Capela. Ainge indicated the roster “probably too many really young guys” but claimed he’s content with Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and Robert Williams manning the middle. “We’re not getting beat at the center position,” Ainge said. “We’re getting 17, 18 points per night. We’re getting double-figure rebounds. We’re just doing it as a team.”