Briante Weber Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Weber, Spoelstra, Waiters, Ellington

February 5th, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Briante Weber said he chose to sign with the Warriors instead of the Heat because he wanted a new challenge, relays Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Weber played one game for Miami after signing in April. He was waived in October and has spent this season with the Heat’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The 24-year-old point guard turned down offers of 10-day contracts from Miami and Charlotte to choose Golden State. “So I just felt like I’ve been with Miami and they haven’t picked me up by now,” Weber said, “then why continue to go down the same road? I figured I should pick something new and actually a team with a spot. They actually let somebody go to fill me in. That says a lot about the organization and about how they feel about me being potentially being here for longer than just 10 days. So I kind of picked a spot that was going to give me the best opportunity to expose myself and put myself on the radar where everybody else can see.”

There’s more news out of Miami:

Weber received good luck wishes from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, according to the Associated Press. Spoelstra said he appreciates how Weber, who averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 3.3 steals at Sioux Falls, proved he deserves a shot at the NBA. “He’s put in the time,” Spoelstra said. “He hasn’t skipped a step. He approached every part of this as an opportunity to get better and everybody’s journey is different to get into this league. He’s a bona fide NBA player.”
Dion Waiters, who has enjoyed a career renaissance in Miami, attributed his success to Spoelstra’s ‘tough love.’ “It’s good bumping heads. It’s not anything bad. It’s like, `I’m challenging you. You can do more. Don’t settle for that,’” Waiters told Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “I had coach [Jim] Boeheim. It was tough love at the end of the day. They see so much in me that he’s challenging me. I look at it as a challenge. He’s been doing a tremendous job keeping me motivated.” Now in his fifth NBA season, Waiters has been sublime of late; averaging 23.3 points on 52.2% shooting over his last eight games.
Now riding a 10-game winning streak, the Heat have adopted a “don’t believe the hype” mantra. As Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post points out, Miami’s improbable streak includes wins over quality opposition- particularly the Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks. “We know where we’ve been at and where we want to be at, so we’re not satisfied,” Heat guard Wayne Ellington said. “Coach keeps telling us. But at the same time, he doesn’t really need to. We’re hungry, man. We know where we were at. Obviously it feels good to get some wins. But at the same time, we understand that we’ve got a ways to go to be where we want to be at.”

Warriors Cut Anderson Varejao, Sign Briante Weber

February 4th, 2017 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 4th, 12:50pm: The Warriors have signed Weber to a 10-day contract, Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News tweets.

FEBRUARY 3rd, 2:14pm: The Warriors have issued a press release officially confirming that they’ve waived Varejao.

Weber’s signing is not yet official, but he’s on track to join the Warriors after also receiving offers from the Heat and Hornets, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

1:46pm: The Warriors’ frontcourt has been plagued by injuries lately, but the team doesn’t seem to be worried about its depth up front, having decided to part ways with one of its healthy big men. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Golden State is waiving Anderson Varejao, opening up a roster spot to sign Briante Weber to a 10-day contract.

Varejao, 34, re-signed with the Warriors last summer on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, but has played sparingly. The veteran center has averaged 1.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG in just 14 games (6.6 MPG) in 2016/17. Even with Draymond Green, David West, and Zaza Pachulia out of the lineup on Thursday, Varejao saw only eight minutes of action.

In addition to Green, West, and Pachulia, the Warriors are also carrying JaVale McGee, Damian Jones, Kevon Looney, and James Michael McAdoo at the four or five. As such, the team could afford to part with Varejao, particularly since the injury bug has spread to the backcourt — Shaun Livingston has missed the Warriors’ last two games with a back strain, so Weber will provide depth at guard.

Despite receiving a substantial guarantee ($328K) from the Heat, Weber didn’t make Miami’s regular season roster this past fall, and landed with the team’s D-League affiliate instead. Weber has made a strong case for a call-up, averaging 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.2 APG, and 3.0 SPG in 29 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He was recently named the NBADL’s Player of the Month for January.

The Heat didn’t currently have the roster flexibility to bring Weber back, but were believed to be eyeing him for a potential call-up, as we heard yesterday. Miami is out of luck for now, though it remains to be seen if Weber will stick with the Warriors — Golden State could sign him to up to two 10-day deals, then lock him up for the rest of the season. However, with the trade deadline and buyout season approaching, the Dubs may want to use their 15th roster spot on someone else in the coming weeks.

As for Varejao, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Sunday. Denver is one team that may have interest in adding the vet, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link). The Nuggets would move closer to the salary floor by claiming Varejao and could save some money in the process, in the same way they did by acquiring Mo Williams.

Free Agent Rumors: Sanders, Farmar, Tavares

February 2nd, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Bucks big man Larry Sanders is getting serious about returning to the NBA, as we heard earlier this week. Sanders has hired an agent and lined up meetings with three teams, according to a report from The Vertical. However, more than just three clubs have Sanders on their radar — according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), eight to 12 NBA teams have expressed some level of interest in the free agent center. Wolfson adds that Sanders will meet with teams next week in Miami.

Here are a few more updates on various free agent situations around the league:

Jordan Farmar, one of several free agents that worked out for the Cavaliers on Wednesday, impressed the team and appears to be under consideration for a contract, a source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The other participants in the workout – Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, and Lance Stephenson – remain in play as the Cavs mull a potential signing, but Farmar, in particular, acquitted himself well, reports Vardon.
Former Hawks center Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares signed a D-League contract after being waived by Atlanta in the fall, but he remains an NBA free agent, and hopes to get back into the league at some point, as he tells David Alarcon of HoopsHype. “To return to Spain, to Gran Canaria, would always be good because they showed so much love that I would like to leave everything now and return,” Tavares said. “But I have to think first in the NBA. … For me, returning to Europe would be like giving up. I’m going to let this year pass and then I’ll figure out what to do. I spoke with my agent and this is the best option. Stay here, play well and wait for a team to call me. I’m going to give it all this year and I’ll decide if I stay here for another year or take a step back and go back to Europe.”
The Heat have kept Briante Weber on their radar, but their ability to re-sign him may hinge on Josh Richardson‘s health, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains in a mailbag. Weber has been thriving this season for Miami’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG, but he remains an NBA free agent.

Chasson Randle To Work Out For Sixers

January 8th, 2017 at 10:45am CST by Arthur Hill

10:45am: Randle’s workout will be held Monday and he will be part of a group, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Joining him will be point guards Briante Weber, Yogi Ferrell and Cat Barber.

8:52am: Point guard Chasson Randle, who nearly won a roster spot with the Knicks in the preseason, will work out for the Sixers today, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post.

The decision comes a day after Ron Baker solidified the third point guard spot in New York when his contract became guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

Randle appeared headed toward a roster spot in October, but was waived after suffering an orbital bone fracture. He joined the Westchester Knicks in the D-League as an affiliate player and has averaged 20.7 points through 19 games.

The Knicks told Randle he might be re-signed this month now that teams are permitted to begin issuing 10-day contracts, according to Berman, who speculates that Marshall Plumlee or Maurice Ndour would be waived if that happens.

But before the Knicks get a chance, Randle might wind up with the Sixers, who are short on point guards after Jerryd Bayless was lost for the season with torn ligaments in his left wrist. They have been relying on T.J. McConnell, who had 17 assists Friday, and Sergio Rodriguez to handle the position. Philadelphia has an open roster spot after waiving Hollis Thompson on Wednesday.

Randle’s options in New York appear limited as Baker keeps impressing Knicks officials. Coach Jeff Hornacek compared Baker to himself as a guard who’s not flashy but knows how to get the ball to the right player.

“At the beginning of the year, I had a meeting with Jeff and he had mentioned something about January,’’ Baker said. “If I stayed on the right path as I did in preseason, I’ll be fine. I wasn’t concerned after that meeting, but I’m trying to keep improving obviously.’’

Heat Apply For Disabled Player Exception

January 6th, 2017 at 4:14pm CST by Austin Kent

The Heat have applied for a disabled player exception in light of the recent injury to forward Justise Winslow, tweets Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. The news comes on the heels of Winslow’s successful but presumably season-ending procedure to repair a torn labrum that he suffered last week.

Although the surgery went well according to a release published on the team’s website, the club will look to add an extra body heading into the second half of the season. Teams have until January 15 to apply for one of the disabled player exceptions and if approved are free to sign a replacement player making up to either 50% of the injured player’s salary or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lower.

In Miami’s case, should the application be granted, they’ll be free to sign somebody worth up to approximately $1.3MM due to Winslow’s $2.6MM deal without it using up cap space. Though not applicable in this scenario, the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for 2016-17 is $5.6MM.

The Heat are currently down a roster spot already considering that Chris Bosh has yet to be medically cleared to play for the team. In Bosh’s case, the Heat retain the option to apply for a disabled player exception worth the full non-taxpayer MLE, but appear instead to be holding onto Bosh with the intent of waiving him and potentially clearing his contract from their books altogether. More on Bosh’s contract situation in this October feature by USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.

With Winslow out, one potential replacement that has been mentioned by The Palm Beach Post’s Anthony Chiang is Briante Weber. Weber has thrived this season with Miami’s D-League affiliate and was one of the last cut from the team after training camp. As of Thursday, Chiang notes, teams have been eligible to sign players to 10-day contracts.

Salary information from HoopsHype was used in this report.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Early, P. Jackson, Sager

December 19th, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Players and the media will help fans choose the starters for this year’s All-Star Game in a new arrangement announced today by the NBA. Fan voting will count for 50% of the final tally, while all current players will be given 25% and a select group of media members will get 25%. All-Star voting will begin on Christmas and run through January 16th, and players will be permitted to vote for themselves and their teammates, relays John Reid of The Times Picayune. Players and media will pick two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference. Fans can vote up to once per day and can choose from all NBA players. The game is scheduled for February 19th in New Orleans.

There’s more basketball-related news to pass on:

Former Knick Cleanthony Early was involved in a D-League trade today, tweets Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. New York’s affiliate in Westchester sent Early to Golden State’s affiliate in Santa Cruz as part of a three-team deal. Because he is not under an NBA contract, Early remains eligible to be signed by any NBA team. He spent two years in New York after being taken 34th in the 2014 draft and played 17 games there last season.
Former Baylor star Pierre Jackson is making an impact in the D-League, Johnson notes in his weekly rankings. Jackson, who signed a deal with the Sixers in 2015 but never played for the team, is leading the league in scoring at 29.3 points per game. He has moved up to second on this week’s list, trailing only Briante Weber, who has topped the rankings for three straight weeks.
Tuesday’s memorial service for longtime NBA reporter Craig Sager will be televised on NBA TV and streamed on NBA.com, according to a statement from the league. Sager, who died Tuesday, was part of NBA coverage on TNT for 26 years.

And-Ones: Labor Talks, Draft, D-League, McGrath

November 29th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s $24 billion in television money has helped to preserve labor peace in the league, writes TNT’s David Aldridge. The TV contract, which runs through 2025, removed the financial incentive for either the owners or the players to force a work stoppage. The salary cap has nearly doubled over the past three years and the league just came off a summer of free agency with unprecedented levels of spending. Not only are player salaries rising, but so are the valuations of teams. Aldridge cites a recent Forbes Magazine article that estimates the value of all 30 teams at $1.25 billion, up 13 percent from a year ago. Both sides have the right to opt out of the current deal until December 15th, but all indications are that talks are going well and a new CBA will be announced soon.

There’s more basketball news tonight:

Kansas forward Josh Jackson remains on top of the list of top 100 draft prospects compiled by ESPN’s Chad Ford. He describes the 6’8″ freshman as a “super athletic wing” with a high basketball IQ. Rounding out Ford’s top five are Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith and Duke power forward Harry Giles.
Sioux Falls point guard Briante Weber is the most likely D-League player to get an NBA callup, according to Chris Reichert of Fansided. The 23-year-old is known for his energy and defense, although shooting remains an issue. Weber played six games with Memphis and one with Miami last season. The Heat waived Weber in the preseason, but promised to monitor his progress in the D-League.
Donnie McGrath of the Nets’ D-League affiliate in Long Island has turned down overseas offers to remain with the team, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The 32-year-old has attracted interest from Spanish teams Fuenlabrada and Betis.

Heat Notes: Winslow, Weber, Haslem, Wade

October 30th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Justise Winslow‘s ballhandling skills gave Miami the confidence to cut Beno Udrih and Briante Weber, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The second-year forward has been helping Goran Dragic run the offense and allowing coach Erik Spoestra to put another shooter on the floor. Winderman speculates that as Josh McRoberts becomes available, the Heat will play more often without a traditional point guard on the floor.

There’s more news from Miami:

Weber has been promised a full opportunity to display his skills in the D-League, Winderman relays in a separate piece. With the Sioux Falls team last season, Weber shared the point guard role with Tre Kelley and DeAndre Liggins, but now he will be the clear starter. “They did everything right. They made him feel like he’s still very much in their plans,” said Weber’s agent, Bill Neff said. “To me, that was the sole criteria: They made it clear they have plans. They said, ‘He’s the point guard [at Sioux Falls] and we want to see him get better offensively.’ They told him, ‘Even though we cut you, we see real value.'”
Late-season collapses like the one Friday night against Charlotte as to be expected for a team with so much roster turnover, writes Shandel Richardson of The Sun-Sentinel. Veteran forward Udonis Haslem understands the need to be patient with all his new teammates. “You have to learn from the mistakes,” he said following the game. “You can’t come back the next game and continue to make the same mistakes and have the same errors. The key is learning from those things and being able to adjust and make those corrections the next game.”
The absence of Dwyane Wade hung over Friday’s home opener, according to Ethan Skolnick of CBS Sports. Even in the pre-game introductions, where Wade’s name used to be the last one called, fans and players could feel there was something missing. After 13 years with the Heat, Wade signed with the Bulls in July.

Briante Weber Headed To The D-League

October 26th, 2016 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Point guard Briante Weber, who was waived by the Heat on Saturday, will join the team’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, according to D-League Digest (Twitter link).

Miami was reportedly intrigued with Weber’s performance during the preseason and believed he needed to go somewhere he could get regular playing time. The Heat gave him a $328K guarantee and were hoping to keep him close to the organization. Weber is still working his way back from a severe injury in January that saw him tear the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee.

A defensive specialist, the 23-year old had 19 steals in 149 preseason minutes. However, he committed 20 turnovers and shot just 9 for 30 from the field, making 1 of 7 shots from 3-point range.

Heat Rumors: Weber, Udrih, McGruder, Dragic

October 23rd, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat plan to send point guard Briante Weber to their D-League team in South Dakota if he clears waivers, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Weber was among five players released Saturday as Miami trimmed its roster to the limit of 15. The 23-year-old Weber is trying to come back from from tears in the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee that he suffered in January. He had 19 steals in 149 minutes during the preseason, but struggled with his shot and had 20 turnovers to go with 23 assists. Jackson writes that Miami officials believe Weber, who has a has a $328K guarantee, is an “intriguing” prospect, but needs regular playing time to develop his game.

There’s more this morning from Miami:

Veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who was also waived Saturday, will receive the $1.5MM veteran’s minimum, Jackson notes in the same piece. That’s much more than the $90K he sacrificed as part of a controversial buyout last season that helped the franchise escape the luxury tax. Udrih reportedly passed up several overseas opportunities to re-sign with Miami.
Getting rid of Weber and Udrih leaves the Heat without a proven backup at point guard, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami opted to keep 6’5″ shooting guard Rodney McGruder, a key player for the Heat’s affiliate in Sioux Falls, which won the D-League title last season. McGruder had an impressive preseason, averaging 7.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 152 minutes of action. Winderman believes injuries to Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington could make McGruder a rotation player in three-guard lineups when the season starts.
The Heat have told Goran Dragic that they aren’t trying to trade him, but that situation could change as the season wears on, claims ESPN’s Marc Stein. A slow start could alter the front office’s thinking about the 30-year-old point guard, who still has four years and more than $70MM remaining on the contract he signed last summer. There have been rumors that Miami was talking about sending Dragic to Sacramento in exchange for Rudy Gay and Darren Collison.