Briante Weber Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Whiteside, Andersen, D-League

November 3rd, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

Center Hassan Whiteside, poised to hit free agency in the summer, is the biggest weapon for the Heat when opponents utilize smaller lineups against them, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald. Whiteside had 25 points and 15 rebounds when Miami staged a second-half rally on Sunday against the Rockets, who tried to play small ball against them, Skolnick continues. “That’s the thing with Hassan, he’s a conventional center but he’s a mobile center,” point guard Mario Chalmers told the team’s beat reporters. “He’s able to move, get blocks, get out on the perimeter if he wants to. So [small-ball] plays into our hands a little bit.” Veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade concurs that the Heat can handle the small-ball strategies by unleashing Whiteside, Skolnick adds. “I’m sure there will be moments where they’re gonna get us on it, and it’s gonna affect us, but we can’t take him off the floor,” Wade said to Skolnick. “He means so much to our defense.”

In other news regarding the Heat:

Backup center and trade candidate Chris Andersen did not play in the first three games but Spoelstra anticipates that he’ll soon get opportunities, Winderman adds in the same piece. “We’re not going to, on every night, suit up every center. That’s not an indictment on anybody,” Spoelstra said. “That’s not a storyline at all, it really isn’t. He practiced [Monday] and he’ll be ready, and when his number’s called, he’ll produce, as we have full confidence in that.”
All but one of the six players the Heat released during the preseason have joined their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Greg Whittington, Keith Benson, Briante Weber, Corey Hawkins and Tre Kelley are all on the Skyforce’s training camp roster. The only released player not to join the Skyforce is veteran point guard John Lucas III. Miami claimed the D-League rights to Whittington, Benson, Weber and Hawkins through the affiliate player rule, while the Heat already had the D-League rights to Kelley.

Heat Cut Lucas, Benson, Kelley, Weber, Whittington

October 24th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have waived the non-guaranteed deals of John Lucas III, Keith Benson, Tre Kelley, Briante Weber and Greg Whittington, the team announced (Twitter link). The moves reduce Miami’s roster to 15 players, the regular season maximum. James Ennis is the only remaining Heat player without any guaranteed salary, so today’s moves put him in strong position to make the opening night roster. If the team indeed keeps him through Monday, his salary would become fully guaranteed. Tyler Johnson is also with the Heat on a partially guaranteed deal. The rest of Miami’s 13 players have full guarantees.

Lucas was by far the most experienced of the Heat’s camp invitees, as the 32-year-old point guard was attempting to make it into his ninth NBA season. He didn’t impress in preseason action, going scoreless in about 16 minutes of action in his lone appearance, dishing out one assist and committing one turnover.

Benson, 27, joined Miami on his first NBA contract in three years. The center was efficient during the preseason, averaging 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes across five appearances.

The 30-year-old Kelley was on his second contract with the Heat after having briefly joined the club before the 2008/09 season. The combo guard averaged 3.5 points, 4.0 assists and 1.5 turnovers in 13.8 minutes per game in a pair of preseason contests.

Weber, 22, signed with the team just this week after his inability to pass a physical scuttled an earlier deal between the sides. The undrafted combo guard who tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee while playing for VCU in January didn’t see any preseason playing time.

Whittington went undrafted this June and joined the Heat for summer league the next month. The 22-year-old power forward averaged 2.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game across four preseason appearances.

Southeast Notes: Weber, Hardaway Jr., Webster

October 22nd, 2015 at 10:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Martell Webster‘s injury woes may end up costing him some guaranteed salary, J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic relays. The final season of Webster’s four-year, $22MM deal with the Wizards includes an incentive clause that stipulates that he has to appear in a total of 180 regular season contests during the first three years of the arrangement, or else his full guarantee will be downgraded to a partial guarantee of $2MM, which is less than 50% of what Webster’s contract calls for in 2016/17, Michael notes. Webster played 78 and 32 games in the first two years of his deal, which means that he’d need to make 70 appearances this season to meet his contractual goal, an unrealistic expectation given the Wizards’ depth at forward and his current health status, the CSN scribe opines.

Here’s more out of the Southeast:

Briante Weber‘s minimum salary deal with the Heat is for one year and includes no guaranteed money, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter).
Hawks swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. has struggled to find his shooting stroke during the preseason, but he’ll still be given ample opportunities to prove himself this season given the high price Atlanta paid to obtain him, writes Kris Willis of SB Nation’s Peachtree Hoops.
Magic coach Scott Skiles believes that second-year combo forward Aaron Gordon will be a difference-maker for the team this season, John Denton of NBA.com writes. Orlando is hoping that Gordon will be able to play small forward full time which would allow the team to shift Tobias Harris to power forward, Denton adds. “I want to get [Gordon] to play with Tobias some. It’s not like we’re doubting that they can play together because we know that they can, but it’s just a matter of actually going out there and doing it,’’ Skiles said. “Then, it’s about figuring out after Friday who we want to start opening night and things like that [with the rotations].’’

Heat Sign Briante Weber, Waive Corey Hawkins

October 19th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have signed Briante Weber and waived Corey Hawkins, the team announced. Weber, an undrafted combo guard from VCU, struck a deal to join the Heat in September but was unable to pass a physical as he continued to recover from tears in the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee suffered January 31st, scuttling the agreement. Hawkins was with the Heat on a non-guaranteed deal. The moves keep the Heat at a full 20-man roster. Miami has been carrying 13 fully guaranteed salaries, as our roster count shows.

Weber, 22, reportedly met with the Pacers this summer amid interest from half the league, but it appeared when his initial deal with Miami fell apart that he preferred to play with the Heat organization, whether it was in the D-League or as part of the NBA roster. Miami wouldn’t have been able to keep him out of the October 31st D-League draft unless it signed him to an NBA contract first, so it’s possible that the Heat are making today’s move primarily with the D-League in mind.

Indeed, it’s expected that Weber and Hawkins will both end up with the Heat’s D-League team, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Hawkins, a 24-year-old shooting guard who went undrafted out of UC Davis this summer, scored six points in 14 total minutes of action across two preseason appearances.

Earlier today I examined the decisions facing the Heat as they fill out the end of their regular season roster. Weber joins Keith Benson, James Ennis, Tyler Johnson, Tre Kelley, John Lucas III and Greg Whittington among those ostensibly in the mix for as many as two spots for opening night.

Who do you think the Heat will keep for the start of the regular season? Leave a comment to let us know.

Deal Off Between Heat, Briante Weber

September 11th, 2015 at 1:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

1:30pm: The deal is indeed off, since Weber was unable to pass a physical, Winderman writes in a full story.

SEPTEMBER 11TH, 12:33pm: Weber is “still not ready to be signed” as he continues to recover from the knee injury that he suffered on January 31st, his agent told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links), so presumably the deal is off. His goal is to join the Heat organization eventually, perhaps via the D-League, the agent also said to Winderman. Weber tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee while playing for VCU. Weber is a client of Bill Neff of the Saga Sports agency. The Pacers reportedly had interest in him before he struck a deal with the Heat.

SEPTEMBER 3RD, 7:44pm: The Heat have agreed to sign undrafted free agent combo guard Briante Weber, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). Charania refers to the pact as a training camp deal, which means that it is likely a minimum salary arrangement that includes little or no guaranteed salary, though that is merely my speculation.

The addition of Weber will give the Heat a roster count of 19 players, which is one below the preseason maximum. Weber is unlikely to make the final cut and remain on the regular season roster, though the team could have an eye on the 22-year-old playing for its D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls.

Weber, a defensive specialist, played his collegiate ball for VCU, and averaged 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.9 steals in 26.5 minutes per contest as a Senior. His career collegiate numbers are 6.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 2.9 SPG to go along with a slash line of .426/.274/.769.

Pacers, Others To Meet With Briante Weber

August 20th, 2015 at 8:43am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers are set to meet with undrafted point guard Briante Weber today, reports Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. At least 15 NBA teams have expressed interest in the former VCU standout, a source tells Agness. Indiana has been among the most aggressive, and they’re the first team Weber is visiting, Agness adds. The 22-year-old will meet with Pacers officials and medical staff, according to Agness, and while he’s been doing on-court work lately, more than six months after a season-ending right knee injury, it’s unclear if he’ll be working out for the team.

Weber, in spite of the injury, was the 73rd-best draft prospect this year, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, so it’s not surprising to see him attract attention as training camp approaches. The Ronald Shade client was on pace to break the all-time NCAA Division I career steals record before he suffered a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee on January 31st, Agness notes. He averaged 3.9 steals per game in 20 appearances last season to go along with 8.9 points, 4.3 assists and 1.7 turnovers in 26.5 minutes per contest. VCU teammate Treveon Graham signed Monday with the Jazz.

Indiana already has 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries, plus Toney Douglas, who has a partial guarantee of $600K, so Weber would face long odds to stick for opening night if he and the Pacers work out a deal for camp. The Pacers are in talks about a possible purchase of what would be a one-to-one D-League affiliate, but for now, the franchise doesn’t have its own D-League team, so Indiana is without the ability to carry on an organizational partnership with any of the players it cuts at the end of the preseason.