Chris Bosh Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Rumors: Dragic, Whiteside, Ennis

April 19th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Goran Dragic is intrigued by the possibility of blending his offensive skills with Chris Bosh if he returns to the Heat, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Dragic indicated after the season he will turn down the $7.5MM player option on his contract, thus allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The team hopes to re-sign Dragic, who didn’t get a chance to play with Bosh after Dragic was acquired from the Suns at the trade deadline because of Bosh’s season-ending blood clot issues. “I always put pressure on the defense,” Dragic told Jackson. “If they don’t stop me, I’ve got a layup. If they stop me, Chris is going to pick and pop and that’s a wide open shot for him. Or he makes the next decision on a handoff, and then the big guy needs to recover from down to up, and so that makes a lot of room for other guys. It’s a lot of different strategies we can use with him on the floor.”

In other news involving the Heat:

The possibility of building around Dragic and center Hassan Whiteside, who became a rotation player in January, excites coach Erik Spoelstra, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Spoelstra considers Dragic to be an impact, top-10 point guard and Whiteside to be a legitimate, impact center who could get the team back into the playoffs next season, Winderman adds. “We feel very good about the group that we possibly could have back, if we could bring everybody back and start a training camp together,” Spoelstra told the media that covers the team. “We think we can fast-track a lot of this and make guys look different and more comfortable and more confident with each other with time.”
James Ennis and Tyler Johnson are the role players that the Heat will most likely bring back, Winderman speculates, as he writes in a separate article. Winderman does not believe the team views the possible returns of Henry Walker or Michael Beasley as a priority. Ennis, Johnson and Walker have non-guaranteed contracts for next season while the team holds an option of approximately $1.27MM on Beasley. Winderman also opines that Luol Deng is likely to return, based upon his body language, positive attitude and recent comments about his status. Deng holds a player option of approximately $10.15MM for next season.

Pat Riley On Stars, LeBron, Bosh, Playoffs

March 12th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Chuck Myron

The choice LeBron James made to rejoin the Cavaliers this summer “just crushed us,” Heat team president Pat Riley told Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick, but the Hall-of-Famer remains confident that he can build another championship team in Miami. He acquired quite possibly the best player dealt at the trade deadline, swinging a deal for Goran Dragic, but he did so having already learned of Chris Bosh‘s pulmonary blood clots that ended his season, as Riley revealed to Skolnick. Riley feels as though he was a better coach than he is an executive, but with his 70th birthday coming later this month, he made it clear that he has no desire to coach again, as Skolnick relays. Retirement from the front office crossed his mind while LeBron was still with the team, but it isn’t a consideration now, Riley told Skolnick, though he also indicated during the interview that he’ll probably retire right after he wins his next championship.

Skolnick’s entire piece provides a broad sketch of Riley, dating back to his humble NBA beginnings in the 1960s. It’s worth a full read, but we’ll pass along a few notable quotations from Riley about current-day Heat issues:

On his philosophy of attracting established stars:

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to be able to see what it takes. If you can get three of those kinds of players and fill it out with some other good guys, then you might be ahead of the curve. … So there are a lot of ways to skin a cat. For me, it’s not through the draft, because lottery picks are living a life of misery. That season is miserable. And if you do three or four years in a row to get lottery picks, then I’m in an insane asylum. And the fans will be, too. So who wants to do that?”

On LeBron’s departure:

“That was almost shocking to me that the players would allow that to happen. And I’m not just saying LeBron. I mean, the players, themselves, would allow them to get to a state where a guy would want to go home or whatever it is. So maybe I’m dealing with a contemporary attitude today of, ‘Well, I got four years here, and I think I’ll go up there for whatever reason I went.’ You know, the whole ‘home’ thing, I understand that. But what he had here, and what he had developed here, and what he could have developed over the next five or six years here, with the same team, could have been historic.”

On the Heat’s post-LeBron plans:

“Our plan was always to move to great as quick as we could, past good. And I think that was more disappointing than anything, once we made that deal, to see what happened to Chris, which was devastating to me just from a personal standpoint. For his health. But also for the team, it was another hit. That’s why it would be so great for this team, we’re in this race here, if somehow we could get into the playoffs and make something of it. But I do think we have enough, in that in any series with anybody in the East, with what’s going on in the East, that you never know. And I love that.”

Eastern Notes: Bosh, Beasley, Rose, Love

March 9th, 2015 at 8:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Bosh is expected to resume full basketball activities next September, the Heat announced. It’s great news for the 30-year-old big man, who admits he initially had doubts he’d ever return to the hardwood when he found out about the blood clots in his lungs, as Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com details. We’ve got more on the Heat within tonight’s look around the Eastern Conference:

Michael Beasley does not feel like he has a roster spot locked up with the Heat despite his recent strong play, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Beasley, who is on his second 10-day contract with the club, is averaging 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds since returning to the NBA after a stint in China. “You’re talking to a No. 2 pick. One of the best players in college basketball — not to toot my own horn. But to go from there to now be on a 10-day is definitely humbling,” Beasley said to Lee. “They always say, it could be gone tomorrow.”
Derrick Rose expects to return to the Bulls from his latest knee surgery sometime this season, but he offered no assurances that will happen, Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune reports. Rose was expected to miss four to six weeks after tearing meniscus in his right knee last month. “Whenever I’m ready to back, I’ll come back,” he said to a contingent of reporters on Monday.
Kevin Love may not receive a maximum salary offer from the Cavs, even if he wants to stay with the team next year, Sam Smith of Bulls.com opines. The power forward, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has been mainly employed as a three-point shooter and his averages of 16.9 points and 12.9 shot attempts are his lowest since the 2009/10 season, notes Smith, who also adds that Love also rode the bench during crunch time against Toronto last week. Love recently expressed his unhappiness about being labelled a stretch four and will have plenty of suitors on the open market.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

Chris Bosh Out For The Season

February 21st, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 3:39pm: Bosh is officially out for the remainder of the season, the Heat announced in a press release. The team’s statement added, “Bosh, who is receiving care under the guidance of Miami Heat team physicians at a Baptist Health System Hospital, is currently resting comfortably. Chris is OK and his prognosis is good.”

5:08pm: The Heat are expected to announce that Bosh’s season is over, Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald reports (Twitter link). However, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has stated that no decision regarding Bosh has been made yet, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets. “We’re still in the info collecting process. Anything right now is premature. We’ll know more as soon as we can,” Spoelstra said.

12:46pm: Bosh has blood clots in both lungs, Zwerling hears (Twitter link).

11:49am: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra cautioned that while the team is concerned, Bosh’s diagnosis isn’t final, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt relays.

9:49am: Bosh has a blood clot in one lung, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling (Twitter link). Heat team president Pat Riley understands that Bosh’s condition typically sidelines players for the season, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who wrote earlier that it’s “difficult to envision” Bosh playing again this season.

FRIDAY, 8:19am: The Heat are worried that Chris Bosh has multiple blood clots on his lungs that would force him to miss the rest of the season, reports Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. Initial tests proved inclusive after Bosh was admitted to a Miami-area hospital Thursday, according to Goodman. The treatment for pulmonary embolus, or multiple clots, would involve blood thinners, which could keep the Heat’s star out for even longer than the balance of 2014/15, Goodman writes. The condition appears to have come on rather quickly for Bosh, who played just this past Sunday in the All-Star Game.

An absence of any significant length would be a devastating blow to the Heat, who are in a dogfight to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and on Thursday they acquired Goran Dragic in part to help that postseason push. The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception passed last month, so Miami couldn’t gain any additional salary flexibility if Bosh were to be ruled out for the season, though the team does already have a disabled player exception worth $2,652,500 for Josh McRoberts. That exception doesn’t expire until March 10th.

The Heat have a pair of open roster spots, though they’re reportedly set to sign Henry Walker to a 10-day contract. Center Kendrick Perkins seems headed for a buyout from the Jazz, while the Nuggets and Thomas Robinson have apparently already agreed to one, and the Heat reportedly showed interest in free agent Andray Blatche earlier this season. It’s unclear if Miami would pursue any of them at this point, and none would come close to the production of Bosh, who’s averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Bosh, 30, is making $20.644MM in the first year of a five-year max contract. One NBA player is already being forced to miss the rest of this season with multiple blood clots in his lungs, as the condition struck Nets forward Mirza Teletovic last month.

Eastern Notes: Sessions, Heat, Pacers

February 19th, 2015 at 10:08pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ramon Sessions‘ agent, Jared Karnes, is excited to see his client join the Wizards, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports writes. “Washington is a great situation for Ramon,” Karnes said. “He’s obviously looking forward to going to the playoffs. He has a contract year coming up and this gives him a chance shake things up and be part of a playoff team. Ramon appreciated his time in Sacramento and wishes them success.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pacers made a serious bid to acquire Reggie Jackson from the Thunder, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Of course, the Pacers wound up losing out to the Pistons.
The Heat made Hassan Whiteside an untouchable in trade talks along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Knicks president Phil Jackson can learn a lot about being a successful NBA executive from the Heat‘s Pat Riley, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was happy enough with his roster to not make any moves prior to the trade deadline, Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com writes. “We feel confident in this team,” Ujiri said. “In terms of growth, in terms of growing, we’re still a long ways away. We understand that, but a lot of things that were put in front of us were things that maybe [helped] immediately, something that makes you a slightly better now, but it also takes away from younger guys continuing to grow. We felt it wasn’t the time.”
Goran Dragic is likely to sign a long-term deal this summer to remain with the Heat, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. More than anything else, Dragic desires stability in his career, Deveney adds. “Finding a place where I can be a part of something and build toward something, that is what I have wanted most, really. Having stability,” Dragic told the Sporting News scribe.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Bosh, Heat

December 10th, 2014 at 6:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks and Philips Arena have named Nzinga Shaw as the organization’s new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO), the team announced. Shaw will be responsible for developing and embedding diversity and inclusion best practices throughout the organization. “I am excited to be a member of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena organization at such a pivotal time. My goal as the CDIO is to help our organization rebuild trust and partnership in the Atlanta community, emphasizing civility, sportsmanship, and human decency in an effort to ensure that everyone can be a fan of the team, attend home games, and so that we can serve as a model for inclusion in the NBA,” Shaw said. “More specifically, I will lead the charge of creating a strategic framework to help shift the culture so that we can create greater inclusion and engagement with all of our fans and stakeholders.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

In an interview with Grantland’s Zach Lowe, Chris Bosh discussed a number of topics, including the teams that were courting him before he decided to re-sign with the Heat. When Bosh was asked if the offers he received from the Rockets, Suns, Lakers, and Nuggets had interested him, Bosh said, “It was just interesting to be wanted, after all that time of bashing, bashing, bashing. You kind of bask in it just a little bit. Like, ‘Hey, I’m still valuable. I can still play this game.'”
When Bosh was asked by Lowe about whether any other team besides Houston truly tempted him to sign with them, Bosh replied, “Yeah. They make you think for a minute. But I was interested in staying put. But at the time, it’s like, OK, wow. I never imagined this. You just think about it. But for the most part, I was focused on staying with Miami.”
With the Heat now third-worst in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense, some outsiders have questioned coach Erik Spoelstra’s defensive philosophy, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. But one Miami player said privately that a huge problem is the inability of the team’s wing players (guards especially) to consistently prevent penetration, which then exposes the team’s lack of size on the interior. This defensive weakness on the wing is the primary reason that the Heat have been mentioned as being interested in acquiring Corey Brewer from the Wolves, who is known as a strong perimeter defender.

Heat Notes: Bosh, Williams, Chalmers

November 18th, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Part of what dissuaded Chris Bosh from signing with the Rockets was the prospect of forming yet another “Big Three,” this time with James Harden and Dwight Howard, and inviting the expectations that would come along with it, as Bosh tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

“I could see where people would think that’s an attractive site,” Bosh said of Houston. “They were trying to win right away. And I was really happy to be touted that I possibly could’ve been out there. But you know, that doesn’t guarantee anything, and I know that. All that guarantees is a bunch of pressure.”

The Rockets have been just fine without Bosh so far, Monday’s loss to the Grizzlies notwithstanding, while Bosh and the Heat broke out of a slump in a win against the Nets. Here’s more from South Beach:

Among the myriad reasons Bosh chose to remain with the Heat was that he was simply used to living in Miami, as the big man explained to Berger for the same piece. “I’m familiar with people,” Bosh said. “I know how to get to work. And if there’s traffic, I know the shortcuts. It’s those small things that I really love about the city and I love about being comfortable that guided me back. And you know, if you can make a couple of dollars on the side, then it works out.”
Shawne Williams had played just 61 NBA games in the three years before he joined the Heat this past offseason, but coach Erik Spoelstra has long been a fan of his new starting power forward’s game, notes Francisco Rivero of Heat.com. “I’ve liked him for three or four years,” Spoelstra said. “His skill set, his toughness, that in the right situation and the right commitment to his conditioning and his weight and strength, he could be a guy that fits in our style of play. And I think that’s what you’re seeing right now. He looks totally different. He remade his body this summer.”
Much has changed in Miami, but the Heat remain a dangerous team thanks in part to their decision to bring back Bosh, Mario Chalmers and others from their battle-tested core, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post examines.

Southeast Notes: Bosh, Jordan, Hornets, Heat

October 28th, 2014 at 8:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hornets owner Michael Jordan has finally learned how to win games without the basketball in his hands, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. “I can impact the game in shorts and tennis shoes,” Jordan said. “When I had those on it was easy to prove people wrong. It’s hard to do that now when I have a suit on. I have to rely upon other people understanding my message and my focus.” The Hornets have high expectations this season and many expect the team to make playoffs. Here’s more from the Southeast division:

Chris Bosh isn’t shy about stating his desire to have more freedom in the offense as a reason he chose the Heat over the Rockets in free agency, tweets Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. In terms of a slice of an apple pie chart, said Bosh (link), “It would be a big slice, a nice slice. A big-man slice. Big. Huge. Unhealthy slice. Close to half.”
Although the Hornets are not making a substantial amount of money, Jordan claims the team is getting closer to breaking even, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte is believed to have lost $34MM in basketball operations last year, according to Zach Lowe of Grantland.
Jordan was quick to point out that money wasn’t a main reason why Josh McRoberts departed the Hornets this offseason, writes Bonnell. McRoberts signed with the Heat for a four year deal worth the full value of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception (~$22.6MM).
One of the reasons Danny Granger chose the Heat in free agency was the team’s high shooting percentage over the last few years, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “They have a lot of layups, a lot of open threes, things some other teams just don’t get, which is why they shot such a high percentage. I definitely think I will be able to do that here. I’m definitely going to be over 40 percent, probably 45, 46,” said Granger. Granger added that he hopes to become a more efficient player with the Heat.

Eastern Notes: Bosh, Celtics, Smith

October 26th, 2014 at 7:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat’s roster is still full of talent, post LeBron James, but it will take time for all the new pieces to come together, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. Chris Bosh, who signed a five year, $118,705,300 contract this offseason, understands that the circumstances this season will be different.

“It’s a process, and every time we step out on the floor we’re used to being extremely successful and for things to come a little easier,” Bosh said. “We haven’t had this process in a very long time. We’re used to the same guys coming back, and we know our rotations and it’s just a matter of getting in shape. We’re used to knowing where the ball is going to go. We knew everything and now is a time when we have to really be patient with it because even though we’re out there playing, we have to remember that we’ve only played eight preseason games together and we’re not going to be where we need to be.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck says that he has received “two serious offers” to sell the team in the last two weeks, writes Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe. However, he and Steve Pagliuca have no interest in selling, and Grousbeck would not say if those offers came with dollar amounts attached to them.
Former Knicks guard Chris Smith has entered the D-League draft with the hope of getting another opportunity to play in the NBA, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The younger brother of J.R. Smith says that he has drawn interest from some D-League teams as well as clubs overseas.
Even with LeBron James returning to Cleveland, the Heat will still be one of the better teams in the East, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes in his preview of the Southeast Division.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Kobe, Lottery, Bosh, Hawks

October 20th, 2014 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Henry Abbott of ESPN The Magazine hears from agents and team sources who say Kobe Bryant‘s rough-edged personality is driving free agents away from the Lakers. The Buss family receives more income from the team’s local TV deal if ratings are better, and that helped persuade the team to sign Bryant to his lucrative two-year extension 12 months ago and to eschew an aggressive rebuilding project, Abbott hears. Bryant’s popularity with powerful front-row celebrities also played a role, and co-owner Jim Buss is just “waiting for [Bryant] to leave,” a source tells Abbott, fearful of engaging in a public spat with the superstar. Steve Nash nearly decided against approving his sign-and-trade to the Lakers and Paul George signed his extension with the Pacers in part because of Bryant, sources tell Abbott. Chris Bosh was one of the Lakers’ missed free agent targets this summer, and there’s more on him amid the latest from around the league:

The Thunder will join the Sixers in voting against the changes to the lottery, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, but Wojnarowski seconds Lowe’s report (below) that the measure still has enough support to pass.

Earlier updates:

Bosh spoke of a desire to be paid at his full market rate as he explained his decision to turn down a four-year max deal from the Rockets for five years at the max from the Heat to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “It’s always business,” Bosh said. “Nothing is ever personal. I think 100% of those dudes would have taken the deal I took.”
Another NBA team has joined the Sixers in opposition to the league’s lottery reform proposal as the Board of Governors meet today, but the measure is still expected to receive approval, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports (Twitter links).
Players union secretary-treasurer James Jones is an opponent of shortening games and believes, as teammate LeBron James does, that players would instead like to see fewer games on the schedule, as Jones tells Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Former Hawks All-Star Dikembe Mutombo has met with a group of investors about joining their effort to buy the team, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.