Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Draft, Heat, Hairston

June 20th, 2014 at 8:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link) that the Lakers and the Sixers are discussing a deal that would send the seventh-overall pick to Philly, but it wasn’t known what the Lakers would receive in return. The Sixers most desirable player assets are Thaddeus Young and Michael Carter-Williams. Trading Carter-Williams would open the door for Philadelphia to grab Dante Exum with the third pick, but that’s pure speculation on my part.

Pat Riley On LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Tax

June 19th, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Heat president Pat Riley today characterized last year’s amnesty waiver of Mike Miller and the January trade that offloaded Joel Anthony to the Celtics as moves that were about creating cap flexibility for this summer and not about sparing the team luxury tax penalties. James doesn’t see it that way, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reported yesterday that James feels some bitterness about the maneuvers. Riley pointed to the contracts for Miller and Anthony, which run through next season, as the motivationm and the architect of the past four Eastern Conference champions had plenty more to say in his press conference, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel details. We’ll hit the highlights here:

On the notion that owner Micky Arison wants to curb spending:

“He will do anything to get those guys to come back. There has been a perception he doesn’t want to pay the tax. That’s B.S. He isn’t asking anyone to take a cut to pay the tax. That’s a voluntary thing from the player. We are not asking them to do that. Micky will do whatever he has to do to keep this team together.”

On whether he’d ask James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to take discounts:

“I’m not going to get down on my knees. I wouldn’t do that to a player.”

On the prospect of adding a fourth star:

“That’s a pipe dream. But everybody thought 2010 was a pipe dream, too. I don’t harbor that thought. That’s not where we are headed. That’s not what we’re thinking about.”

On how the team can return to championship form:

“All of a sudden, people say we need to improve at every position. We need to get our core back, OK? We need to organically grow from within. The Spurs, after they lost last year, went home, licked their wounds, went off into the summer and they made one move. They got [Marco] Belinelli, who had a great year for them, didn’t have much impact in the Finals except for one three[-pointer] that he hit against us that was big. But it was Patty Mills from within the organization. It was Boris Diaw from within the organization. It was [Manu] Ginobili being better at [36] years old this year than he was last year. It was Kawhi Leonard all of a sudden, the bloom was off the rose for him from that standpoint. He was given the green light and he showed what he could do. I think first and foremost, we want to try and do that. And whatever and what’s available out there that will complement our players and our style is who we’re going to go after. You can always upgrade your talent. You can never have enough.”

Amico’s Latest: LeBron, Sixers, Cavs, Draft

June 19th, 2014 at 8:22am CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James said this week that if his family is happy, he’s happy, and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears that James’ wife, Savannah, doesn’t have Miami atop her list of places she’d like to live. Sources tell Amico that she’d rather live in the couple’s hometown of Akron or in San Diego. Of course, neither place has an NBA team, but they’re relatively close to Cleveland and Los Angeles, respectively. One place Savannah doesn’t want to move to is New York, Amico also hears. As the anticipation regarding LeBron’s decision heats up, Amico has more on potential factors in the four-time MVP’s decision-making and other topics, and we’ll hit the highlights:

The general belief is that Dwyane Wade is likely to opt in to his contract with the Heat, but what he and Chris Bosh decide to do with their deals won’t affect what James decides to do about his option, according to Amico. That’s in spite of James having told reporters that all three stars will meet and discuss their futures.
The Sixers have reportedly inquired with the Cavs about the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, but Philadelphia has yet to make a “concrete offer” for the selection, Amico reports. Still, Cleveland is confident that the Sixers will follow through with an offer in advance of the draft, Amico adds.
The Cavs are exploring the notion of packaging the 33rd overall pick with another asset in an attempt to acquire a first-round pick, and clubs with picks in the back end of the first round have been receptive to the idea, Amico writes.
Byron Scott has pulled into the lead for the Lakers head coaching job, according to Amico, echoing his Twitter report from late Wednesday.

Heat Rumors: LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Allen

June 17th, 2014 at 5:46pm CST by Cray Allred

LeBron James can have as much say in the Heat’s roster construction as he wants to, as Erik Spoelstra told reporters at Miami’s press conference today, including Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). Here’s more on the dethroned champs:

Spoelstra expressed support for potential free agent Dwyane Wade, saying, “I’ll go in that foxhole with Dwyane, any day. It’s funny how the narrative changes in a matter of days,” as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel quotes the coach.
Winderman notes that Wade skipped the press conference altogether.
Chris Bosh maintained what he has been saying in recent weeks, that he wants to return to the Heat along with the other two thirds of the Big Three.
LeBron was less committal, saying that he hasn’t begun to think ahead to the prospect of opting in or out, or luring other free agents to bolster the Miami lineup. “Being able to have flexibility as a professional, that’s what we all would like,” he said. “I understand what this team, this franchise, brings to the table.”
LeBron said he wasn’t sure where Wade’s thought process is at the moment, but that the Big Three will gather to get on the same page as planned. “It’s only right. We’ve earned that from each other to have a conversation and see what could happen,” Lieser quotes James as saying (via Twitter).
All indications are that Ray Allen would put off retirement another season for the chance to play with James again in 2014/15, Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick tweets.
Earlier, we passed on word of Kyle Lowry‘s interest in Miami and the Mavs’ interest in Chris Andersen.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Heat Likely To Pursue Carmelo Anthony

June 12th, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Charlie Adams

3:23pm: Bosh tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he, Wade and James have never discussed the idea of recruiting Anthony to join them on the Heat, casting the idea of all four playing together next season as “very, very unlikely.”

THURSDAY, 8:13am: Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel downplays the notion of Miami making a run at Anthony, writing in his mailbag column that while the Heat are thinking about trying to sign him, the same is true of Miami and virtually every other potential free agent. Winderman doesn’t think the stars would give up enough money to make the possibility feasible within the Heat’s budget.

WEDNESDAY, 6:52pm: The Heat will attempt to turn their “big three” into a “big four” by making a run at Carmelo Anthony this summer, sources tell Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN. ‘Melo holds a player option for the 2014/15 season that he would need to decline before Miami could purse him in free agency, and we heard earlier today that Knicks were pitching a run at LeBron James in the summer of 2015 to try and persuade ‘Melo into sticking around in New York.

In order for such a scenario to come to fruition, James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would need to exercise the early termination options in their contracts this summer and then re-sign with the team at a discount. Reports have suggested that the trio of All-Stars were interested in opting out to search of more lucrative deals, but sources tell Stein and Windhorst that the “leading players” of the team, presumably the Big Three, have started to explore their options for creating sufficient financial flexibility to make a run at ‘Melo feasible.

Since the only contract guaranteed to be on Miami’s books next year is Norris Cole‘s $2MM pact, the Heat could find themselves with more cap room than any other team this summer. Cooperation from Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen, both of whom possess player options, is instrumental in the pursuit of Anthony as well, but it’s certainly feasible the Heat find a way to clear enough room to make Anthony a tempting offer.

James, Wade, Bosh, and Anthony have at least discussed the idea of playing together one day, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter), who also tweets that while the idea of the quartet of stars joining forces might be a hard one to swallow, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Meanwhile, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio opines via Twitter that there’s “no way” ‘Melo joins the Heat this summer. If ‘Melo were to sign in Miami this offseason, the Heat would lay claim to four of the top five selections of the 2003 draft.

Eastern Rumors: Heat, Stephenson, Draft

June 3rd, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Bosh made comments in March that seemed to indicate that he knew LeBron James would remain with the Heat for next season, but Dwyane Wade said Monday that the team’s trio of stars haven’t spoken with each other about this summer’s free agency. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has that and more, including the latest from Bosh, who reiterated his own plans, once more making his intention to stay with the Heat clear.

“I want to come back. That’s OK to say, I think,” Bosh said. “I can’t speak for anything else and I don’t want to take away from the subject at hand, but I like it here. It’s Miami. Enough said. People are dying to get here.”

While we wait to see if James and Wade are just as enthusiastic about Miami as Bosh is, here’s the latest from around the Eastern Conference:

Lance Stephenson‘s agent, Alberto Ebanks, is hopeful that he and the Pacers will reach agreement on a new deal this summer, as Ebanks tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Still, Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said Monday that while he wants Stephenson back, he added that the team will set a price point for the shooting guard and won’t exceed it, Zagoria notes.
K.J. McDaniels, Jabari Brown, Drew Crawford, Lamar Patterson and Scottie Wilbekin are among the prospects scheduled to work out for the Hornets on Wednesday, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Wilbekin returns for a second time after performing for the team Monday as part of a group that included Justin Cobbs, Langston Hall, Sean Kilpatrick and Ian Miller, as Bonnell also notes. (All Twitter links).
An ankle injury scrubbed Jahii Carson‘s scheduled audition for the Raptors today, observes Holly MacKenzie of Sportsnet (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Heat, Hornets, Knicks

May 25th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat are facing some major uncertainty next season, writes Andrew Keh of the New York Times. Of course, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all have early termination options, but a number of other players including Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers will be free agents. Guard Norris Cole is the only player on the books next season.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Dwyane Wade

April 26th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Cray Allred

A three-time champion, Dwyane Wade could find himself in a peculiar position this summer. This offseason will be the first of two opportunities for the guard to get out of his contract early, and his decision will likely be tied to what he and teammates LeBron James and Chris Bosh decide to do collectively. All three players have early termination options this offseason and player options for 2015/16, a structure they formed by design when they joined forces in hopes of forming a dynasty before the 2010/11 season. NBA executives reportedly expect the trio to terminate their contracts but re-sign with Miami next season. While they made moderate sacrifices to squeeze into Miami’s salary books together, they aren’t expected to give up millions of dollars in salary to benefit the Heat cap structure this time around.

Ranked ninth in our latest Free Agent Power Rankings, Wade would risk the most by becoming a free agent before his six-year, nearly $108MM contract runs its full course. While James and Bosh could find max contracts in a number of cities, it seems doubtful that teams would be jumping at the chance to offer over roughly $20MM in annual salary to a 32-year-old who missed 74 games over the last three seasons due to knee injury and regimented rest. It’s unlikely that there are many teams, if any, outside of Miami that could afford to regularly rest a player of Wade’s caliber while paying him more than most or all of their other players.

Wade could play it safe and ride out his contract, but he would then face an even more precarious scenario at the age of 34. A team that believed in his talents enough to pursue him in free agency would presumably think he is still capable of performing as one of the best guards in the league for years to come. It could be worth accepting an annual pay decrease if it means securing a lengthy extension that guarantees more money overall. There haven’t been any teams legitimately linked to Wade at this point as the league waits on the Miami trio to makes their moves. The last time Wade was on the open market, his hometown Bulls made a serious play for his services.

Wade’s game has transformed significantly since taking a backseat to LeBron in the Heat offense. The year before the big-three era began, Wade averaged 30.2 points per game and stood tallest among the Heat legends. His scoring average has decreased each year since, with his 19.0 clip this season a career low outside of his rookie season. His 2013/14 per-game averages in minutes played, field goals attempted, free throws attempted, steals, and blocks are also at career-worst levels for Wade, not including his rookie year. On the other hand, he has adapted to his reduced role with improved efficiency. His true shooting percentage of .588 this season is a career high, as is his field goal percentage of .545, well above his career average of .492.

Wade has always been an abysmal three-point shooter, and he hasn’t improved at all as a veteran. He only took 0.6 threes per game this year, and only hit on 28.1% of those attempts. As his knee issues continue to be a concern, his reliance on a brutally physical offensive game is somewhat troubling. All aging players lose athleticism, and if Wade’s knee problems cause his driving and slashing abilities to decline more quickly than with most players, he doesn’t have a long-term skill set to fall back on. Shooting guards that can’t shoot from distance aren’t common in the NBA, and typically have to play defense at an elite level to stay on the floor. Wade is one of the best instinctive defenders in the game, but deteriorating athleticism would damage his defensive ability as well.

Wade has built his Hall-of-Fame career in Miami, and he has expressed a desire to play there until he retires. Kobe Bryant‘s latest extension fortified Wade’s inclination to stay, but many around the league pilloried the wisdom of such a lucrative deal for a player on the downside of his career. It would be difficult for the Heat to avoid repeat-offender tax penalties if they extend Wade significantly above market value and they also retain James and Bosh.

If Wade does opt out, my guess is that Wade’s fate as a free agent will be influenced as much by Miami’s thinking as his own. Pat Riley has been shrewd in building a championship roster without incurring enormous tax bills, but the repeater tax looms if the team moves forward with three max contracts. It would certainly be unpopular with the fan base, but if Wade’s departure would open the door for Miami to free up space for better role players or even another, younger star to complement the final stretch of LeBron’s prime, the Heat might just walk through it.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Anthony, Young, Raptors

April 15th, 2014 at 6:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The general consensus among several NBA executives is that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will presumably re-sign with the Heat, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. As for Carmelo Anthony, most executives reportedly believe that the seven-time All-Star will re-up with the Knicks (Twitter links).

Unfortunately, the Knicks reported today that an MRI revealed a small tear in Anthony’s right labrum; however, no surgery is needed and he’ll be re-evaluated in a month (Twitter links via the official Knicks PR account). Depending on how one looks at it, it may be considered a blessing that the star forward will not risk aggravating the injury by trying to play through pain had New York made the playoffs this year. Al Iannazzone of Newsday (via Twitter) notes that Anthony decided to continue playing on a torn labrum in his left shoulder at the end of last season.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Thaddeus Young isn’t sure if his time with the 76ers is running out, but the veteran forward tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he’ll remain with the team as long as they want him and he’s under contract. Young is still on the books for 2014/15; however, the Sixers could look to deal him this summer if they feel that he’ll eventually choose to turn down his $9.8MM player option for 2015/16, adds Pompey.
Soon-to-be restricted free agents Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez are “immensely open” to re-signing with the Raptors on long-term deals this summer, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Charania also hears from DeMar DeRozan, who says he never thought about trying to push for an early escape from his four-year extension when the team was struggling early this season.
Nets GM Billy King is exploring all of the team’s options in the NBDL right now, relays Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (via Twitter). King added that an announcement will be made as soon as a decision is reached.
Toney Douglas considers himself to be in a more advantageous position heading into free agency this summer after making the most of his chance to revive his career with the Heat this season, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Hopson, Augustin, Heat

April 1st, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavs used the room exception to sign Scotty Hopson on Monday, but because the maximum 4.5% raise permitted via the exception is tied to what he actually makes, rather than the exception’s full value, Hopson isn’t a particularly intriguing trade chip. Mark Deeks of ShamSportsexplains the matter in his latest piece for the Score, noting that Hopson’s salary of about $1.37MM this season and $1.44MM next season is roughly equivalent to what a veteran of 10 seasons or more would make on a minimum-salary deal. Hopson is ineligible to be traded until July 10th, meaning he’s of no use for a draft-night trade.

More news from around the east:

Since being picked up by the Bulls after Toronto waived him in December, D.J. Augustin has averaged 14.3 PPG on nearly 42 percent shooting, including 41 percent from 3-point range, in 30.4 minutes per contest. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, but would love to return to Chicago, writes Cody Westerlund of CBSChicago.com.
The Heat‘s “Big Three” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh can all become free-agents after the season. There has been speculation that one or all three would consider leaving Miami, but before making any decision, the trio plan to sit down together to discuss their options, writes Darren Rovell of ESPN.com.
Phil Jackson has been to only two of the eight games the Knicks have played since he took over their basketball department. Some say Jackson should be with the team as much as possible to get to know the players and staff and help them in any way he can as they try to make their playoff push, but Carmelo Anthony is not one of them, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Anthony said, “He’s smart. He knows what he’s doing. He’s been in this situation before with fighting for spots and trying to win basketball games. So he knows what to expect, and now he’s on the outside looking in. I guess he’s giving us our space. We’re not really concerned about that.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.