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Heat Rumors: LeBron, Riley, Williams, Temple

July 7th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of South Beach..

  • A summit between Heat president Pat Riley and LeBron James will probably go down in the next 24 hours but likely won’t be in Miami, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
  • No guarantees were made, but Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts committed to the Heat with a strong belief that LeBron James will be their teammate, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (on Twitter).
  • People who have had phone conversations with Riley have come away with the impression that he is confident the Big Three will return, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
  • The Heat are no longer in pursuit of Marvin Williams after using the mid-level exception on Josh McRoberts, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
  • Garrett Temple is leaning towards signing with the Heat, tweets Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.  The Wizards also want to bring Temple back and the Magic and Bulls were said to have interest.
  • There’s still mutual interest between Greg Oden and the Heat, but no decision has been made one way or another, Reynolds tweets.
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Southeast Notes: Chalmers, Oden, Hornets

June 11th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Charlie Adams

Mario Chalmers has struggled mightily for the Heat lately, but he doesn’t attribute his on-court woes to his looming free agency, reports Sean Deveney of Sporting News. “I am not even thinking about that,” Chalmers said today. “Whatever happens this summer, happens.” Here’s more on Miami and the Southeast:

  • The Heat are expected to work out Kyle Anderson, C.J. Wilcox, Joe Harris, Jordan Bachynski and Markel Brown, a source tells Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link).
  • Greg Oden admits he was disappointed at his lack of playing time for the Heat this season, but it won’t discourage him from signing a new contract this summer, be it with Miami or another club, passes along Chris Haynes of Comcast Sportsnet.
  • Jeff Adrien, whom Charlotte dealt to the Bucks at the trade deadline this year, joined several Hornets veterans for a workout in Charlotte today, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Adrien becomes an unrestricted free agent in July.
  • Shabazz Napier and Elfrid Payton auditioned for the Magic today, according to Scotto (Twitter link). Isaiah Sykes also worked out for the club, as Sykes revealed via Twitter (hat tip to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel).
  • The Wizards will bring in Billy Baron, Jerrelle Benimon, Justin Cobbs, Josh Huestis, Lamar Patterson, and Davon Usher, the team announced.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Eastern Notes: Oden, Knight, Kerr

March 17th, 2014 at 5:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if it’s time to worry about Greg Oden. Winderman admits that it’s hard to see the former No. 1 overall pick being a real asset to the Heat during their playoff run. If he is going to to be a real part of their postseason plans, however, now is the time for Miami to figure out how to best utilize their low-risk offseason signing.

More out of the East..

  • One NBA advance scout told Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times (on Twitter) that it’s obvious the Pistons gave up on Brandon Knight too soon. WIth the Bucks, the Kentucky product has averaged a career-high 17.4 PPG and 4.9 APG in 32.3 minutes per contest. His current per of 17.0 is by far the best of his three NBA seasons.
  • Steve Kerr is close with Phil Jackson and has said he wants to coach in the NBA someday, but says all the talk linking him to the Knicks is just rumors, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Kerr said, “It’s crazy, I think people are just connecting the dots because of my relationship with Phil Jackson. That’s all it is, just speculation.” Kerr was asked what he would do if Jackson hypothetically offered him the Knicks job tomorrow. “I have no idea,” Kerr responded. There’s a lot that goes into that. I don’t know, we’ll see.”
  • Ben Golliver of SI.com writes that Kerr and Jackson have stayed close since their time in Chicago together. In the article Kerr said, “We’ve stayed close over the years. He’s in Los Angeles and I’m in San Diego. I see him occasionally … we email quite a bit. We stay in touch. I played for him for five years. We share that bond and the love for the game. We talk basketball when we get together.” Kerr left little doubt that he wants to try his hand at coaching, but declined to discuss the possibility of him joining the Knicks out of respect for current coach Mike Woodson, Golliver writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Odds & Ends: Duncan, Oden, Wizards

February 19th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Chuck Myron

ESPN analyst and former coach George Karl hears that Tim Duncan is thinking of retiring at season’s end, notes Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News, but Duncan isn’t sure how Karl got that impression. The Big Fundamental says he’s undecided, as he tells reporters, including Express-News scribe Mike Monroe (Twitter link). Fellow Express-News writer Jeff McDonald would be “shocked” if Duncan retired. The sense around the Spurs is that Duncan will keep playing as long as he feels he’s useful, McDonald says, pointing out that the big man is still under contract for next year (Twitter links). Here’s more from the Association:

  • Greg Oden considered a handful of teams last summer, but it came down to a decision between the Mavs and the Heat, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Most reports have suggested the Wizards are looking for a backup point guard, but Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears they’re seeking a backup who can play both guard positions, suggesting Luke Ridnour as a possibility (Twitter link).
  • A veteran scout tells Woelfel that he has Creighton forward Doug McDermott No. 6 on his draft board, and Chris Mannix of SI.com examines a polarizing prospect who’s sparked a wide range of opinions in NBA front offices.
  • The Cavs had discussions with the Lakers about acquiring Chris Kaman, but those talks are no longer active, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Free agent Malcolm Lee hasn’t played since December 2012 because of injury, but he’s about two weeks away from being ready to suit up for a team, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets.
  • The Warriors on Tuesday recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, the team announced. Kuzmic’s latest stint in Santa Cruz lasted one day.
  • Some members of the actors union are upset that executive director David White is a candidate for the same position with the National Basketball Players Association, observes Dave McNary of Variety.com.
  • Lionel Hollins explains the root of his raw feelings from the end of his tenure as Grizzlies coach to Mearl Purvis of WHBQ-TV in Memphis.
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Eastern Notes: Pistons, Afflalo, Oden, Bennett

January 15th, 2014 at 10:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Detroit’s “Big Three” of Greg Monroe, Josh Smith, and Andre Drummond haven’t been as successful as Joe Dumars anticipated writes Zach Lowe of Grantland. His offseason signing of Smith to a four-year, $54MM contract has resulted in a 16-22 record and has them currently sitting as the seventh seed in the weak Eastern Conference, just a half a game up on the Nets in the playoff race. This underachieving calls into question Monroe’s future with the team, with his contract set to expire after the season. The other alternative according to Lowe, is to try and find a taker for Smith, no easy feat considering the size of his deal. Smith said “It’s easy to use me as a scapegoat“, when speaking to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt opines that improved shot selection from Smith would go a long way toward improving the team.

Some other notes from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel explores the idea of the Magic possibly trading Arron Afflalo. He says the main difficulty in making a trade is that teams want to get him for pennies on the dollar, and aren’t willing to sacrifice young players or draft picks, which would be the primary goal if a trade was made.
  • Greg Oden made his return to the hardwood this evening for the Heat, his first action since 2009, writes Joseph White of the Associated Press. His performance going forward will have a direct bearing on the possibility of the Heat signing Andrew Bynum.
  • The Cavaliers’ struggling number one overall pick, Anthony Bennett, stated he would be open to playing in the D-League, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Bennett is averaging 2.4 PPG in just 10.4 MPG. His playing time doesn’t look likely to increase any time soon with the recent acquisition of Luol Deng. A stint in the D-League, and the chance to log some heavy minutes to get himself going might be just what Bennett needs. Despite Bennett’s willingness to take a trip to the D-League, and the Cavs having had discussions about the move, the team doesn’t have any immediate plans to send him, writes Jason Lloyd of Akron Beacon Journal.
  • The Cavaliers have assigned guard/forward Carrick Felix to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, according to a press release. Felix played in six games for the Cavs this season, and averaged 1.5 PPG. In a previous three game stint with the Charge, he averaged 9.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG.
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Southeast Notes: Oden, Nelson, Heat, Harrington

December 3rd, 2013 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

In an incredibly weak Eastern Conference, the Southeast Division practically qualifies as a powerhouse. Led by the 14-3 Heat, the Southeast is the only Eastern division above .500 as a whole — its five teams have combined for a 46-43 record so far. Three Southeast clubs will look to improve on that mark tonight, as the Heat host the Pistons, while the Magic play in Philadelphia and the Bobcats visit Dallas.

Here’s more from around the division:

  • The Heat‘s signing of Greg Oden this summer received plenty of attention, but the former first overall pick is coming along slowly, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico hears from several sources that Miami doesn’t plan to integrate Oden into the rotation until around the All-Star break, and even then, he’ll likely only play about 8-10 minutes per game.
  • Within the same piece, Amico asked an NBA executive for five players he thinks will be traded this season, and the Magic‘s Jameer Nelson was among the players mentioned by the exec.
  • Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wonders if the Heat‘s Big Three could become a Big Four next summer, when LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade are all eligible for free agency. Kyler’s scenario would involve all three players opting out and taking significant pay cuts, and would mean purging the rest of the roster to create room for a fourth impact player, so it sounds like a real long shot.
  • While Al Harrington has been sidelined recently by a sore knee, he tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that he likes being a Wizard, and is trying to forget his stint with the Magic. Harrington came to Orlando as part of the four-team Dwight Howard blockbuster, but missed most of last season and was waived in the summer, before signing with Washington.
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Eastern Notes: Oden, Caldwell-Pope, Celtics, Gordon

October 19th, 2013 at 6:37pm CST by Spencer Lund

Greg Oden has yet to see any preseason action for the Heat, but the 25-year-old former No. 1 pick told HoopsWorld’s Moke Hamilton his primary goal when he returns to the hardwood  is, “To walk on the court and play however many minutes…and to walk off healthy.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Oden’s “been great,” before adding that his journey from top of the 2007 Draft to the Heat isn’t easily relatable:

“He’s been through a lot; it’s tough for anybody to really relate, to have something you love taken away from you for multiple years, something you can’t control. So, we’re just trying to help him through the process until he can get back on the court.”

Here are some notes from around the Eastern Conference on a slow Saturday night:

  • Pistons Rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has struggled with his shot in preseason action, but Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press tweets that Chauncey Billups believes KCP can be a lockdown defender in the vein of Tony Allen.
  • Billups tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, via Twitter, that he’s been watching tape with  Caldwell-Pope and fellow Pistons rookie Peyton Siva.
  • Billups tells Langlois that KCP is a good shooter, but “good shooters take good shots” (Twitter). Billups adds that all KCP has proven is he won’t lose his confidence, but that he’s young, too. (Twitter).
  • Thanks to a scheduling quirk, the Celtics have played 6 preseason games in 9 days, and only have 2 games remaining before their October 30th opener in Toronto. Coach Brad Stevens, a first-time NBA coach after coming over from Butler, tells Celtics.com’s Marc D’Amico he doesn’t know if Sunday’s preseason game against the ‘Wolves in Montreal will be a dress rehearsal for his regular season rotation, or more tinkering with the minutes.
  • Bobcats guard Ben Gordon will miss the rest of the preseason after a procedure on one of his knees to relieve soreness, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Bonnell adds, via Twitter, that coach Steve Clifford will play Ramon Sessions at shooting guard and give Jannero Pargo more run at the point in Gordon’s absence.
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Eastern Rumors: Bucks, Sims, Oden, Mayo, Hill

October 19th, 2013 at 2:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks overhauled their roster this summer, and they’re without four of the five players who averaged double figures in points for them last season. Still, they’re one of five teams that Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld believes is capable of overachieving and grabbing a playoff berth. Milwaukee made a pair of moves today, picking up their 2014/15 options on Brandon Knight and John Henson, and there’s more on the Bucks and more from Brigham in the latest out of the Eastern Conference.

  • Henry Sims is one of seven players on non-guaranteed deals in Cavs camp, but he’s expected to make the team, according to The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto.
  • Erik Spoelstra‘s intimate knowledge of Greg Oden‘s rehab procedures impressed the former No. 1 overall pick while he was considering where to sign this summer, as Oden tells USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt for a piece that looks at the Heat’s effort to revive the careers of Oden and Michael Beasley.
  • O.J. Mayo chose the best financial offer when he signed for three years and $24MM with the Bucks, but the money isn’t the only reason why Mayo’s new surroundings appeal to him, writes Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. “I’m happy to be here and I want to stay here,” Mayo said. “That’s why I bought the house here because I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
  • Solomon Hill was a surprise selection at No. 23 this past June, but early signs point to him seeing significant minutes for the Pacers this season, Brigham writes.
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Eastern Notes: Kleiza, Robinson, Nets

October 17th, 2013 at 6:44pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Former Raptors forward Linas Kleiza told lrytas.lt – a Lithuanian media outlet – that he has no interest in returning to the NBA after being amnestied by Toronto this past July (hat tip to RealGM.com). The 6’8 forward now plays for Fenerbahçe Ülker of the Turkish Basketball League.

Here are some more news and notes from around the Eastern Conference:

  • One source tells Ridiculous Upside’s Keith Schlosser that former NBA veteran Cliff Robinson has landed an assistant coaching job with the Springfield Armor of the NBDL, which serves as an affiliate with the Nets. The one-time All-Star’s 18-year playing career included stops in Portland, Phoenix, Detroit, Golden State, and most recently New Jersey.
  • Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy looks at how the Nets have become a legitimate title contender after an offseason overhaul that brought in three former All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Andrei Kirilenko to go with new head coach in Jason Kidd.
  • Sam Amick of USA Today checked in with TNT’s Charles Barkley and Steve Kerr along with ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy to get their opinions on some of the biggest storylines of the upcoming season. As far as the East is concerned, Barkley views center Greg Oden as the key to the Heat’s quest for a third-consecutive title, Kerr predicts that the Bulls will unseat Miami in the playoffs, and Van Gundy thinks the jury’s still out as to how the new additions in South Beach could hurt or help the Heat.
  • Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Twitter) notes that plenty of scouts are in attendance at tonight’s pre-season game between the Wizards and Knicks to get a look at potential cuts. With Knicks GM Steve Mills’ recent comments about lack of depth at center, Berman believes New York will certainly be scouting too.
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Odds & Ends: Oden, Jordan, Rockets

October 16th, 2013 at 10:24pm CST by Michael Pina

A few more random notes from around the league.

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