Jae Crowder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Childs, Crowder, Heckmann, Wiseman

November 3rd, 2020 at 9:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers and Clippers have interviewed power forward prospect Yoeli Childs, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. The 6-8 BYU big man averaged 22.2 PPG and 9.0 RPG and made 48.9% of his 3-point attempts. Childs is ranked No. 91 on the latest ESPN big board but he could move into second-round consideration. The Clippers have the No. 57 pick while the Lakers would have to trade into the second round.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Heat forward Jae Crowder is the most realistic free agent wing option for the Clippers, who could use another 3-and-D player, Jovan Buha of The Athletic opines. If the Clippers strike out on Crowder, there’s a dropoff among wings they could pursue with their mid-level exception. That second-tier group includes the likes of Wesley Matthews, Derrick Jones and Kent Bazemore, among others.
Suns co-owner Richard “Dick” Heckmann died Saturday in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic reports. “Dick’s philanthropic spirit coupled with his sharp business acumen was what separated him from the pack,” Suns managing partner Robert Sarver said in a statement. Heckmann, 76, was suffering from a variety of ailments.
A majority of mock drafts have center James Wiseman going to the Warriors with the No. 2 pick, the team’s website notes. Guard Anthony Edwards and forward Deni Avdija are the other strong possibilities, with only two of 24 mock drafts believing guard LaMelo Ball will be Golden State’s selection.

Heat Notes: Ramsey, Quickley, Draft, Crowder, More

November 3rd, 2020 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Texas Tech guard Jahmi’us Ramsey and Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley are among the prospects whom the Heat have reached out to about potential in-person workouts, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

The club only holds the No. 20 pick in this month’s draft, but is doing plenty of homework on the players who could be options in that range — Ramsey is the 35th prospect on ESPN’s big board, while Quickley – who has interviewed with Miami twice, per Jackson – ranks 42nd.

As Jackson details, the Heat have also “taken a look” at Washington forwards Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart, who are 23rd and 27th on ESPN’s board. Additionally, Miami has called to speak to Kentucky guard Ashton Hagans, who is ranked just 68th by ESPN. Hagans would likely only be an option for the Heat if they acquire a second-round pick or if he goes undrafted, Jackson notes.

The Heat were also expected to view group workouts for Minnesota big man Daniel Oturu (No. 37 on ESPN) and Arizona guard Nico Mannion (No. 25), writes Jackson. And as our JD Shaw reported on Monday, College of Charleston guard Grant Riller has interviewed with Miami as well.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Although Jae Crowder is a Georgia native, he has made Miami his adopted hometown, having prepared for the 2012 draft in South Florida and having bought a house in Miami in 2017. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, Crowder’s fondness for both Miami and the Heat should put the team in a good position to re-sign him this fall, even if he doesn’t give the club an “adopted-hometown discount.”
While the Heat are accustomed to getting the most out of players who might not have thrived in other environments, Derrick Jones may be a candidate to become a more complete player and have more success with a new team if he departs in free agency, Winderman says in a Sun Sentinel mailbag.
Ultimate Software, the company that has an advertisement patch on Heat uniforms, has merged with The Kronos Group to form the Ultimate Kronos Group, resulting in a new jersey patch for the Heat. Darren Rovell of The Action Network (Twitter link) has the details.

Heat Notes: Riley, Crowder, Dragic, Adebayo, Roster

October 23rd, 2020 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat team president Pat Riley isn’t planning on making any major changes to the roster this offseason, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Speaking to the media on Friday, Riley said he’s committed to keeping his young core intact.

“I think we’ll stay the course with our (draft) picks, stay the course with our young players,” he said. “We have decisions to make, obviously, with player contracts and free agents, and really do a deep dive into this season, myself and [coach Erik Spoelstra] and [GM Andy Elisburg], about how good we really are right now.”

Riley addressed a number of topics, including the team’s free agents. Here are the highlights:

At the top of the team’s free agent list are Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic and Riley hinted he’d like to re-sign them. However, he also wants to preserve cap space to make a run at a top-level free agent next season. “It’s going to be a little bit dicey for us because of wanting that flexibility,” he said. “But if things can happen prior to that, I think we have to take care of our own, as much as we can.”
The tricky timing of a possible Bam Adebayo extension also weighs heavily on Riley’s mind. If Adebayo signs a rookie scale extension this offseason, it would eat significantly into the Heat’s cap space for next offseason. Riley could try to convince Adebayo to delay signing an extension until next offseason but Riley isn’t keen on doing that. “I’m not going to approach it that way,” Riley said. “I really don’t want to get into any kind of discussions at this point about it. … We value Bam Adebayo. He’s an All-Star. And he’s young. And he’s great. And we’re going to do what’s in his best interest.”
Even though the team made a surprising run to the Finals in Orlando, Riley isn’t sure the team as presently constituted can pull that off again. That could play into his personnel decisions. “We were in the Finals. Are we a finalist?” he said. “Can we get through the Eastern Conference next year with what’s happening in Philadelphia or what’s going to happen in Milwaukee or what’s going to happen in Brooklyn or Boston? We already know that Boston has got their team together and they got three first-round picks in the draft. Toronto, there’s a lot of very good teams. So yeah, that’s a question that I’ll kick around in my mind. I’ll talk to Spo about it.”

Heat Rumors: Adebayo, Giannis, Jones, Dragic, Crowder

October 15th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The expectation heading into the 2020 offseason is that the Heat will prefer to wait on a new deal for Bam Adebayo, since signing him to a maximum-salary extension would cut into the team’s available cap room for 2021. Miami could maximize that space by keeping Adebayo’s more modest RFA cap hold on the books for 2021, then eventually going over the cap to re-sign him.

Adebayo could get the same max contract whether he signs it this offseason or waits until 2021, but if he’d rather lock it in sooner rather than later, it might become an awkward situation for the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. In Jackson’s view, Miami actually may have had more leverage to ask Adebayo to wait when there was a perception that the team needed another star to become championship contenders. After this year’s Finals appearance, that argument is more tenuous.

The Heat’s plan is to go “all-in” for Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 if the Bucks star reaches free agency, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. If Antetokounmpo agrees to an extension with Milwaukee before then, the Heat may not feel as compelled to hold onto their ’21 cap room, which would lessen the need to wait on Adebayo’s next contract.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Unrestricted free agent wing Derrick Jones is expected to receive interest from the Cavaliers, Hornets, and Hawks, among others, sources tell Charania. At just 23 years old, Jones is an unusually young UFA and still has room to develop, which explains why several rebuilding teams will likely kick the tires.
There’s mutual interest in a new deal between Goran Dragic and the Heat, according to Charania, who says the veteran point guard will have multiple suitors.
If the Heat are only willing to offer one-year contracts this offseason, Dragic and Jae Crowder may have to decide whether they prefer to remain in Miami or seek longer-term security, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I’m going to obviously give it thought on both sides — having security and my comfort with this organization,” Crowder told Winderman. “So, hopefully, it all comes together from both sides. And that’s what I really want to do.”
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald examines how the Heat could theoretically re-sign Dragic and Crowder to lucrative one-year contracts while also adding a quality player with the mid-level exception — and staying out of tax territory.

Central Notes: Harris, Crowder, Pistons, Avdija, Bulls

October 13th, 2020 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forwards Joe Harris and Jae Crowder are free agents the Bucks might pursue with their mid-level exception, Eric Nehm of The Athletic speculates. Harris would provide another offensive threat, while Crowder is a defensive stalwart. If the Bucks pursue cheaper options, Josh Jackson, Wesley Iwundu, Gary Clark and Glenn Robinson are considerations with their biannual exception or minimum deals.

We have more from around the Central Division:

The Pistons are putting a premium on conditioning and weight training but they’ll look to balance that with offensive improvements, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Coach Dwane Casey looks at the Heat as a model of a team with toughness and shooting. “You’ve got to have a good mixture of hard-hat guys and shooters – guys who can put the ball in the hole,” he said. “The game is leaning that way. We all have to evolve from that standpoint.”
Israeli forward Deni Avdija could be an ideal complement to last year’s first-round pick, Sekou Doumbouya, Langlois writes in a separate story. Avdija has similar size and positional flexibility as Doumbouya, which could allow the Pistons to exploit mismatches. His offensive skills would add another playmaker at Casey’s disposal. However, Avdija would have to slide to the Pistons’ pick at No. 7 or they’d have to trade up to land him.
The Bulls won’t be making major roster changes this offseason but they could pursue a wing in free agency, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago opines. They would be wise not to hand out a long-term contract, as future cap space should be preserved until they show real improvement, Schaefer adds.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Offseason, Butler, L2M Report

October 11th, 2020 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Miami’s surprising postseason success may change the long-term plan for the franchise, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The Heat have been focused on maximizing cap room for the free agent class of 2021, but their run to the Finals may alter their thinking, not only regarding free agent such as Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder, but for a possible extension for Bam Adebayo.

Adebayo will be eligible for a maximum extension during the offseason, and the team had been expected to delay a new deal with the 23-year-old until next summer. His cap hold will be just $15MM, preserving enough room to chase an elite free agent. However, Hollinger thinks Adebayo’s All-Star season may make it too risky to let him get to restricted free agency.

Even a “low” max deal that starts at 25% of the cap would take the Heat out of the 2021 free agent sweepstakes. But Hollinger notes that the front office didn’t have cap room when it acquired Jimmy Butler on a max salary last summer and suggests that Pat Riley might pursue a similar strategy next year, hoping the team’s young talent will enable another sign-and-trade for a top free agent.

There’s more on the Heat:

In the same piece, Hollinger offers a suggestion for Miami’s offseason that would allow the team to compete for a title again next year without altering its road map for the future. The Heat are about $45MM below the projected tax line for 2020/21 with a mid-level exception that could be used to add a power forward such as Paul Millsap on a one-year contract with an option. Crowder could be offered a similar deal to stay, while Dragic might get a longer-term contract with manageable yearly salaries. Hollinger adds that with Butler, Dragic and Crowder all age 30 or older, Miami’s focus should be on the present rather than the future.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes rebuilding teams should focus on finding a player like Butler, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “The draft is coming up in … a month, they should study Jimmy Butler as a two-way player,” Spoelstra told reporters after Friday’s game. “He’s the ultimate competitor, and when you’re facing the ultimate competition, that’s what happens.”
Two controversial calls that benefited the Heat in Game 5 were both deemed correct in the league’s last-two minute report, although two others were missed that proved to be inconsequential, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Heat Notes: Crowder, Iguodala, Dragic, Adebayo

October 8th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jae Crowder has only been a member of the Heat for about eight months, but this year’s run to the NBA Finals has helped convince him he’d like to stick around a little longer. The veteran forward told reporters today that he’s interested in re-signing with the club this offseason, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

“Hopefully we can work something out,” Crowder said. “It’s enjoyable because we’re winning. Last two teams standing. It’s been a great, great organization to be a part of.”

With the Heat looking to maintain cap flexibility for the 2021 free agent class, Jackson says he expects the club to give Crowder a one-year offer that might include a team option for the 2021/22 season.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Rob Mahoney of The Ringer takes a closer look at how the trade-deadline deal that sent Crowder and Andre Iguodala to Miami helped the Heat reshape their roster and unlock the team’s two-way potential.
A report earlier this week suggested that front office executives around the NBA view the Heat as the top destination for the next star player seeking a change of scenery. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, a number of player agents share this view. “I think they are quite compelling to anyone,” veteran agent Bill Neff said. “If I’m (a top free agent), I like the culture, the coach and the organization.”
As expected, injured point guard Goran Dragic remains doubtful to play in Game 5 of the Finals on Friday due to his torn plantar fascia. On a positive note, Bam Adebayo no longer appears on the injury report after playing in Game 4, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Southwest Notes: Louzada, Burke, Rockets, Crowder

September 30th, 2020 at 6:37pm CST by Jovan Alford

The Sydney Kings of Australia’s NBL announced Wednesday that Pelicans’ 2019 second-round pick Didi Louzada will be returning for his second season (Twitter link). The Brazilian wing player had confirmed the news of him coming back to Sydney a couple of hours earlier (Twitter link).

Last season as a rookie, the 21-year-old Louzada averaged 11.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG for Sydney. The NBL’s 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin in December and will wrap up in April.

Matt Logue of The Telegraph reported that Louzada can make his NBA debut at any time as the Pelicans own his draft rights. As things stand, there’s not a set date on when the 2020/21 NBA regular season will begin.

Here’s more from across the Southwest Division:

Before he joined the Mavericks in the bubble this summer, Trey Burke battled COVID-19, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas News. The veteran guard discussed his trials and tribulations with the virus, including being quarantined for weeks in a Dallas hotel. “At this point, it was like 21, 22 days,” Burke said. “I was really concerned at that point because I was thinking my career was in jeopardy. I needed an opportunity before the bubble, and Dallas, a team I’m familiar with, calls me, and I can’t get to the bubble because of coronavirus.” The former first-round pick was eventually cleared to join Dallas in Orlando after his 25th day of quarantine.
With Mike D’Antoni not returning next season, the Rockets are beginning their search for a new head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that Houston has received permission to interview Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. and Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle initially reported the Rockets’ interest in both assistant coaches, along with five other head coaching candidates.
At NBA Finals Media Day on Tuesday, Heat forward Jae Crowder spoke about his brief time with the Grizzlies this season, writes Mark Giannotto of Commercial Appeal. The veteran forward explained how he had to take on more of a leadership role for the young Grizzlies’ team. “Being in Memphis, I took on a different role. I took on a role I’d never taken on before in an NBA locker room,” he said. “And that’s just being a main leader, being a main vocal point, being the main guy who the young guys can lean on.” Crowder was acquired by Miami in a multi-player trade at February’s trade deadline.

Heat Notes: Butler, UD, Wade, Riley

September 23rd, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat All-Star wing Jimmy Butler has emerged as the leader of a team two games away from the NBA Finals this season. His departures from his prior three teams painted a different picture of his personality.

In a revealing piece, ESPN’s Nick Friedell takes a look at Butler through the eyes of teammates, coaches, front office executives, and team owners past and present, navigating historic quotes that cover Jimmy’s debut in the league all the way through his current standing as one of its premiere players.

There’s more out of South Beach today:

Butler’s uniqueness as a team-first All-Star has made scoring a lesser priority for him. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel examines whether Butler can be a dominant scorer for the Heat, especially in the first halves of games, in the rest of the postseason.
Veteran Heat power forward Udonis Haslem credits the father of teammate Jae Crowder, Corey, with his 17-season NBA career. After going undrafted in 2002, Haslem headed to France, where he linked up with the elder Crowder as both played for French club Chalon-sur-Saône. After Haslem began dominating team practices, he found encouragement from Crowder to try again at the next level. “That’s when I told him, ‘You’ve got to get to the NBA,’” Corey Crowder said.
As Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald recaps, former Heat All-Star Dwyane Wade spoke on 790 The Ticket’s Tobin & Leroy Show about the Heat’s youth movement this season and the future of longtime Heat mastermind Pat Riley, who is 75. “I think [Riley’s] going to be around [well after this season],” Wade said. “His office is going to still be his office. Even if he’s not in that position, he’s still going to come into practice everyday. This is his life. This is what he loves. This is him. I don’t see him going anywhere.”

Heat Notes: Roster, Haslem, ECF

September 17th, 2020 at 6:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Zach Lowe of ESPN tracks the Heat‘s impressive front office maneuvering that took them from the lottery in 2015 back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020, despite having traded away a number of their draft picks during that time. Lowe applauds the team’s savvy drafting of All-Star Bam Adebayo and potential future All-Star shooting specialist Tyler Herro in the 2017 and 2019 drafts, respectively.

“The doubt was whether [Adebayo] could really do much on offense,” said Heat senior adviser of basketball operations Chet Kammerer. “I just felt like, with his love for the game and his work ethic, he’s going to be OK in that area.”

The Heat also hit on three undrafted free agent role players in point guard Kendrick Nunn this season, shooting guard Duncan Robinson last year, and forward Derrick Jones Jr. in 2017 after a brief stint with the Suns. Miami was apparently one of two contenders for Dorian Finney-Smith after the 2016 draft, but lost out to the Mavericks.

Of course, All-Star Jimmy Butler was the key addition this offseason. During the 2016/17 “Three Alphas” Bulls season – when Dwyane Wade teamed up with Butler and Rajon Rondo in Chicago – Wade and Butler discussed just how special the much-ballyhooed “Heat culture” really was. That conversation apparently set the stage for Butler prioritizing the Heat above all other suitors in free agency during the summer of 2019, despite Miami lacking any room to sign a maximum-salaried free agent. Miami made a four-team sign-and-trade for the team’s now-top star.

There’s more out of South Beach:

The Heat’s playoff-ready roster, comprised by acquiring key under-regarded prospects and never fully bottoming out, is also examined by HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina in another quality piece.
17-season Heat lifer Udonis Haslem, a crucial role player for each of Miami’s three titles, remains noncommittal on whether or not 2019/20 will prove to be his final season as a player, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “There is a value and a need for me here,” Haslem said. “It doesn’t have to be the way that everybody thinks it should be. If I have to put on a suit and stand on the sideline, just because everybody else thinks I should. I found value in this locker room, and I’ve been able to move the needle and help us win games, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Ahead of the first game of the Heat’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Celtics, we asked you who you expected to advance to the NBA Finals from Eastern Conference. As of this writing, the third-seeded Celtics have received 54% of over 1,300 votes.