Justise Winslow Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Heat Roster Logjam

January 2nd, 2019 at 9:34pm CST by clarkcrum

As we relayed earlier today, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is “sick” to his stomach about his inability to find minutes for veteran sharpshooter Wayne Ellington. And now that fellow guard and teammate Dion Waiters is set to return from his ankle injury, don’t expect playing time decisions to get any easier for Spoelstra.

Not counting Waiters or up-and-coming youngster Derrick Jones, the Heat already have 11 players on standard NBA contracts who log 20.5 minutes per game or more, the most of anyone in the league. And of those 12 players, seven are swingmen who play primarily on the wing (Josh Richardson, Rodney McGruder, Justise Winslow, Dwyane Wade, Tyler Johnson, Ellington, and Waiters).

In tonight’s blowout win against the Cavs, Wade logged a DNP-Illness, with the remainder of the minutes on the wing going to Richardson (32), Jones (31), Winslow (27), Johnson (26), McGruder (21), and Waiters (11).

With Wade back in the mix soon and Waiters presumably playing his way into more minutes, the question becomes whether the Heat will move on from some of the aforementioned players, such as Waiters or Ellington, or keep the roster logjam as currently constructed as insurance in the event of another injury.

That brings us to our question of the day: Do you think the Heat should try to move on from some of their wings or keep them all around for the rest of the 2018/19 season? If they alter their roster, who is the most likely wing to be moved? Ellington? Waiters? Somebody else?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in. We look forward to your input.

Heat Notes: Wade, Waiters, Whiteside, Winslow

December 26th, 2018 at 4:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade has re-emerged as a vital late-game scorer for Miami, but he won’t mind sharing that role when Dion Waiters returns from ankle surgery, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Waiters returned to practice this week for the first time since his January operation, and the Heat are hoping he can make his season debut soon.

“It’ll definitely be times,” Wade said of sharing the ball with Waiters. “I mean, he’s a big-shot maker and a big-shot taker. I’m not worried about him at all at those moments. But there will be times. It’s just me understanding I’m at a different phase in my life, where it doesn’t matter.”

Wade, who holds nearly all the franchise scoring records, has made a greater effort in his final season to get his younger teammates involved in the offense, encouraging them to take shots in clutch situations.

“It’s understanding that I want other guys to be in those positions,” he added. “And I want them to succeed, obviously, but you grow in failure, as well, in those moments. So I don’t do what I used to do, which was always go get it in those moments. I don’t.”

There’s more today out of Miami:

The Heat are being cautious with Waiters to make sure he’s fully ready before he starts playing again, Winderman states in a question-and-answer column. The organization has seen Waiters return too early from other injuries twice before and they want to make sure he’s available for the second half of the season. They are hoping to gradually increase his minutes until he is ready to take on a sizable portion of the scoring load.
In the same piece, Winderman credits coach Erik Spoelstra for working center Hassan Whiteside back into the fourth-quarter mix even though the Heat were successful without him. Whiteside is seeing more time in late-game situations, although his free throw shooting remains an issue.
Justise Winslow had taken over point guard duties with Goran Dragic injured, but that change hasn’t been noted on All-Star ballots, where Winslow is still listed as a forward, Winderman observes in a separate story. Other Miami players out of position on the ballots are Josh Richardson and Rodney McGruder.

Details On Rockets’, Pelicans’ Trade Offers For Butler

November 12th, 2018 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

A report over the weekend indicated that the Timberwolves had three trade offers on the table for Jimmy Butler before ultimately deciding to pull the trigger on a Sixers package headlined by Robert Covington and Dario Saric. In their latest report for The Athletic, Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic provide some details on the other two offers Minnesota was considering, which came from the Rockets and Pelicans.

According to Charania and Krawczynski, the Rockets – who had previously offered four first-round picks attached to Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss – adjusted their proposal to make it more appealing to Tom Thibodeau, who remains in win-now mode. Houston’s offer featured Eric Gordon, Nene, and two first-round picks, sources told The Athletic. It’s not clear what sort of protections would have been on those first-rounders, or whether any other pieces were involved.

As for the Pelicans, they weren’t mentioned often over the last couple months as a serious suitor for Butler, but they were engaged in talks with Minnesota at the end of the process. Charania and Krawczynski report that New Orleans’ package was headlined by Nikola Mirotic and an unprotected first-round pick. Again, it’s unclear what other pieces would have been included in such a deal — Mirotic’s salary wouldn’t have been enough to match Butler’s on its own.

The full report from Charania and Krawczynski is excellent, providing a timeline of the Butler saga from mid-September right up until today. It’s worth checking out in full if you have a subscription to The Athletic.

Here are a few more highlights from the piece:

Friday’s game was viewed as a fork in the road for both the Timberwolves and Butler. We previously heard that Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden decided after that game that Butler had played his last game for the team — it sounds like Butler had made up his mind too. According to Charania and Krawczynski, the 29-year-old had decided to begin sitting out indefinitely after that game if Minnesota didn’t trade him.
Thibodeau subsequently told his staff after Friday’s game that they had to move Butler, sources tell The Athletic. In fact, the Timberwolves nearly held the All-NBA swingman out of Friday’s game because they already had traction on a potential deal.
The Heat‘s original offer for Butler included Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow, and a draft pick, per Charania and Krawczynski. Miami later extended Winslow and put Josh Richardson into an offer. However, when a deal involving Richardson fell apart, the Heat pulled him off the table and never included him in another offer.

Heat Sign Justise Winslow To Three-Year Extension

October 13th, 2018 at 7:44am CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 13: Winslow’s extension is official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

OCTOBER 12: Heat forward Justise Winslow has agreed to a three-year, $39MM extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The agency representing Winslow, Roc Nation, hammered out the deal with Heat president Pat Riley a few days before Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline.

The extension includes a third-year team option, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The Sun Sentinel reported on Tuesday that the two parties were close to an extension agreement.

The agreement greatly reduces the possibility of Winslow being included in a potential trade with the Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler, as CBA rules would complicate his value for salary-matching purposes.

With Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns having already signed new deals, Winslow becomes the third player from the 2015 rookie class to secure an extension. There are still 2o players eligible for a rookie scale extension this year. If those players don’t sign new contracts by next Monday, they’ll be on track to become restricted free agents during the summer of 2019.

Winslow, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft, has not quite developed as quickly as the franchise hoped, though he showed some improvement last season. The extension will be well worth it if he effectively holds down a rotation spot during the life of the contract.

Winslow’s contract adds more guaranteed money to already hefty payroll. The Heat will now have approximately $133MM in salary commitments (including player options) for the 2019/20 season. They’ll have to make some moves to avoid paying luxury tax penalties following that season.

Winslow shot 38% from long range last season but only posted modest overall numbers, averaging 7.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 68 games (24.7 MPG). However, Winslow has the ability to defend multiple positions and averaged 1.6 steals last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Winslow: Extension With Heat “Getting Close”

October 9th, 2018 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat and Justise Winslow have less than a week to reach an agreement on a contract extension before an October 15 deadline, but Winslow is optimistic that the two sides will find common ground, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

“There’s been talks. We’re getting close,” Winslow said, per Winderman. “I think it should get done.”

With Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns having already signed new deals, Winslow is one of 21 players still eligible for a rookie scale extension this year. If those players don’t sign new contracts by next Monday, they’ll be on track to become restricted free agents during the summer of 2019.

While Winslow believes there’s a good chance he and the Heat will work something out, there are potential road blocks. Miami’s involvement in the Jimmy Butler trade talks represents one complication — if the Heat are able to complete a trade for Butler, it’s possible that Winslow would be included in the package, meaning the club may try to get resolution on that situation before finalizing an extension for the 22-year-old.

The Heat also have no shortage of lucrative multiyear contracts on their cap already, with approximately $120MM in guaranteed salaries (including player options) committed for 2019/20 without accounting for Winslow. The in-the-tax Heat may be reluctant to invest long-term in another player quite yet, unless the cost is team-friendly.

Winslow, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft, showed an improved three-point shot in 2017/18 (.380 3PT%), but only posted modest overall numbers, averaging 7.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 68 games (24.7 MPG). Assuming he remains in Miami, the team will be looking for him to claim a regular role in a crowded rotation this season and take another step forward on both ends of the floor.

Southeast Notes: Vucevic, Winslow, Hornets

September 26th, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

With Nikola Vucevic entering a contract year and Mohamed Bamba aiming to become the starting center of the future in Orlando, Vucevic looks like a trade candidate for the Magic. However, Jeff Weltman says his club has “no designs on trading anyone right now,” per Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.

“That’s something that we’ll worry about later,” said the Magic’s president of basketball operations. “Vooch is a high-quality player and an even higher-quality person. He’s very valuable to our team today, and he’s very valuable to what we want to be about going forward. So I wouldn’t even entertain those thoughts yet.”

In a Q&A with John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com, Weltman touched on several more topics, including the Magic’s decision to hire new head coach Steve Clifford, Aaron Gordon‘s new contract, the Bamba pick, and many of the club’s other offseason moves. While Weltman knows that the Magic aren’t expected to make the postseason this season, he doesn’t mind being discounted by the pundits and hopes to see his roster stay healthy and “surprise some people.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Justise Winslow‘s name figures to come up frequently in trade speculation as long as Jimmy Butler is available, but assuming Winslow remains with the Heat, the club intends to explore a possible rookie scale extension. The two sides have yet to discuss financial specifics, but more talks are planned before the October 15 deadline, a team source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
The Hornets are one of several NBA teams that haven’t filled either their 15-man regular season roster or their two two-way contract slots. That’s by design, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, who tweets that GM Mitch Kupchak is keeping an eye out for possible roster casualties around the league who could fit with the Hornets.
The Hornets announced a series of additions to their basketball operations staff this week, including adding veteran NBA forward Matt Carroll as a player development assistant. Carroll, who spent most of his playing career in Charlotte, last appeared in an NBA game in 2012.

Heat Notes: Wade, Haslem, Winslow, Weber

September 24th, 2018 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today at the Heat‘s Media Day, Dwyane Wade admitted that he was “90-10” on retiring after last season, and is now ready to enter his final year in the NBA, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. No matter how Miami’s season plays out, Wade is comfortable and at peace with his decision, noting that he’d like to remain “around the game” after retiring as a player.

Meanwhile, longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem joked today that he’ll retire when Wade does, but later clarified that he has yet to make a decision on his own future, opting to take it year by year (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). Haslem and Wade both entered the NBA in 2003 and have been teammates for all but one season since then.

Here’s more out of South Beach:

Justise Winslow acknowledged today that it’s hard not to think about his contract situation with an October 15 deadline for a rookie scale extension looming (Twitter link via Ira Winderman). However, he said he’ll be fine with or without a new deal in place by that time. Winslow added that he has met with the Heat front office about an extension.
Briante Weber has spent most of his career in the G League, but he doesn’t feel like that’s an option as he tries to earn a roster spot with the Heat, relays Barry Jackson. “I’ve pretty much done everything I could in the G-League,” Weber said. “There’s nothing else for me to do down there. My game speaks for itself down there. I am here for the NBA.”
In another article for The Miami Herald, Barry Jackson rounded up all of Erik Spoelstra‘s notable comments from today’s Media Day presser, including the head coach’s thoughts on Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters, and Miami’s roster versatility.
Earlier today, we passed along word that James Johnson may not be healthy in time for the Heat’s regular season opener.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

September 23rd, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been another busy day of Jimmy Butler rumors, with the latest whispers suggesting that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wants to make a deal soon, and that the Cavaliers are among the teams with interest in the All-Star swingman.

We have a few more Butler-related items to pass along to finish off the weekend, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….

Pat Riley and the Heat have been “as aggressive as any team” so far in pursuing a Butler trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who adds that Timberwolves ownership would still like to find a deal by early this week.
Noting that the Heat have long been fans of Butler, Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirm that the club is “aggressively” pursuing a trade for the 29-year-old. While Miami would likely be willing to give up Justise Winslow in a Butler deal, it’s not clear if the team would open to including Josh Richardson or Bam Adebayo, per the Herald report. As Jackson tweets, the Heat also wouldn’t be going after Butler unless they believed they could lock him up long-term.
The Timberwolves have told at least one interested team that they can get a good player back in a Butler deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Wolfson also hears that the Raptors are interested in Butler.
Despite the Timberwolves‘ lack of leverage, they should be able to do pretty well in a trade, given the number of teams that view Butler as their potential difference-maker, opines Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune (via Twitter).

Heat Notes: Winslow, Whiteside, Waiters, Butler

September 23rd, 2018 at 10:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Justise Winslow‘s hope for an extension may fall victim to the Heat’s other recent financial decisions, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami already finds itself in luxury tax territory because of moves made during the past two offseasons and may not want to commit to a new deal with Winslow before the October 15 deadline.

After the Heat missed out on Kevin Durant in 2016 and lost Dwyane Wade to the Bulls, they responded by matching an offer sheet for Tyler Johnson and signing James Johnson and Wayne Ellington. A year later, Miami was a finalist for free agent Gordon Hayward, but once he chose the Celtics, the Heat used their cap space to add Kelly Olynyk.

The franchise could have more than $131MM in committed salary for 2019/20 if Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson and Goran Dragic all exercise their player options. Winslow will become a restricted free agent next summer if no extension deal is reached.

There’s more this morning from Miami:

Whiteside may not be any happier with his playing time this season, Winderman adds in the same story. The center voiced his complaints about the coaching staff to the media last year as his minutes per game dropped to 25.3 after reaching a career-high 32.6 the season before. Whiteside is Miami’s highest-paid player at $25.4MM per season, but his usage has fallen as the Heat have transitioned to using smaller lineups. With Bam Adebayo, Olynyk and James Johnson all competing for minutes in the middle, it seems unlikely that Whiteside’s role will increase.
Dion Waiters‘ lingering ankle injury takes away the Heat’s chance to see how he will work in tandem with Wade in training camp, Winderman notes in another piece. With no experienced backup point guard on the roster, Wade may inherit the role, similar to what he did in Cleveland. However, it’s going to be difficult to sort out all the backcourt candidates until Waiters is healthy enough to play.
The Heat have been mentioned among teams with interest in Timberwolves forward Jimmy Butler, and they could offer the type of culture and veteran roster that Butler reportedly wants, Winderman tweets. However, they won’t have the cap room to add another star next summer, which might lessen Butler’s interest in coming to Miami. Winderman suggests that Richardson, Winslow, Olynyk and Adebayo could be among the players the Heat would consider moving in a Butler deal.

Heat Notes: Wade, Winslow, Ellington

September 16th, 2018 at 9:14am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat should follow the Spurs’ lead in putting together a contract for Dwyane Wade, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. When Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili were nearing the end of their careers, San Antonio gave them deals that were guaranteed for two years, even if they played just one more season.

Winderman suggests Miami should go all in on an effort to re-sign Wade, offering its entire $5.3MM taxpayer mid-level exception as the starting point for a two-year contract. That would give Wade more than $10MM in guaranteed money, which would be tough to turn down and would help compensate him for past years in which he played under his market value.

The downside is the effect the deal would have on the luxury tax. Miami is already about $5MM over the tax threshold without Wade on the roster and faces a similar situation for 2019/20 if Hassan Whiteside [$27MM], Tyler Johnson [$19.2MM] and Goran Dragic [$19.2MM] all opt in to their current contracts. Short of giving Wade all or part of the MLE, the only alternative is a veteran’s minimum deal that would pay him just $2.4MM.

If Wade doesn’t continue playing and Dion Waiters isn’t completely healthy when training camp starts, the Heat should contact some of the free agent wings who are still available, Winderman states in a separate column. The ideal situation, he adds, would be someone willing to join the team for camp without a guaranteed contract.
The Heat’s collection of large salaries may mean a delay in trying to re-sign Justise Winslow, Winderman states in another column. Winslow is eligible for an extension now, but with seven players already earning more than $10MM per year, Miami may decide to hold off on making an offer and deal with Winslow in free agency next summer.
Wayne Ellington didn’t get much interest on the free agent market, but he will serve a valuable role for the Heat once again, writes Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders in a season preview on Miami. Ellington, who re-signed with the team for $6.27MM, averaged 11.2 points per game last year and shot 39.2% from 3-point range.