Juwan Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Possible Cavs/Heat Cuts, Olshey

October 20th, 2012 at 8:22pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott said that two of the team's cuts could come from Luke Harangody, Michael Eric, and Kevin Jones (Bob Finnan of The News Herald via Sulia link). Finnan thinks that Jones will be one of the cuts and also says that the team "likes Harangody too much." When Scott was asked about potential cuts from the point guard position, he replied that he would prefer to be able to keep both Jeremy Pargo and Donald Sloan.

Earlier today, Chuck Myron relayed some stories surrounding training camp rosters. We've got a few more noteworthy links to share on that front, as well as this evening's miscellaneous NBA news:

Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer takes a closer look at the decision the Cavaliers have to make on Sloan and Pargo and lists the pros and cons of keeping both. She also notes that Byron Scott believes one of them currently has an edge over the other, but the coach would not elaborate beyond that.
Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald took to Twitter to speculate on what he calls the Heat's "no-doubt-about-it cut list," listing Rodney Carney, Jarvis Varnado, Mickell Gladness, and Robert Dozier. He mentions that the last two spots could come down to a competition among Josh Harrellson, Garrett Temple, and Terrel Harris, adding that he would keep the latter two (Twitter link).
Interestingly enough, although Juwan Howard is not part of Miami's training camp roster, Goodman points out that the former Heat player still has a locker.
Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge shared a transcript of Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey's in-game interview with CSNNW on Friday. Some notable comments include Olshey's thoughts on Will Barton's potential, Nicolas Batum and the team moving forward after his contract extension, and landing J.J. Hickson.
In response to a report that Stephen Curry will sit out the rest of pre-season, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets that Curry's long-term extension talks with the Warriors are on hold.

Odds & Ends: Harden, Spurs, Richardson, Nuggets

October 11th, 2012 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Of today's slate of preseason NBA games, three are scheduled for tonight, with one already in the books — the Heat defeated the Clippers 94-80 in Beijing in a contest that got underway at 6:30 CST this morning. As we await the rest of today's action, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the league….

Grantland's Bill Simmons believes the Thunder should be able to absorb the tax hit that will come with extending or re-signing James Harden, and implores Harden not to settle for a hometown discount.
Derrick Brown's ability to guard the three spot could set him apart in the battle to earn a roster spot among Spurs' bigs, says Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links). As Mike Monroe of the Express-News writes, however, Eddy Curry and Josh Powell also both played well in the team's preseason game with the Hawks.
Jason Richardson has left agent Dan Fegan and is in the market for new representation, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post examines the Nuggets' quest to build a winning culture in Denver.
Juwan Howard is remaining around the Heat in case the team decides to cut six players instead of five and has an open roster spot for him, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Agent Rich Paul, who recently began to exclusively represent LeBron James and other NBA players, is under investigation by the NCAA for his relationship with University of Texas guard Myck Kabongo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Juwan Howard Joining Heat In Advisory Role

October 7th, 2012 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Veteran big man Juwan Howard isn't on the Heat's roster, but is traveling with the team in an "advisory role," according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Goodman believes he's being kept around as an insurance policy in case Miami wants to let go of one of its training camp invitees. The Heat have a full complement of 20 players in camp, so they don't have room to add Howard as a player without waiving someone.

Howard and agent David Falk have maintained optimism in recent weeks that the 39-year-old will eventually return in a playing capacity to the Heat, with whom he's spent the last two seasons. Falk said his client strongly prefers the Heat over other NBA clubs and isn't considering retirement. The Heat reportedly wasn't ruling out the possibility of signing him as of last month, and Dwyane Wade has expressed his support for bringing Howard back on board. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel spotted Howard wearing Heat warmup gear as he joined the team today in Atlanta in advance of a preseason game against the Hawks (Twitter link), and Goodman tweets that Howard will accompany the team on its upcoming trip to China as well.

Howard has appeared in 85 regular season games for the Heat the last two seasons, averaging 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per contest. His last significant playing time came for the Blazers in 2009/10, when he saw 22.4 MPG and started 27 games. The Heat only have 13 players with guaranteed contracts, so Howard could wind up getting the nod over Robert Dozier, Mickell Gladness, Josh Harrellson or Jarvis Varnado, the big men in camp on non-guaranteed deals. If the Heat do sign Howard, it would almost certainly be for the minimum salary.

Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Nets, Daniels

September 27th, 2012 at 10:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There's a chance that Minnesota could bring Hassan Whiteside into training camp, but Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 believes that it would have to be a non-guaranteed contract. Wolfson also covers a few more miscellaneous notes surrounding the Timberwolves, including the status of Nikola Pekovic, other players under consideration along with Louis Amundson, and that Chicago businessman Richard Chaifetz has been "kicking the tires" on the prospect of owning the team. Here's what else we've heard from around the league tonight:

In a Q&A with Mike Wells of IndyStar.com, Danny Granger said that he will try to take things slow through training camp after experiencing irritation in his knee this summer. He also mentioned that he would play if the Pacers were currently in the regular season, adding that the team is just being cautionary right now.
Paul Flannery of WEEI.com provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Celtics' moves this offseason, complete with some input from coach Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge.
Tyson Chandler told Tim Bontemps that his workouts with Hakeem Olajuwon have been going very well, says Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link).
After recently signing an extension in Boston, Keyon Dooling talked about his abrupt decision to retire from the NBA (Jessica Camerato of CSNNE reports).
The Kamenetzky Brothers of 710 ESPN in Los Angeles took to their radio show to discuss Steve Blake's injury and the possible opportunities for Chris Duhon and Darius Morris, Kobe Bryant's ESPN ranking at number six, and Jason Terry's recent comments about the Heat and Lakers.

Spoelstra On Juwan, Injuries, Cole

September 27th, 2012 at 4:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Erik Spoelstra has had a busy summer, consulting with former NBA coach Paul Westhead about his perspective on fast break offenses in addition to meeting with Florida Gators head coach Billy Donavan to talk about the pressures associated with aiming to repeat as national champions (Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes). Now on the cusp of training camp, Spoelstra opened up on a few notable topics regarding the Heat:

Juwan Howard will not be a member of the team's training camp, but could eventually join the team down the line.
Dwyane Wade has been recovering from an arthroscopic surgery procedure in July, but is expected to be ready for the season opener on October 30. Spoelstra added Wade is "not 100 percent" and that he will be brought along slowly as training camp begins. Ray Allen has been recovering from offseason ankle surgery in July, and while Spoelstra says that the sharpshooter isn't 100 percent healthy either, it's not noticeable. Mike Miller is well enough to take part in all the training camp drills, but will be limited at times as a precaution. Lastly, Jarvis Varnardo is dealing with a strained hamstring that will sideline him heading into camp.
Norris Cole appears to be doing well after experiencing some issues with his groin recently, and has had a strong summer considering the team's goal of improving his playmaking and shooting.
Dexter Pittman has had a productive offseason and will be in the best condition he's been in going into a training camp.

Heat Rumors: Harrellson, Gladness, Howard

September 26th, 2012 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Coming off a championship season and a summer in which they didn't lose any significant pieces, the Heat appear to have less uncertainty heading into the 2012/13 season than any other team in the NBA. Still, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel is able to identify 10 questions facing the Heat as they get set to open training camp. Here are the rest of the morning's notes from out of Miami:

In his latest mailbag, Winderman says he wouldn't mind seeing the Heat add a little more depth at point guard, perhaps a defensive-minded player.
The Heat are expected to keep two of Dexter Pittman, Josh Harrellson, Mickell Gladness, and Jarvis Varnado, says Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Of those four, Pittman has a leg up since his contract is guaranteed.
One Eastern Conference scout on a couple of Miami's options: "Harrellson can be exposed defensively, but he’s a better player than Gladness and more skilled. Gladness is athletic and long but has no offensive game. Harrellson can shoot it and plays his butt off."
Juwan Howard is still working out with the Heat and hopes to earn a one-year deal from the team, according to Jackson.
Terrel Harris and Garrett Temple will likely compete for the final perimeter spot, says Jackson.
Shane Battier tells Jackson that he thinks he could get away with playing primarily at power forward this season, if the team needs him there: "The regular season is not as physical as the playoffs. Guys aren’t hitting as hard."

Free Agent Rumors: Oguchi, Howard, Tucker

September 18th, 2012 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Over two and a half months since 2012's free agent period began, a number of players are still seeking contracts with NBA teams, even if those deals are just non-guaranteed camp invites. Here's the latest updates on a few of the players still on the market:

Nigerian swingman Chamberlain Oguchi, who was said last month to be drawing NBA interest, has been updating his Twitter account with news on his workouts. Oguchi has worked out for the Spurs and Heat, and recently had a second workout with Miami, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (Sulia link). According to George Akpayen of SuperSport.com, Oguchi could be nearing an agreement with the Heat on a non-guaranteed contract.
The Heat also haven't ruled out a camp invite for Juwan Howard, who continues to work out with the team, says Winderman (Sulia link).
Former first-round pick Alando Tucker is working out with the Bucks today and tomorrow, according to Tucker's Twitter feed (hat tip to Sportando).
Agent Tyler Glass tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) that free agent guard Lester Hudson was dropped by his agency after failing to show up for a workout with the Bobcats.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports shares an interesting new detail on a free agent contract signed earlier this offseason: Nate Robinson's deal with the Bulls isn't fully guaranteed, tweets Deeks. In a second tweet, Deeks explains that $400K is guaranteed, with Robinson receiving his full salary if he's not waived by January 1st.

Heat Notes: Riley, Howard, Rotation, Miller

August 27th, 2012 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

In his list of the top five general managers in the NBA, Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld names Pat Riley the league's "top dog." I'm not sure I totally agree with Brigham's rankings, which place the GMs of all the league's consensus title contenders (Heat, Lakers, Thunder, Spurs, and Celtics) in the top five. Still, Riley has definitely had a successful offseason, adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to a team that's already coming off a title. Let's round up the rest of today's Heat-related updates from around the web….

Is there a chance that Juwan Howard returns to Miami this season? Here's what Dwyane Wade told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Sulia link) about the possibility: "Obviously, if he comes into camp and we've got open spots, Juwan is a guy who has meant so much to us, we would love him around, no matter what the case may be. If it's around as a player? Yeah. If it's around as part of the coaching staff, we just want him to be here. And hopefully he'll want to stay here and everyone can do whatever they can to make it happen."
Asked in a mailbag if Miami's roster might be a little heavy on three-point shooters, Winderman argues that there's no such thing as having too many good outside shooters. Winderman expects coach Erik Spoelstra to ride the hot hand among a group that includes Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, James Jones, and Shane Battier.
It appears Miller will forgo back surgery, and he says he's healthy, but Winderman believes the veteran shooter's status going forward could be perpetually "day-to-day."

Ben Wallace, Juwan Howard Considering Returns

July 21st, 2012 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Long-tenured NBA veterans Juwan Howard and Ben Wallace are considering whether to come back and play one more season. Howard, who'll turn 40 on February 7th, said he'd prefer to come back with the Heat if he opts against retirement, according to the Associated Press.

"I still have the itch," Howard said. "I still have the passion and the love for the game. More importantly, I still like staying in shape and I can't sit on my behind. I'm still iffy as far as if I want to come back and play or not, but I'll tell you one thing – once I decide, I want to be ready. So I am working out … ready for whatever happens."

Wallace recently indicated he'd like to return to the Pistons after previously saying he'd retire following last season. He tells WTVR, a Richmond, Va., television station near his home, that he's "50-50" about coming back. The Detroit Free Press says the team would have to make a trade to open a roster spot for Wallace, but that's contingent on the team signing second-round pick Khris Middleton, which is not a given. The Pistons are mulling whether Wallace fits in with their youth movement, but some in the organization would like him around to mentor ninth overall pick Andre Drummond, the Free Press report says.

Wallace averaged 1.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game last season for the Pistons, cracking the starting lineup 11 times. Howard was an afterthought in Miami, notching 1.5 PPG and 1.7 RPG in just 6.8 MPG in 28 appearances. If either were to play next season, it would almost certainly be on a veteran's minimum deal.

Heat Notes: Curry, Przybilla, Howard

February 7th, 2012 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

A few notes on the Heat, who topped the Cavs 107-91 tonight behind 26 points from Dwyane Wade and 24 from LeBron James..

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said that Eddy Curry's contract was never in jeopardy in advance of tonight's deadline, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Miami waived Mickell Gladness but opted to hold on to Curry and Terrel Harris. Spoelstra stopped short of saying that Gladness could be brought back on a 10-day contract, Winderman tweets.
More from Winderman, as Spoelstra indicated that the club isn't in a rush to fill its newly vacant roster spot. This could mean that Joel Przybilla, who is said to have offers from the Bulls and Heat, could be on the backburner.
Juwan Howard turned 39 today and said that he wouldn't mind one day having the title of the NBA's oldest player, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. Howard is the third-oldest active player in the Association behind Kurt Thomas and Grant Hill.