Larry Drew II Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Links: Knicks, Sanders, Cavs, Heat

October 31st, 2013 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to Derrick Rose and the Bulls hosting the Knicks in Chicago tonight, let’s round up a few Eastern Conference notes….

For the Knicks to become a legit title contender, the team has to acquire a second star to complement Carmelo Anthony or hope that Iman Shumpert develops into that second star, writes Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
In his Q&A with Larry Sanders, Grantland’s Zach Lowe spoke to the Bucks big man about his contract extension, the lawsuit filed against his new agency by old reps, and his goals for the coming season.
Dan Gilbert called his team’s signing of Andrew Bynum “a pretty easy decision” shortly before Bynum appeared in a game last night for the first time in more than 17 months. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has a full transcript of Gilbert’s comments.
Heat camp invitees Justin Hamilton, Larry Drew II, and Jarvis Varnado have joined the D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
Early returns could indicate whether the Nets‘ star-studded approach will fulfill its promise, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Heat Waive Varnado, Drew, Westbrook

October 21st, 2013 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have parted ways with three players on non-guaranteed contracts, according to a release from the team. The club announced today that it has waived Jarvis Varnado, Larry Drew II, and Charlie Westbrook.

Varnado, 25, signed a deal with the Heat last season that included a non-guaranteed salary for 2013/14. He was set to receive a partial guarantee of $250K if he remained on the roster until opening night, but the likelihood of camp invitees Michael Beasley and Roger Mason Jr. making the team reduced Varnado’s chances. As for Drew and Westbrook, both players were on summer contracts, and could end up joining Miami’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

After releasing Varnado, Drew, and Westbrook, the Heat are now carrying 17 players. Eric Griffin and Justin Hamilton look like they’ll be the last two roster casualties, but the club still has a few more days to make its final decision.

Heat To Bring Larry Drew II To Camp

September 23rd, 2013 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Hawks head coach Larry Drew has a new job this season, taking over as the Bucks' new coach, and now his son will have an opportunity to compete for an NBA job of his own. The Heat announced today (via Twitter) that Larry Drew II has signed a contract with the team.

Drew, 23, manned the point at UCLA last season, averaging 7.5 PPG and 7.3 APG in 35 contests for the Bruins. A quad injury prevented him from participating in Summer League action in July, but the Heat still kept an eye on him in recent weeks.

Given Miami's payroll and roster situation, Drew's deal is almost certainly a non-guaranteed camp invite, and is likely a long shot for the club's regular season roster. It's possible that he eventually lands on the Heat's D-League squad — for the first time, the NBA club will have a one-to-one affiliation with the Sioux Falls Skyforce this season.

Heat Express Interest In Von Wafer, Others

September 17th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Michael Pina

According to Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy, the Heat have recently expressed interest in several free agents, including Von Wafer, Julyan Stone, Justin Holiday, Yakhouba Diawara, and Larry Drew II.

The 28-year-old Wafer last played in the NBA during the 2011/12 season as a member of the Magic. He averaged 5.9 PPG in 33 appearances. Only 24 years old and with two seasons under his belt with the Nuggets, Stone appeared in four games last year, but has reportedly agreed to a training camp deal with the Raptors.

The Heat have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, not including the recently signed Michael Beasley, who is on a non-guaranteed deal.

Southeast Rumors: Drew, Jardine, Turkoglu

September 8th, 2013 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's the time of year when the choice for some players is a spot at the end of an NBA bench or an overseas excursion. Three players appear to be teetering on the edge of playing with a Southeast Division team or seeking employment with another circuit. Here's the latest:

Undrafted point guard Larry Drew II will audition for the Heat this week, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Drew was supposed to join the Heat in summer league, but a quad injury derailed that plan. He's the son of Bucks coach Larry Drew.
A report in July said undrafted point guard Scoop Jardine would likely wind up in Bobcats camp, but the former Syracuse mainstay has signed with KK Zadar of Croatia, tweets Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival.
Hedo Turkoglu remains under contract with the Magic, but his camp is continuing talks with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Mirsad Turkcan tells Niki Bakouli of Eurohoops.net. The overseas club reportedly extended a $3.4MM offer to the veteran forward.

Draft Updates: Saric, Cavs, McLemore, Workouts

June 7th, 2013 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported that Croatian forward Dario Saric was leaning toward withdrawing from this year's draft, a surprising stance given how much his stock has risen in recent weeks. Today, Michael McNamara of Bourbon Street Blues passes along an email he received from Saric's agent, Robert Jablan, which reads:

"We make decision this morning that we will withdraw Dario from the 2013 draft."

We have yet to hear officially that Saric has pulled his name out of this year's draft class, and it's possible something was lost in translation. But it certainly appears as if Saric is leaning in that direction. He still has 10 days to make a final decision, so while we wait for the official word on the potential lottery pick, let's check out a few more draft-related updates:

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that the Cavaliers are "seriously dissecting" the possibility of drafting Ben McLemore first overall, though he cautions that the team is far from decided on what it'll do with the pick (Twitter links). I'd be surprised if Cleveland eventually decided on McLemore — it sounds to me as if the team is just covering all its bases.
The latest Insider-only blog from Ford at ESPN.com is full of good info, including updates on Saric, Nerlens Noel, Trey Burke, and a handful of other prospects.
Anthony Bennett is unable to work out due to a rotator cuff injury, but he will meet with the Wizards next week, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
Lorenzo Brown, Myck Kabongo, Allen Crabbe, Jeff Withey, and Mike Muscala will work out for the Knicks on Monday, according to the team's official PR Twitter feed.
The Suns' workout today included C.J. Leslie, Matthew Dellavedova, Ian Hummer, Korie Lucious, Rodney McGruder, and Phil Pressey, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).
Michael Carter-Williams intends to visit the Magic soon for a meeting and workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Larry Drew II, E.J. Singler, Ian Clark, Ed Daniel, Trevor Mbakwe and Glen Rice Jr. worked out for the Trail Blazers today, according to a tweet from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who also reports that Cody Zeller is having an individual workout with Portland today.