Leandro Barbosa Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Rumors: Douglas-Roberts, Crawford, Okafor

August 20th, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have far outpaced all other teams in free agent spending this summer, as I chronicled earlier this week. Miami is limited to the minimum salary at this point, which wouldn’t add to the total of more than $220MM that appears on my list, since it didn’t take into account anyone on a minimum-salary deal. Still, Pat Riley and company continue to scour the market, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel detail. We’ll highlight the latest here:

The Heat worked out Chris Douglas-Roberts, as Jackson writes in his latest dispatch after reporting late last month that the team was interested in the five-year veteran. Miami, which is looking to add a shooting guard, also worked out Jordan Hamilton, according to Jackson, though Hamilton instead wound up signing with the Raptors.
Miami has reached out to Jordan Crawford, too, and while the Heat like the former first-round pick, as Jackson writes, it doesn’t appear he’s reached the audition stage. Jackson confirms Miami’s interest in Leandro Barbosa.
There are other teams in the mix for Barbosa, but they, like the Heat, want to see if he can stay healthy as well as how he performs for Brazil in the upcoming FIBA World Cup, Winderman writes. The Sun Sentinel scribe believes the Heat would choose Crawford over Barbosa if it came to that.
Riley and his staff have been eyeing Emeka Okafor and Ekpe Udoh, as finding a big man has been team’s other focus, Jackson reports. There have been question marks about Okafor’s health, and while he and Udoh have also drawn interest from the Clippers, there hasn’t been much chatter this summer surrounding either former top-10 pick.
The Heat made preliminary inquiries about Andray Blatche and Jason Maxiell, according to Jackson. Miami has been reluctant to sign Blatche in the past out of concern about his maturity level and behavior, as Jackson wrote a couple of weeks ago, but apparently the team won’t definitively rule him out. The market for Maxiell has been quiet since the Magic let him go on the Fourth of July.
Agent David Falk spoke with the Heat about Elton Brand, but it’s unlikely that the 35-year-old will join Miami for this season, Jackson says. The Hawks and Knicks reportedly had their sights set on Brand as free agency began, but Brand rumors have otherwise proven scarce.

Mutual Interest Between Heat, Leandro Barbosa

August 19th, 2014 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 4:10pm: A source who spoke with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel acknowledged the team’s interest in Barbosa but downplayed the connection, saying that the guard is one of several veterans the team is considering. No signing is imminent, Winderman hears.

MONDAY, 8:20pm: There’s mutual interest between Leandro Barbosa and the Heat, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Kennedy adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if he ultimately signs with Miami.

This weekend we learned that the veteran guard had discussions with a few NBA teams and is hoping to use the upcoming FIBA World Cup to further prove his health. The 31-year-old (32 in November) appeared in 20 games with the Suns last season, averaging 7.5 PPG, 1.9 PPG, and 1.6 APG, while playing 18.4 minutes a night.

Barbosa suffered a torn ACL before the 2012/13 trade deadline and suffered a hand injury last year with Phoenix. For his career, Barbosa has averaged 11.9 PPG and 2.3 APG in 23.7 minutes per contest.

Western Notes: Marion, Barbosa, Curry

August 17th, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Eddie Scarito

Team USA defeated Brazil 95-78 in an exhibition game at the United Center last night. The game not only featured Derrick Rose returning to action on his home court, but also strong performances from the Pelicans‘ Anthony Davis and the Rockets‘ James Harden. Davis recorded 20 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, while Harden scored 18, along with five rebounds and five assists.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Clippers are now showing interest in Shawn Marion, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Spears adds that the Cavs, Pacers, and Heat remain interested in the small forward as well.
Leandro Barbosa has had discussions with a few NBA teams about a possible free agent deal, and is hoping to use the upcoming FIBA World Cup to further prove his health, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. Barbosa said, “I don’t know what owners think about the World Cup, but hopefully I do a great job over there and a team sees. I feel healthy and my body is feeling healthy. If I have free agency in my mind, I won’t be able to be myself on the court. Hopefully, I sign a contract and I’ll be happy.” Barbosa appeared in 20 games with the Suns last season, averaging 7.5 PPG, 1.9 PPG, and 1.6 APG, while playing 18.4 minutes a night.
In an interview with Beckley Mason of the New York Times, Warriors star Stephen Curry was asked about playing for yet another new head coach in Steve Kerr. Curry responded by saying, “This is one that I haven’t gone through before. This is my fourth coach going into my sixth year. Last three coaching changes, we were a bad team trying to become competitive. Now we have a lot of talent. Pretty much the same team back, with some additions, but a new coach. It’s a different experience. The expectations are already high, and we have to deal with that. Thinking about it, it will kind of be similar to last year. People thought we were a 50-win team, and we accomplished that, but it still didn’t feel like we accomplished as much as we should have. That’s basically the theme I have in my head thinking about what’s going to happen next year. Just in training camp, in that locker room, that adjustment with Coach Kerr and setting his system up. I think we’re going to be able to adjust well.”

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Fisher, Warriors, Barbosa

March 10th, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Thunder guard Derek Fisher has said that he plans on calling it quits after this season, but Kevin Durant plans on speaking with his family this offseason about allowing him to delay his retirement, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) adds that the last time she spoke to Fisher, he joked that retirement was still the plan but he’d “go to Montana for a week after the year, then decide.” More from the Western Conference..

The Warriors announced that they have assigned guard Nemanja Nedovic to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. Nedovic has appeared in seven games (five starts) for Santa Cruz this season, compiling averages of 15.6 points, 3.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.14 steals in 26.6 minutes.
Leandro Barbosa, who is recovering from a hand injury, doesn’t expect to return until the playoffs, the guard told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The 31-year-old is averaging 7.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 18.4 minutes per game this season for the Suns.
The Blazers announced that they have assigned rookie guard Allen Crabbe to the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede. The 21-year-old is averaging 2.0 points, 0.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 4.9 minutes in 12 games for the Trail Blazers this season. Acquired by Portland in a draft day trade with Cleveland, Crabbe was the 31st overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft out of California

Suns Sign Leandro Barbosa For Season

January 28th, 2014 at 1:16pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 1:16pm: The Suns have officially announced their signing of the Excel Sports Management client.

MONDAY, 9:54pm: We learned last week that the Suns planned on keeping guard Leandro Barbosa for the rest of the season. After tonight’s win, President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby and Coach Jeff Hornacek informed the veteran that he will in fact be with the club for the remainder of the 2013/14 campaign, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

The veteran guard admitted to being nervous over being in contract limbo, but he’s breathing a sigh of relief after hearing the good news.

“My shoulder is not 100 percent but I’m trying to help the team,” Barbosa said. “It’s a great, talented team. Very fun. I’m happy that I found out I’m going to stay. I’m going to pray and thank God because it was a hard time for me when I did the surgery. If I look back and see what I’ve been through, many people didn’t believe I could come back and play for the NBA again. Now, they say they want to stay with me for the rest of the year. It’s a great thing. There are more things for me to do. It’s not like I’m going to get the contract and chill. Now I’m going to work really hard because I really want to help the team and I know I can. But, for now, thank you Phoenix.”

The 31-year-old returned to the NBA following some tough injury rehab and a successful stint playing in his native Brazil. While filling in for the injured Eric Bledsoe, Barbosa has put up 8.6 PPG and 2.0 APG with a PER of 10.6 in 21.5 minutes per contest.

Suns Plan To Keep Leandro Barbosa For Season

January 20th, 2014 at 9:08am CST by Chuck Myron

Leandro Barbosa has jumped right into the Suns rotation after signing a pair of 10-day contracts, and it sounds like he’s impressed enough to earn more than a brief stay in Phoenix. The Suns plan to re-sign him to a deal for the rest of the season once his second 10-day deal expires, as the Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro writes in a story for USA Today.

The 31-year-old Barbosa signed his second 10-day contract with the Suns on Saturday, right after his first one had expired. A third deal with the team would have to cover the balance of the season, by rule. Phoenix is missing point guard Eric Bledsoe, and Barbosa, a combo guard, has filled in with 10.0 points in 22.6 minutes per night. Those numbers are close to the averages of 12.6 PPG and 25.1 MPG that Barbosa posted in seven seasons with Phoenix at the beginning of his NBA career.

The Clippers and Lakers both had interest in the client of Excel Sports Management in the weeks leading up to his latest stint with the Suns. Phoenix has 14 guaranteed contracts on its roster, so adding Barbosa for the season would give the Suns 15, limiting their flexibility.

Suns Re-Sign Leandro Barbosa

January 18th, 2014 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

JANUARY 18th, 12:30pm: The Suns have signed Barbosa to a second ten-day deal, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Barbosa, 31, has averaged 9.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.3 APG in four games for Phoenix.

JANUARY 8th, 4:35pm: The Suns have officially signed Barbosa to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Phoenix now has a full 15-man roster.

SUNDAY, 3:28pm: The Suns plan to sign Leandro Barbosa to a 10-day deal, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). Teams can start signing players to 10-day deals tomorrow.

Barbosa, 31, spent 41 games with the Celtics last season, averaging 5.2 PPG and 1.4 APG in 12.5 minutes per contest. The veteran was on the Lakers’ short list when they suffered a rash of injuries at the point guard position, a major need for the club before the recent emergence of Kendall Marshall.

The deal brings Barbosa back to the club where he spent his first seven NBA seasons and did his finest work. Barbosa suffered a torn ACL before the trade deadline last season but since then he’s been scorching the Brazilian league and appears fully recovered.

Western Notes: Bledsoe, Love, Kaman

January 9th, 2014 at 8:31pm CST by Ryan Raroque

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wonders if the Suns can continue to play well without Eric Bledsoe, mentioning that in the ten games Bledsoe has missed, Phoenix has gone 5-5 (Insiders only). Should the 24-year-old guard be unable to return this season, Pelton doesn’t think the Suns will have trouble finding a viable backup point guard, whether it be Leandro Barbosa (recently signed to a 10-day contract) or acquiring one with an expiring deal via trade.

Here are some more links to share out of the Western Conference tonight:

In the midst of mounting frustration in Minnesota, Ken Berger of CBS Sports wonders if the Timberwolves should consider trading Kevin Love before he hits free agency.
Lakers center Chris Kaman is still confused about his on-again/off-again role in Mike D’Antoni’s rotation, telling Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times: “I honestly can’t answer that question for you without telling you a lie. I really have no clue why. I’d just be making something up…I haven’t played in six games and then all of a sudden I play [Wednesday]…I really have no rhyme or reason for it. When it’s my turn, it’s my turn and when it’s not, I just sit and be positive and try to be professional about it.”
The city of Sacramento filed an eminent domain lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court that seeks to take control of a former downtown Macy’s department store for the development of a new sports arena, reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. The Kings wired $4.3MM to the city in anticipation of the city taking the eminent domain action.
Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune briefly mentions that at a reasonable price of $4MM this season, Brandon Rush could become one of the Jazz’s best assets leading up to the February trade deadline.
Doug Robinson of the Deseret News discusses how Trey Burke has been one of the lone bright spots of a “bad” 2013 NBA Draft.
Despite their continued struggles, the Lakers aren’t resorting to any finger-pointing, writes Janis Carr of the OC Register.

Clippers Rumors: Barbosa, Turkoglu, Roster

January 9th, 2014 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers currently have 13 guaranteed contracts on their books, but no open roster spots, since they’ve signed two players to 10-day deals. As our 10-day contract tracker shows, the pacts for Darius Morris and Maalik Wayns were finalized on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, meaning they’ll both expire by next weekend. It’s not clear yet whether the Clips have bigger plans for those final two roster spots, but there have been a few rumblings about possible options, so let’s round them up….

Before he signed a 10-day contract with the Suns, Leandro Barbosa also had the opportunity to sign with the Clippers, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Presumably, signing Barbosa on a 10-day deal would have been an alternative to adding Morris or Wayns for the Clips.
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweeted earlier this afternoon that Hedo Turkoglu had arrived at the Clippers’ practice facility to work out for the team. We heard on Monday that Turkoglu, having been waived by the Magic, would audition for the Clips.
In a piece for ESPN Los Angeles, Arash Markazi examined Turkoglu, Andrew Bynum, and Sasha Vujacic as possible targets for the Clippers, with Doc Rivers‘ thoughts on the club’s options.

International Notes: Selby, Barbosa, Heat

January 7th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

While most of today’s attention has been focused stateside due to the guarantee date deadline, here are some recent moves that have occurred outside the United States:

Former Grizzlies point guard Josh Selby has signed with Croatia’s Cedevita Zagreb, according to the team (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Selby, who was sent to the Cavs in last January’s Marreese Speights trade, also played in China earlier this season.
Although the Suns agreed to sign Leandro Barbosa to a 10-day contract on Sunday, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic tweets that the signing is being held up by FIBA clearances. Barbosa was in the stands for tonight’s game against the Bulls.
With Roger Mason‘s contract becoming fully guaranteed today, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweeted that the Heat‘s second-round pick, James Ennis will likely stay in Australia for the remainder of this NBA season.
Jamaal Tinsley is considering signing overseas, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter). Tinsley last played for the Jazz, but was waived in November.

Zach Links and Luke Adams contributed to this post.