Tyler Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Dragic, Wade, Johnson, Stokes

May 1st, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Goran Dragic‘s performance in today’s Game 7 win over the Hornets showed why Miami traded two first-round picks to get him last season, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Dragic scored 25 points and handed out four assists as the Heat easily dispatched Charlotte. It was a welcome performance after an uneven season that had many observers questioning whether Dragic was a good fit alongside Dwyane Wade. Both guards need to control the ball to be effective, and although they were friendly off the court, their styles of play sometimes clashed. But today Dragic was at his best, connecting on 11 of 17 shots from the field while holding Hornets point guard Kemba Walker to just 3 of 16. “That’s the Goran Dragic we all love,” Wade said. “He puts so much pressure on the defense and allows the other guys to chill out, especially me. When he’s playing that way for us, we’re a tough, tough team to beat.”

There’s more on a victorious day in Miami:

After being sidelined since late January, Tyler Johnson was happy to get back on the court today, relays Christy Cabrera Chirinos of The Sun-Sentinel. Johnson scored five points in his first action since having surgery on his left rotator cuff in February. “The last couple games, I’ve been available, but to finally get in there was a blessing,” Johnson said. “It was good to see the ball go in the basket for the first time in a while.”
The Heat not only won their first playoff series since LeBron James left in 2014, they showed they could succeed without Chris Bosh, writes Dave Hyde of The Sun-Sentinel. Bosh has been out of action since the All-Star break when doctors reportedly discovered blood clots in his left calf.
The fate of Jarnell Stokes will help shape the role of the D-League in the future, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Stokes, who played for Miami’s affiliate in Sioux Falls, was the league’s MVP for both the regular season and the championship series, a feat he accomplished despite being part of three organizations during the year. However, Winderman says the D-League’s reputation will take a hit if Stokes can’t turn those awards into a steady NBA job.

Heat Notes: Whiteside, Wright, Dragic

April 14th, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hassan Whiteside‘s playoff performance may help the Heat determine how much they’re willing to pay him, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. If Whiteside contributes to a long postseason run, team president Pay Riley will be more inclined to give him a long-term contract starting at about $22MM per season. But an early exit or a poor performance might make management think twice about committing so much to the 26-year-old center, even though he led the NBA in blocks this season, tied for third in rebounding and finished third in field-goal percentage. “It’s very meaningful,” Whiteside said of the postseason. “Every day is a day I can try to leave an impression on the Heat. They really emphasize winning here. I want to make a good impression.”

There’s more news out of Miami:

Whiteside never enjoyed the reserve role that coach Erik Spoelstra had him play for about two months, according to Michael Wallace of ESPN.com. A lineup tweak just before the playoffs made Whiteside a starter again, and Dwyane Wade was glad to see it. “Coach did it and we all support whatever decisions he makes,” Wade said. “We haven’t played with [Whiteside] since [Chris Bosh] went out, so this is our first time. It was good as we get prepared for the playoffs.”
Dorell Wright may not get off the bench much in the playoffs, but he couldn’t be happier to be back in Miami, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 30-year-old Wright, who played in China most of this season, officially signed with the Heat on Tuesday. Miami drafted Wright out of high school in 2004 and he spent his first six NBA seasons with the team. “It’s awesome, man, just the energy I felt as soon as I walked into the building was great,” he said. “It’s been a long time, somewhere I grew as a man, as a player, as a professional,” Wright said. “So just happy to be back. It’s been a long little journey for me.”
Goran Dragic‘s play in the postseason may also determine his future in Miami, Winderman writes in a separate piece. Winderman speculates that the Heat may decide to move Dragic this summer and use his salary-cap room on someone else.

Heat Notes: Weber, Whiteside, Wright, Bosh

April 10th, 2016 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat were looking to the future when they agreed to sign Briante Weber to a multiyear contract Saturday, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The partially guaranteed deal ties up a small amount of money, but it gives Miami a chance to develop the 23-year-old point guard. Winderman notes that the Heat made a similar move with Josh Richardson and will probably do the same this summer with Tyler Johnson. He speculates that the addition of Weber and the possible return of Beno Udrih gives Miami the flexibility to trade Goran Dragic if the front office believes it needs more cap space to re-sign Hassan Whiteside, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng or Joe Johnson. Weber, who was waived by the Heat during training camp, is known as a playmaker and defensive specialist. His only NBA experience is six games with the Grizzlies during a 10-day contract in March.

There’s more news from Miami:

Despite being a candidate for a max contract, Whiteside is still learning the intricacies of basketball, Winderman writes in a separate story. Coach Erik Spoelstra frequently pulls his center from games for brief teaching moments. “If he sees something, he’ll let me know,” Whiteside said. “If he doesn’t … more likely he’ll see something. Or he’ll give me advice and I’ll go back out there.”
Dorell Wright would just provide insurance if he signs with the Heat, Winderman contends in another piece. Miami is planning to use an eight-man rotation in the playoffs, which leaves almost no playing time for Wright, Weber or veteran point guard John Lucas III if the Heat sign him instead of Wright. Winderman notes that the battle for court time is already crowded, with Gerald Green and Josh McRoberts out of the rotation and Tyler Johnson possibly picking up some minutes if he returns from injury.
The Heat have embraced “small-ball” in response to Chris Bosh‘s absence, according to Michael Pina of RealGM. Deng has taken over Bosh’s role as Miami has cranked up its tempo. The Heat have been outscoring their opponents by 7.4 point per 100 possessions with Deng on the floor. “It’s a requirement for us,” Spoelstra said. “That’s the benefit of it. Chris Bosh goes out, you have to do things differently.” Bosh hasn’t played since the All-Star break because of blood clots in his left calf.

Southeast Notes: Dedmon, Wizards, Sefolosha

April 8th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s no secret that the Magic are poised to make a qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids for Evan Fournier this summer, but they’re also likely to make a qualifying offer, worth nearly $1.216MM, to Dewayne Dedmon, too, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. It’s unclear whether that’ll be the case with Andrew Nicholson, the other Magic player eligible for restricted free agency, Robbins writes. Nicholson, a former 19th overall pick, has yet to have a breakout season, but Robbins identifies Brandon Jennings, set for unrestricted free agency, as the soon-to-be Orlando free agent who’s had the roughest year. “It’s definitely going to be a big summer for me,” Jennings said. “I definitely would’ve wished things would’ve went a little differently, but they didn’t with the trade. So I guess I just have to take it for what it is this summer. Actually, the positive side of it is I get a whole summer. I get a whole three, four months just to get ready and play basketball all summer, work on my game, work on my body.”

See more from the Southeast Division:

Questions about commitment dogged the Wizards this season, one in which the team’s soon-to-be free agents have known they’re essentially rentals amid plans to open cap space to chase Kevin Durant this summer, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. That plus defensive regression, a new and ill-fitting perimeter-oriented attack, the uncertain status of coach Randy Wittman, a lack of leadership and injuries combined to doom the team this season, Castillo observes.
Thabo Sefolosha filed a civil suit this week against five New York City police officers and the city, as expected, notes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. It stems from the incident a year ago today in which Sefolosha emerged with a broken leg after a scuffle with police. The suit levies charges of false arrest, excessive force, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment, and it alleges the incident was a “a racial matter,” as Arnovitz relays. It also claims the encounter and injury jeopardized and shortened his basketball career and negatively affected the market value for his services, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Sefolosha, who saw an increased role for the Hawks this season in the wake of DeMarre Carroll‘s departure, is under contract for next season at $3.85MM.
Tyler Johnson wouldn’t guarantee he’d return this season in the immediate wake of surgery on his left rotator cuff in early February, but this week he pegged his chances of returning for regular season games at a minimum of 70%, notes Jason Lieser of the Miami Herald. The Heat, who are reportedly planning to fill their two open roster spots by Wednesday’s deadline to sign players, have four regular season games left.

And-Ones: Robinson, Johnson, Parsons

March 10th, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nate Robinson is trying to leap from the pages of Hoops Rumors to Pro Football Rumors. The diminutive NBA veteran who began this season with the Pelicans announced in a YouTube video that he’s going to make a run at playing in the NFL. The video features testimonials from NFL players Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo, former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.

Robinson, who turns 32 in May, went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship in 2002 and impressed with electrifying plays on the field, but many years have passed since he played competitive football. He didn’t say which position he would like to play in the NFL, but he spoke about both offense and defense in the video, inferring that he might try to market himself as being able to play on either side of the ball.

Here’s more from around the league:

Injured Heat point guard Tyler Johnson is aiming to play again this season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder on February 3rd, though there is still no definitive timetable for his return to action, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I’m still hopeful, for sure,” Johnson said. “But, again, I’m not going to push it to a point where I can maybe damage it a little bit more or do anything to have a setback. I think every day it feels a little bit better. So I guess that’s where the optimism comes in, is that every day I wake up I can start to do a couple of new things that I wasn’t able to do before. So, I’m going to push for that. That’s a personal goal. But the doctors and the trainers, they haven’t given me a timetable. They said, ‘We’re not going to give you a date to where you can come back,’ because we could get to that time and it’s not ready.“
Chandler Parsons, provided he remains with the Mavericks, is a solid candidate to replace Dirk Nowitzki as the face of the franchise once the German power forward calls it a career, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News opines. While Parsons certainly has the skill set to carry a franchise, the question remains whether he will put in the work required to achieve greatness, Sefko adds. The small forward is reportedly almost certain to turn down his player option for 2016/17, and Houston and Orlando are expected to pursue him.
The Blazers assigned Cliff Alexander and Luis Montero to the D-League, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets. The duo will report to the Warriors‘ affiliate as part of the NBA’s flexible assignment rule, since Portland does not have its own affiliate.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Heat Rumors: Stokes, Johnson, Whiteside

February 27th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jarnell Stokes, who was traded from Miami to New Orleans at the deadline and then waived by the Pelicans, has rejoined the Heat’s D-League affiliate, tweets Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor. Despite the trade, Sioux Falls retained the rights to Stokes under a D-League provision because he appeared in more than 10 games for the Skyforce this season. (Twitter link). The 6’9″ center/power forward has played five games for Miami, scoring 7 points in 14 minutes. Stokes is not eligible to rejoin the Heat this season, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, as traded players cannot go back to the team that dealt them away.

There’s more news out of Miami:

Tyler Johnson, who hasn’t played since undergoing surgery on his left shoulder February 3rd, hopes to be back on the court by the end of the season, Winderman writes in the same story. The Heat haven’t set a timetable for the backup guard’s return, which was initially estimated at three months. However, Johnson is encouraged by how much he has recovered so far. “I feel like I’m progressing really well,” Johnson said. “I’m going to shoot to get back. Even if it was possible, it would probably be in April.”
Former Net Joe Johnson, who is rumored to be signing with Miami this weekend, is the best talent available in this year’s buyout market, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Johnson, who was waived by Brooklyn on Thursday after agreeing to a buyout, has been a durable player who was the focus of the offense with both the Nets and Hawks, Bontemps writes.
One way for free-agent-to-be Hassan Whiteside to increase his value is to improve his free-throw shooting, and Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post suggests he is doing that. The 7’0″ center recently changed his approach at the line and is hitting 67.9 percent over his last six games. He averages 53 percent for his career and 56.4 percent for the season. “You know that feeling when you get under the covers in the bed and you snuggle up? You know that comfortable feeling?” Whiteside said in explaining his improved performance. “I feel that. I feel comfortable.”

Heat Interested In Casspi, Kings Like Tyler Johnson

February 10th, 2016 at 10:16am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have explored trading for Omri Casspi as they seek to upgrade their 3-point shooting, while the Kings are interested in Tyler Johnson, even though he’s out for at least two months and perhaps the rest of the season with a torn left rotator cuff, reports Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald. Miami has been aggressive in seeking to trade a player at the end of its bench, particularly Chris Andersen and Jarnell Stokes, in an effort to avoid tax penalties, fellow Herald scribe Barry Jackson hears, though the team acknowledges that offloading Stokes, who makes the minimum, is more likely than with Anderson and his $5MM salary, Jackson adds.

It’s unclear if the Heat and Kings have discussed proposals, though a Casspi-Johnson exchange would have to include more salary going from Miami to Sacramento, since Casspi’s salary of more than $2.836MM exceeds the minimum salary that Johnson has. Even the addition of Stokes’ minimum salary wouldn’t quite be enough to make a legal deal. Conversely, a trade that sends Andersen to the Kings for Casspi wouldn’t work because it would represent too much salary headed to Sacramento.

Regardless, Casspi is knocking down a career-high 42.2% of his 3-point looks this season, the first on his two-year, $5.8MM contract, so he’d no doubt help a Miami team that’s 26th in 3-pointers made. Johnson was one of the Heat’s most accurate long-range shooters before going out with injury, nailing 38.6% of his attempts. He’s a native of Mountain View, California, and he went to Fresno State, both of which are close to Sacramento. Johnson, who turns 24 in May, is set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, but he’s subject to the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which would make it more difficult for a team to poach him in free agency.

The Heat have reportedly been trying to trade Andersen off and on for months but evidently haven’t found a trading partner. Stokes has only totaled 14 minutes at the NBA level compared to nearly 500 in the D-League since coming over from the Grizzlies in the Mario Chalmers trade. Miami is approximately $5.5MM above the $84.74MM luxury tax threshold and faces repeat-offender tax penalties if it can’t duck under the line by the last day of the regular season, though next week’s trade deadline represents the team’s last realistic opportunity to do so.

Eastern Notes: Johnson, Cavs, Raptors

February 7th, 2016 at 7:26pm CST by Will Joseph

Tyler Johnson, who had surgery Wednesday to a repair a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and is expected to miss at least two months, told Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald that there is no guarantee he will return at all this season. As Navarro points out, the Heat‘s regular season ends April 13th and the playoffs begin the weekend of April 16th. Johnson would be 10 weeks into his recovery by then.

“The doctors said it’s going to be two to three months before I can resume contact,” Johnson said. “It’s a possibility [I could be back for the playoffs]. But we’ve just got to see. Again, we’re not trying to rush it back. If it feels healthy by then, and I’m actually able to contribute and not just be out there trying to figure it out during the playoffs, [then I’ll play]. [The playoffs are] not the time to try and figure out if you can go. If there’s a couple practices before it, I’ll try and practice and figure out what I can do.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue remains on good terms with former coach David Blatt and told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is unaffected by criticsm he has received from Blatt supporters.
With DeMarre Carroll out, Terrence Ross has been one of the most valuable Raptors, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Star details. Ross has experienced a positive turnaround after a slow start to the season, Wolstat writes. The Raptors inked Ross to a lucrative three-year extension in November despite his inconsistencies over his career.
The Magic must make deals at the deadline because after a promising start, Orlando now seems disenchanted and has lacked consistency, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Several players have struggled this season for the Magic, and Tobias Harris has yet to take the next step to stardom, Schmitz writes.

Tyler Johnson To Miss At Least Two Months

February 3rd, 2016 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 4:03pm: Johnson underwent successful surgery today, the team announced. No timetable was relayed regarding the point guard’s return to action.

MONDAY, 12:41pm: Heat combo guard Tyler Johnson will miss upward of two months after having left shoulder surgery later this week, league sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The operation on Johnson’s rotator cuff will take place Wednesday, the team announced. A formal recovery timetable will be determined after the procedure, Charania adds (on Twitter), though Johnson said he’s been told it will take him 60 days to heal, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). That would bring him back with roughly two weeks to go in the regular season.

The 23-year-old said recently that he wasn’t planning surgery on the bothersome shoulder, which has been an issue for years and has restricted his movement, nonetheless adding that he expected to converse with doctors about the prospect of going under the knife, notes Aric Dilalla of the Miami Herald. Johnson has been out for the past two games, but the ailment dates to his time in college at Fresno State, writes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post.

Johnson’s role in the rotation has increased this year, and he took on backup point guard duties after the Heat traded Mario Chalmers to the Grizzlies in early November. Miami signed Johnson to a multiyear deal last season after he ran through a pair of 10-day contracts, and that minimum-salary contract runs out at the end of June, when he’ll be set for restricted free agency.

Beno Udrih, whom the Heat acquired in the Chalmers trade, figures to see the bulk of the action backing up Goran Dragic in Johnson’s stead, making it more difficult for the Heat to unload Udrih and his salary of more than $2.17MM in a tax-dodging maneuver. Miami faces repeat-offender tax penalties if it doesn’t trim roughly $5.5MM from its payroll to slip beneath the $84.74MM tax threshold by the last day of the regular season. The Heat aren’t eligible to apply for either a disabled player cap exception or the hardship provision of a 16th roster spot.

And-Ones: Gallinari, Barnes, Johnson

February 2nd, 2016 at 10:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes has heard the rumors regarding Golden State being the favorites to land Kevin Durant if he were to depart the Thunder as a free agent this summer, but he isn’t fazed by the rumblings, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle writes. “Oh man, that’s part of the business,” Barnes said. “He’s a great player. If that’s the move they want to make, you know, hopefully, it works out. It’s always something, right?” The first summer, it was Dwight Howard. The next summer, it was Kevin Love. Every single year, there’s always been somebody who the Warriors wanted or somebody who wanted to come here. That’s part of the business. That stuff happens. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, great. At the end of the day, I’ll still get the chance to be in the NBA and still get to play.”

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Danilo Gallinari became eligible for a trade today, six months after he signed his renegotiation-and-extension with the Nuggets, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports notes (Twitter link). Players who sign extensions that exceed the limits placed on extend-and-trade transactions can’t be traded for six months, and Gallinari fell into that category.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised injured point guard Tyler Johnson for his toughness, and indicated that the team had explored numerous alternatives to surgery for the young player, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “He took it as far as a human being could possibly take it,” Spoelstra said. “And he’s been dealing with his shoulder for a long time, even since college. But last year, this summer, we’ve tried every solution other than surgery. We pushed everything as far as you possibly could. His level of toughness and commitment was to do everything done to this point, but the human body can only go so far. So it was just no other course of action once it got to this point.” Johnson, set for restricted free agency at season’s end, is expected to miss at least two months of action after undergoing surgery this week.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.