Wade Wants To Be Comfortable With Role In Miami
Dwyane Wade isn’t demanding to start, but he does want to feel comfortable with his role on the Heat before committing to play another season, writes Greg Cote of The Miami Herald.
Wade was used exclusively in a reserve role after the Cavaliers traded him to Miami in February. He came off the bench in all 21 regular season games with the Heat, along with four postseason contests.
Wade would like to be used more than the 22.2 minutes of playing time he averaged after returning to Miami, Cote adds. He would be willing to play a mentor’s role, similar to newly re-signed teammate Udonis Haslem, but also wants to contribute on the court.
Miami has been holding a roster spot open for Wade, but had hoped for an earlier decision. Team president Pat Riley originally said he hoped for a final determination by the middle of August, then later said Labor Day was “sort of the drop-dead date for players.”
Cote expects Wade to announce that he’ll play one more year, but not until the team’s Media Day on September 24.
Gordon Hayward Expects To Be Ready For Opener
Celtics forward Gordon Hayward declared himself almost fully recovered in a meeting with the media today and said he believes he’ll be ready to play on opening night, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Hayward says he feels almost 100 percent, and explosion and cutting are the only remaining physical challenges, relays Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link).
Hayward was Boston’s prize free agent addition last summer, but he suffered a severe ankle injury on opening night. He still has two seasons left on his contract at nearly $64MM, plus a player option worth nearly $34.2MM for 2020/21.
“With each step I get some joy,” Hayward told reporters. “Now we’re at the final step.”
Hayward hopes to regain the form he had in Utah, where he made his first All-Star appearance in his final season with the Jazz. He averaged a career-best 21.1 PPG that year, along with 5.4 RPG and 3.5 APG.
Sixers, Lakers Interested In Jamal Crawford
The Sixers and Lakers both have interest in signing veteran guard Jamal Crawford, according to Marc Spears of EPSN (hat tip to Miguel Gargaritano of Clutch Points).
Appearing on “The Jump,” Spears said Crawford isn’t close to making a decision on a new team, but Philadelphia and L.A. are among the contenders. The 38-year-old also had contact with Golden State, but the Warriors won’t have a roster spot to offer if Patrick McCaw re-signs.
Crawford spent last season with the Timberwolves, but was frustrated by a lack of playing time. He appeared in 80 games, but averaged just 20.7 minutes per night, the lowest since his rookie year, and saw his numbers decline across the board from where they had been with the Clippers.
The Sixers have 19 players signed and 14 guaranteed contracts, so they have room to add Crawford. He would bring firepower to the reserve unit and give the team a much-needed 3-point shooter.
The Lakers also have 19 players under contract with 14 guaranteed. Crawford would add a veteran presence to the L.A. backcourt, which is short on outside shooters to help stretch the floor for LeBron James.
Cavaliers Sign Pair To Training Camp Contracts
The Cavaliers have reached training camp deals with guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM. Both players will receive Exhibit 10 contracts, which provide bonuses up to $50K if the players spend at least two months with the team’s G League affiliate.
Hamilton was in camp with the Cavs last year before spending the season with the Canton Charge. The UCLA product posted a 7.4/2.5/1.2 line in 42 G League games.
Smith played part of last season in Australia before joining the Charge in March and averaging 14.3/4.3/8.1 in eight games. The former Dayton standout played for Cleveland’s entry in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League.
Deng Adel To Sign With Raptors
Deng Adel has decided not to sign a training camp contract with the Timberwolves and will accept a partially guaranteed deal from the Raptors instead, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Adel was probably ticketed for the Wolves’ G League affiliate and liked the opportunity and money better with Toronto.
Adel went undrafted out of Louisville after averaging 15.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.8 APG during his junior season. He played for the Rockets’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League.
The addition of Adel will give Toronto 19 players heading into training camp. The team has 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts.
Kyrie Irving Tops Knicks’ Summer Wish List
Kyrie Irving will be the Knicks’ top target in free agency next summer, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston said in an appearance on the Bulls talk podcast (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).
Irving is expected to opt out of a $21.3MM salary for next season and become part of a stellar free agent class that will also include Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson. The Knicks will have enough cap room to make a maximum offer if they use the stretch provision on Joakim Noah, and team officials see Irving as the best fit and most accessible target.
“I can tell you right now, the New York Knicks, he is their No. 1 target,” Blakely said. “I’ve spoken with people within that organization. They have made it absolutely crystal clear to me that, if they had their pick of guys that are going to be in the free agent market this summer, Kyrie would be their first, second, third and fourth choice.”
Irving is about to enter his second season with the Celtics after being acquired from Cleveland last summer. He missed the playoffs after having surgery on his left knee late in the season, but has reportedly made a full recovery and is expected to be ready for training camp. Irving posted a 24.4/3.8/5.1 line in 60 games last season.
Boston is hoping to re-sign Irving, of course, but the team will be faced with some tough financial choices. Terry Rozier, who excelled in the playoffs in Irving’s absence, is entering a contract year, Marcus Morris will be a free agent and Al Horford and Aron Baynes can join Irving in opting out of their 2019/20 deals.
Heat Notes: Draft, Richardson, Wade, Haslem
The NBA appears to be holding off a decision to eliminate the one-and-done rule until the 2022 draft, which would be good news for the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That would mean Miami wouldn’t miss out on a potential bonanza in the 2021 class with the top college prospects and high school seniors both available. The Heat are the only team that have traded their 2021 first-rounder, sending it to Phoenix in the Goran Dragic deal. The Suns moved it to the Sixers this summer as part of the package to acquire Mikal Bridges.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently reported that teams have been told by league executives that no change in the one-and-done rule will occur prior to 2022. The Heat haven’t appealed to the league to make the change in any particular year, Jackson adds.
Jackson shares more from Miami in the same story:
- At least one unidentified team offered a first-round pick to Miami in exchange for Josh Richardson during the offseason. The Heat turned it down and have no plans to part with Richardson, who is entering the first season of a four-year, $42MM extension. The team also prefers to hang onto Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo, James Johnson and Justise Winslow.
- Dwyane Wade has less than two weeks to make a decision before camp opens, but at least one Heat official believes he wants to play this season. Wade has been on vacation in California, but will return to Miami tomorrow to open a restaurant with Udonis Haslem, who has been part of the recruiting effort to get Wade to return.
- Haslem said his “love for the organization” and his teammates was behind his decision to return for a 16th season. “If I was looking for playing time, I could have gone someplace else or played in China or something,” he said. “But at the end of the day, would it have made me as happy as being around this organization and being around these guys? No, I don’t think it would.” Haslem saw minimal action last season, averaging about five minutes per night in 14 games.
Russell Westbrook Has Arthroscopic Procedure On Knee
Russell Westbrook had arthroscopic surgery today on his right knee, according to Royce Young of ESPN. The procedure was done for “maintenance” and the Thunder guard will be re-evaluated in four weeks. He is expected to miss the preseason, and his status for the October 17 opener will be determined at that time.
The operation was successful, the team posted on its website, and the decision to have surgery was prompted by inflammation in the knee over the weekend. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles with medical personnel from the team in attendance.
Westbrook has been remarkably durable since having three surgeries on the knee in a nine-month span in 2013 and has played in 80, 81 and 80 games over the past three seasons. Still, any physical problem is a concern as Westbrook will turn 30 in November and is entering the first season of a five-year, $205MM extension.
Westbrook made his seventh All-Star appearance last season and averaged a triple-double for the second straight year with a 25.4/10.1/10.3 line, leading the NBA in assists.
Heat Exercise Option On Bam Adebayo
The Heat have exercised their third-year option on Bam Adebayo, the team announced on its website. The move locks in his $3,454,080 salary for the 2019/20 season.
The decision isn’t surprising after Adebayo’s impressive rookie campaign. The 14th player selected in the 2017 draft, he made an instant impact in Miami, earning a rotation spot and contributing mostly in a reserve role. The 21-year-old posted a 6.9/5.5/1.5 line in 69 games while averaging 19.8 minutes per night.
Adebayo’s fourth-year option, which the Heat will have to decide on next summer, would pay him $5,115,492 for the 2020/21 season.
Wolves Reportedly Not Interested In Joakim Noah
Even though they’ve assembled a collection of former Bulls, the Timberwolves don’t plan to pursue Joakim Noah if he becomes a free agent, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Minnesota signed ex-Laker Luol Deng this week, adding him to Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson as players who were with Chicago under current Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks are reportedly planning to use the stretch provision to unload Noah if they can’t work out a trade or buyout. With this year’s $18.53MM salary already locked in, New York can turn the $19.295MM it owes Noah for the 2019/20 season into three payments of roughly $6.4MM a year. That would open about $12.9MM in cap room for next summer when the Knicks hope to make a splash on the free agent market.
Noah has been a major disappointment since coming to New York on a four-year, $72MM contract in 2016. Suspensions, injuries and coaching decisions limited him to seven games last season, and he never rejoined the team after an altercation in practice with former coach Jeff Hornacek in January.
While a reunion with Thibodeau may seem like the logical next step for Noah, there’s no guarantee he would have more playing time in Minnesota than he did in New York. Karl-Anthony Towns is entrenched as the Wolves’ starting center with Gorgui Dieng in place as the backup.