Heat Rumors: LeBron, Riley, Williams, Temple
The latest out of South Beach..
- A summit between Heat president Pat Riley and LeBron James will probably go down in the next 24 hours but likely won’t be in Miami, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
- No guarantees were made, but Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts committed to the Heat with a strong belief that LeBron James will be their teammate, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (on Twitter).
- People who have had phone conversations with Riley have come away with the impression that he is confident the Big Three will return, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
- The Heat are no longer in pursuit of Marvin Williams after using the mid-level exception on Josh McRoberts, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
- Garrett Temple is leaning towards signing with the Heat, tweets Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. The Wizards also want to bring Temple back and the Magic and Bulls were said to have interest.
- There’s still mutual interest between Greg Oden and the Heat, but no decision has been made one way or another, Reynolds tweets.
Southwest Notes: Deng, Ariza, Mavs, Stokes
The Mavs have no intention of giving Luol Deng a deal in the $12-$14MM range, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. They have significant concerns about the 29-year-old’s durability after years of him being a workhorse for Chicago and dealing with back and Achilles tendon issues recently. They value him as a versatile, tenacious defender with a career scoring average of 16 points per game, but his subpar 3-point shooting isn’t ideal for a Dallas team that is short on long-distance threats. Here’s more out of the Southwest:
- Should Dallas fail to land Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza is arguably the best fit for the Mavs out of any of their Plan B targets, contends MacMahon in a separate piece.
- Bulls exec Brian Hagen is now on the shortlist in the Grizzlies‘ search for a new front office addition, reveals Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hagen joins Brooklyn’s Bobby Marks, New York’s Mark Warkentien, and Indiana’s Peter Dinwiddie as candidates for the job.
- Grizzlies second-round pick Jarnell Stokes will probably wait to sign his deal so that Memphis can figure things out in free agency first, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. The former Tennessee standout spoke with Hoops Rumors earlier this offseason about his skillset and career goals.
- Despite hitting a few snags during negotiations, the Spurs announced that they’ve signed Bryce Cotton to a minimum-salary deal, and the Grizzlies confirmed that Zach Randolph has inked an extension to remain in Memphis.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Several Teams Interested In Isaiah Thomas
JULY 7TH, 4:36pm: The Pistons are no longer among the teams involved with Thomas, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today (on Twitter).
JULY 2ND, 7:14am: Mavs owner Mark Cuban called Thomas on Tuesday, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
11:45pm: Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter) adds the Lakers to the list of interested clubs.
8:35am: Kyle Lowry’s decision will likely precede the one that Thomas makes, Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling tweets. The Kings and Thomas have strong mutual respect, Zwerling says.
7:48am: The Pistons are also interested, tweets Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com. They’re talking about a deal in the ballpark of three years and $24MM total. Other talks are in the $6-7MM range, Bruski adds (Twitter link).
7:32am: The Lakers made contact with Thomas, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, as did the teams that Jones mentioned (Twitter link).
12:37am: The Celtics, Mavericks, Warriors, Heat, Pistons, and Suns have expressed interest in Kings free agent guard Isaiah Thomas, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The Kings want to keep the diminutive point guard but they’ll have their work cut out for them this summer.
The Celtics were the first team on the horn with Thomas when free agency started after midnight ET and Danny Ainge personally made the call. This is purely speculative, but one has to imagine that the C’s are giving serious thought to trading Rajon Rondo given their pursuit of Thomas and selection of Marcus Smart in last week’s draft.
Rockets Intensify Pursuit Of Chris Bosh
MONDAY, 11:54am: Conversations between Bosh’s camp and the Rockets continue today even as Bosh’s preference remains to continue playing with James on the Heat, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Part of the pitch the Rockets want to make to Bosh is that he wouldn’t have to play center with Dwight Howard next to him, according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
SUNDAY, 10:28pm: Bosh still hasn’t spoken directly with the Rockets, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
10:26pm: The Rockets have ramped up their pursuit of Chris Bosh and are “heavily engaged” in trying to convince the All-Star power forward to leave the Heat in free agency, sources tell Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
The Rockets haven’t been formally told that they’re out of the running for Carmelo Anthony but they have gotten more serious about Bosh in the hope that LeBron James will leave the Heat. It’s widely assumed throughout the league that Bosh will only be willing to leave Miami if James goes first. However, the ESPN duo says that the Heat remain the favorites at this time to sign Bosh.
Sources say Bosh remains willing to take slightly less than his value on the open market to return with the Heat if James and Dwyane Wade are also coming back and if Heat president Pat Riley can upgrade the current roster. But nearly a week into free agency, sources say Bosh has felt compelled to consider other options himself. He won’t come cheap, though. Bosh would expect a four-year maximum offer of $96MM to leave Miami for Houston or any other suitor.
Hoops Links: Parker, Draft, Hollins, Love
On this date in 2000, E. Stanley Kroenke, a national real estate developer, announced he had completed the acquisition of the Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and the Pepsi Center from Ascent Entertainment Group. Kroenke made the announcement at a news conference at the Pepsi Center following approvals of the $450MM acquisition by the NBA, NHL and the city of Denver.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Rotowire projects the value of No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker.
- The Halfcourt Heave grades the trades from draft night.
- FanDuel says Nets fans should be excited about Lionel Hollins.
- No Man’s Land says it’s the summer of Love.
- Six Championship Drive reviews Day One of the Orlando Summer League.
- The Daily Dribble predicts the offseason ahead.
- Legion Report delivers their post-draft wrap-up.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Hoops Rumors Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron gave us his free agency primer just before the madness started.
- If you missed Chuck’s chat, you can get caught up with the transcript here.
- We featured the best of your comments in Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback.
- Here’s a rundown of our handy free agency tracker.
Carmelo Anthony Hasn’t Ruled Any Team Out
11:32pm: Anthony’s decision isn’t expected to linger late into the week, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter).
5:14pm: As of right now, Carmelo Anthony‘s camp hasn’t told any of his main suitors that they’re out of contention, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Those clubs include the Rockets, Bulls, Mavs, and Lakers. Of course, the incumbent Knicks are very much in contention as well.
It has been widely assumed in NBA circles that Anthony is a slam dunk to return to New York but that might not be the case. Everyone is still technically alive at this point, though Stein (link) hears there is a rising sense around the league that Melo is likely to choose between the Knicks and Lakers.
Earlier today it was reported that the Lakers believe that Pau Gasol would re-sign quickly if Anthony or LeBron James came to L.A. If the Lakers can retain the Spaniard and add Anthony, they’ll be in pretty solid shape for next season.
Cavs Trying To Clear Cap Space For LeBron
The Cavs are working to clear cap space in order to carve out a max slot for LeBron James, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Sources tell Wojnarowski that Cleveland is looking for a team to take Nets guard Marcus Thornton in a deal to unload their own Jarrett Jack.
Moving Jack’s $6.3MM/year salary would enable the Cavs to clear room for LeBron while keeping LeBron’s friend Anderson Varejao in the fold (link). Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) has heard from multiple sources that Paul has told the Cavs he’s impressed with what they’ve done and what they can still do with their roster, so a return back home doesn’t sound so far fetched at this point for LeBron.
Meanwhile, James has had minimal contact with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and the longer that goes on, the more unsettled the two are becoming about Miami’s future (link). “They’re reading the tea leafs,” a source tells Wojnarowski. LeBron and agent Rich Paul will meet with Pat Riley in person this week, Sam Amick of USA Today reports, so everyone involved might gain some clarity in a matter of days.
And-Ones: Early, Bazemore, Lin, Nets
The Knicks may have gotten the steal of the draft when they selected Cleanthony Early with the 34th pick, opines Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The article also notes that Early plans on using his draft night slide as motivation, saying, “At the end of the day, they made their decision, they made their choices, and they’re going to have to live with that, they’re going to have to stick with that. I’m going to have to live with that, I’m going to have to stick with that. But the only difference is, the way my heart is set up and the way I am, I’m going to use it as motivation. It fires me up. If I ever feel like I am being overlooked or I feel like I got something to prove, I’m willing to accept that challenge. The only thing I have to do is get in the gym and continue doing what I’ve been doing.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Trevor Mbakwe‘s contract with Germany’s Bamberg has opt out clauses for both the NBA and the Euroleague, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- It’s been a strange ride for the Nets that got even stranger when Jason Kidd left town, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Reports of a deal between the Hawks and Kent Bazemore are premature but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that he has a face-to-face meeting with Atlanta tomorrow.
- The Sixers are willing to trade with the Rockets for Jeremy Lin, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but Philly wants a first rounder included in any deal.
- The Cavs are trying to create a maximum salary slot for LeBron James, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Cleveland is searching for a third team to take Marcus Thornton from the Nets, so the Cavs could then unload Jarrett Jack, Wojnarowski reports.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Latest On LeBron, Bosh, Wade
Teams are awaiting direction from LeBron James‘ agent Rich Paul today to find out if the four-time MVP will proceed to free agent meetings this week, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). James has yet to meet with any club face-to-face and has been using Paul as a proxy.
As we learned last week, Paul has been telling clubs that James will take a more serious look at other teams if Miami president Pat Riley doesn’t act quickly in building a stronger supporting cast for the league’s best player. Of course, the caliber of talent that Riley can bring in will hinge greatly on what Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decide to do.
There’s been speculation that Bosh is fishing for a max deal, but agent Henry Thomas scoffed at that notion in a chat with Michael Wallace of ESPN.com. Thomas would not say if Bosh or Wade, both of whom are his clients, are considering meeting with other teams and added that he does not believe James, Wade, and Bosh have met collectively since they got together in late June to initially discuss their free agency plans.
“This is a process — really a different process for each one of them,” Thomas said. “It just has to play out. But what I can tell you is that nothing’s changed.”
Thomas insisted that Bosh and Wade are operating under separate circumstances, but expects them to reach decisions on new deals “within the next couple of days.”