Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Hassan Whiteside

January 14th, 2018 at 9:08pm CST by Austin Kent

There is an element of uncertainty to Hassan Whiteside‘s role with the Heat. One can glean at least some semblance of understanding into how Erik Spoelstra views the big man through a series of post-game quotes from earlier this afternoon, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Spoelstra was quick to praise Whiteside after a spirited third quarter on Sunday afternoon but didn’t ultimately play him down the stretch, citing the play of the team’s second unit.

“He made a big-time effort on both ends of the court. Even those offensive tips where we didn’t score, he was burning calories and expending a lot of energy. Those extra, multiple efforts are inspiring. I really believe those inspire the players coming in the game,” Spoelstra said. “[…] The next challenge is to be consistent. I love what he did in the third quarter.”

It’s unclear what will come of Whiteside’s time with the Heat. While he’s averaged a solid 13.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, he seems to have resigned to the fact that he may not enter games in fourth quarters.

“When those guys are playing great, I don’t come in,” he said. “Those guys were playing great.”

The Heat currently sit 25-17, fourth in the Eastern Conference. That’s a dangerous spot for a team with a coach known for bringing out the most in his players.

While 28-year-old Whiteside would qualify by most accounts as the team’s top talent, they’ve played .500 basketball without him and could presumably net a piece or two to help them down the stretch if they were willing to move him.

Given that Whiteside’s current role with the squad is so unconventional, would the franchise be better off to gauge the trade market for the big man?

Weigh in on what you think the Heat will end up doing with their center below.

Waiters' Incentive Wouldn't Have Affected Luxury Tax

January 14th, 2018 at 11:38am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat weren’t concerned about the $1.1MM bonus that Dion Waiters might have collected if he had remained healthy, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Waiters needed to play 70 games to receive the incentive, which won’t happen now that he is expected to have season-ending surgery on his left ankle. Miami put the bonus in his contract as a way to allow him to obtain his desired salary while leaving enough cap space to re-sign Wayne Ellington, Winderman explains, adding that the extra $1.1MM wouldn’t have pushed the team into the luxury tax.

Josh Richardson A 'Revelation'; Ways To Replace Dion Waiters

January 12th, 2018 at 6:34pm CST by Austin Kent

The Heat have watched Josh Richardson develop into a go-to perimeter player, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel says in a video published at the newspaper’s website. Richardson’s numbers are up across the board and his presence has helped the team weather the Dion Waiters injury.

Richardson has averaged 12.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Heat this season, up to 17.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per in 15 December contests.

Not only has the swingman been a revelation for the positionless Heat, he’s shown an ability to hang with large NBA small forwards despite weighing just 200 pounds and playing through college as a 6’6″ point guard.

The Heat have a number of options with which to replace Dion Waiters‘ production, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, including injured swingmen Justise Winslow and and Rodney McGruder. Players like Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington could also see larger roles.

Season-Ending Surgery Expected For Dion Waiters

January 11th, 2018 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

January 11, 5:01pm: After having received a second opinion in Los Angeles, Waiters is expected to undergo season-ending surgery on his left ankle, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

January 10, 4:10pm: Heat guard Dion Waiters has been nagged for much of the season by a left ankle injury, an issue that has kept him out of action since December 22. While the club has moved forward with a non-surgical rehab program so far, Waiters recently sought out a second opinion, and a season-ending surgical procedure is one of the options he’s considering, an associate tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). No decisions have been made yet, however.

Waiters’ camp and the Heat figure to work in tandem to figure out the best approach for the 26-year-old, who has received multiple medical opinions, per Jackson. Waiters had suggested last month that offseason surgery may also be an option if he can make it through the 2017/18 campaign without having to go under the knife.

The injury has likely contributed to Waiters’ dip in production so far this season. After posting a .424 FG% and .395 3PT% in 2016/17, the former fourth overall pick has seen those shooting rates decline to .398 and .306 this year.

Waiters, who inked a new contract with the Heat back in July, is under contract through the 2020/21 season at a rate of nearly $12MM annually, so the club will be motivated to find the best long-term solution, rather than trying to rush him back onto the court. Still, ESPN’s Zach Lowe indicated in his latest piece that Waiters’ injury situation has created some tension in Miami. The two sides hope to have some clarity on the issue this week or next week, per Lowe.

No matter how the Heat and Waiters choose to address his ankle injury, the veteran guard appears extremely unlikely to cash in on his $1.1MM games-played bonus for this season. Waiters would have to appear in 70 games to receive that money, and he has already missed 10 of 40 contests.

Potential Return In Whiteside Trade May Be Limited

January 10th, 2018 at 7:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

If the Heat decide to deal Hassan Whiteside, they may find his trade value is lower than expected, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami hasn’t expressed a desire to move Whiteside, but Jackson believes it could happen if rookie Bam Adebayo and free agent addition Kelly Olynyk continue to provide quality minutes at the center spot.

The Heat will face a decision soon on Derrick Jones, who has about 14 NBA days left on his two-way contract, Jackson adds in the same story. The Heat signed Jones at the end of December, and his allowable NBA service time was pro-rated. He has appeared in three games since then, averaging 5.0 points in nearly 17 minutes per night. Miami could open a roster spot by cutting A.J. Hammons, who has remained in the G League since being acquired from Dallas in an offseason trade.

Serge Ibaka, James Johnson Receive One-Game Suspensions

January 10th, 2018 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors big man Serge Ibaka and Heat forward James Johnson have each been hit with one-game suspensions for their roles in an altercation that took place in Tuesday night’s game in Toronto, the NBA announced today. The two veterans exchanged punches midway through the third quarter.

DeMar DeRozan and Goran Dragic were also penalized for getting into it during Tuesday’s game, but they avoided suspensions. DeRozan was fined $25K, while Dragic received a $10K fine.

The Raptors will now be without Ibaka for Thursday night’s showdown with the Cavaliers, a game that Kyle Lowry is also expected to miss due to a bruised tailbone. While Toronto will be short-handed for that game, the team will gain a little more breathing room below the tax threshold with Ibaka losing a game’s worth of salary, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks details in a tweet.

As for Johnson, he’ll miss the Heat’s Wednesday game in Indiana.

Heat Rumors: Winslow, Whiteside, Dragic, Ellington

January 10th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Heat lack a superstar player, there’s optimism within the organization that the team is capable of winning upwards of 50 games and a playoff round or two. Still, the Heat are aware that they face “major questions” about their ceiling, Zach Lowe writes in his latest piece for ESPN.com. As such, Miami is a team that figures to be active as the trade deadline approaches.

According to Lowe, the Heat – who may be in the tax next season – are projecting optimism that they could trade the lucrative new long-term contracts handed out to the likes of Dion Waiters, James Johnson, and Kelly Olynyk if they need to. However, rival executives are skeptical that all those deals would be easily movable.

Here’s more from Lowe on the Heat’s outlook and trade possibilities:

Justise Winslow has been surpassed by Josh Richardson as the Heat’s small forward of the future, while Johnson has emerged as Miami’s top small-ball power forward, according to Lowe, who suggests that Winslow is a potential trade chip for the Heat. Lowe adds that multiple rival execs are calling Winslow the Heat’s version of Jahlil Okafor, though he thinks that’s “a little much.”
The Heat’s best and most realistic trade package if they look to make a big splash would likely be Winslow and Hassan Whiteside, says Lowe. Neither player has been a major part of Miami’s best crunch-time lineup as of late, so the club could dangle that duo in search of a star center.
The Heat have shown no interest in trading Goran Dragic, per Lowe’s league sources.
Waiters’ ankle injury has created some tension in Miami, with Waiters seeking a second opinion after the team put him on a non-surgical rehab program. The two sides hope to get clarity on Waiters’ recovery this week or next, according to Lowe, who notes that the veteran guard “almost feels redundant” on a Heat roster that features several ball-handlers.
Long-term luxury tax concerns for the Heat may cost them Wayne Ellington. The veteran sharpshooter is in line for a raise when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July and Miami likely won’t be able to afford him, prompting Lowe to wonder if the club would consider trading him rather than losing him for nothing.

Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Jackson, Leuer, Moreland

January 9th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy addressed trade rumors surrounding his team during a session with reporters today. Detroit is among several teams linked to Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic as the Pistons try to remain in the playoff race with a roster weakened by injuries.

“We have a roster spot available and there’s people calling,” Van Gundy said in comments tweeted by Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We’re just seeing if there’s anything that makes sense for us. When you’re down a starting point guard, there’s not a lot of people shopping their starting point guard to you.” (Twitter link).

Reggie Jackson is out until at least the All-Star break with a sprained right ankle. Forward Jon Leuer hasn’t played since October 31 because of a sprained left ankle and may be headed for surgery. After a fast start, the Pistons have fallen into a sixth-place tie in the East at 21-18 and are barely holding on to a playoff spot.

“We’ve got [Leuer] down and [Jackson] down,” Van Gundy added. “There’s a lot of need and we’re looking around. We don’t have anything going on right now, but we’re looking around for people to fill holes.”

There’s more today out of Detroit:

The Pistons have plenty of options to target before the February 8 deadline, writes Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. He lists Orlando’s Evan Fournier, Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, Miami’s Wayne Ellington, Dallas’ Wesley Matthews and Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore as players to watch.
Pistons center Eric Moreland has a bit of security for the first time in his career, notes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Moreland had his $1,739,333 contract guaranteed this week, providing him with some stability after four years of trying to earn a steady NBA job. Moreland went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2014 and signed with the Kings, but played just 11 games at the NBA level in two seasons. He signed a partially guaranteed three-year deal with the Pistons over the offseason, but says he hasn’t been focused on this week’s guarantee deadline. “I play the same way, money or no money,” he said. “I don’t even play basketball for money. I just want to go out there and keep learning. This is my first year playing. I can’t get involved in that. That’s just not my mentality. I’m not trying to survive like that.”

Rookie Walton Nears End Of Service Time

January 8th, 2018 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat rookie guard Derrick Walton Jr. has only 14 days of NBA service remaining on his two-way contract, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes. That was a factor in the team’s decision to send the University of Michigan product to the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce on Sunday despite injuries to two wing players. He has appeared in 12 games with the Heat. If he returns to the Heat and reaches the 45-day limit, he must either spend the rest of the season in the G League, be offered a standard contract or be released.
Rookie Bam Adebayo is likely to drop out of the Heat’s rotation due to a logjam in the frontcourt, Winderman opines in his weekly mailbag. Adebayo’s energy is admirable but he’s prone to defensive mistakes, Winderman explains. For a team fighting for a playoff spot, the club is best served by dividing the minutes at power forward and center among veterans Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson, Winderman adds.

Heat Notes: Frontcourt, Waiters, Patience

January 5th, 2018 at 4:32pm CST by Austin Kent

This time last season, Heat president Pat Riley made the decision to stand pat with a veteran core and it paid off in the form of one of the most impressive in-season turnarounds in recent memory. You can imagine, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel suggests, that Miami’s success so far in 2017/18 has muted trade talk at this point in the season.

The Heat, 20-17 and currently seventh in the East, sit well situated to nab a playoff spot. It’s plausible to even consider that they could gain the 1.5 games necessary to catch the Wizards who currently sit fourth in the conference if all breaks right down the stretch.

While Riley may not be content with a team whose long-term ceiling seems to fall short of genuine contention, there’s no indication that the organization won’t remain patient for the time being.

There’s more from South Beach:

The Heat have found success starting seven-footers Hassan Whiteside and Kelly Olynyk together and aren’t about to abandon the unconventional approach, even in the throes of the small ball era. “Right now, we’re going with it,” head coach Erik Spoelstra told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “There’ll be minutes that they’ll play together. There’s certain part of that combination that I really like and other parts that have to get better. […] And I don’t necessarily look at Kelly as seven-footer. He has versatility that’s much different than a normal seven-footer.“
Plagued by a lingering sprained ankle, Heat guard Dion Waiters is pursuing a second opinion on how to treat the injury, an Associated Press report says. Waiters considered surgery when he initially hurt the ankle last March and may consider it again. The 26-year-old has already missed seven games this season, making it unlikely that he reaches the 70-game threshold required for a contract bonus to kick in.
A hypothetical trade scenario that would involved sending Hassan Whiteside to the Grizzlies in exchange for Marc Gasol is an intriguing one, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel says in a question-and-answer feature with readers, but the dicey history between Gasol and former Heat assistant coach David Fizdale could be a red flag.