Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets To Keep Michael Beasley

July 31st, 2016 at 10:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets will hold on to combo forward Michael Beasley, whose contract guarantee date is Monday, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Beasley’s salary for next season will be $1,403,611 if Houston does keep him on the roster.

Beasley became an impact player for the Rockets late in the season after signing with the team March 4th following the end of his season in China. Beasley appeared in 20 games for Houston, averaging 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per night.

The 27-year-old Beasley was the second player taken in the 2008 draft, but he admits that he damaged his career with a lack of effort and a series of off-court incidents. Beasley was part of the Rockets’ Las Vegas Summer League roster earlier this month and spent most of the time as a mentor, telling younger players not to make the same mistakes he did.

Other players with salary guarantee dates on Monday are the Heat’s Rodney McGruder [$150,000 of $543,471 salary becomes guaranteed] and Josh Richardson [full $874,636 salary] and the Pacers’ Glenn Robinson III [full $1,050,500 salary].

Heat Notes: Richardson, Wade, Waiters

July 31st, 2016 at 2:07pm CST by Will Joseph

Josh Richardson‘s minimum salary deal doesn’t become guaranteed until August 1st, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. It’s the maturity of the 2015 second round draft pick of the Heat which allowed him to play without thinking about the situation, the scribe relays. Richardson’s minimum-scale 2017/18 salary doesn’t become guaranteed until June 30th, Winderman adds.

Here’s more out of Miami:

Rodney McGruder‘s guarantee will jump from $100,000 for the upcoming season to $150,000 on Aug. 1st, Winderman relays in the same post.
If the Heat had offered more money up front or money for a third season then Dwyane Wade would have never bolted for the Bulls, Winderman contends in a mailbag response. It’s not like Wade had a falling out with one of the Heat’s veterans, so the star leaving for his hometown was very much a money issue, Winderman adds.
The Heat recently added Heat Dion Waiters and the team is looking at him as a potential starter at shooting guard, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details. Last season, however, Waiters’ stats indicate that he was far better as a backup, as Jackson points out.

Cuban: No Second Pitch To Whiteside

July 30th, 2016 at 4:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who lost DeAndre Jordan to a change of heart in free agency last summer, said he never tried to persuade Heat center Hassan Whiteside to reconsider before this year’s moratorium was lifted, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Whiteside was Dallas’ top target in free agency, but he decided rather quickly to stay in Miami. “Never crossed our mind,” Cuban said in an interview with Dallas radio station 105.3-FM. “… We were happy with the direction we were going in and we had made our pitch to Hassan, but we didn’t really think he was going to leave and we didn’t go back to him and even bring it up.”
Offseason signings have left the Heat with 11 players who are ineligible to be traded before December 15th, Winderman notes in the same piece. In addition to Whiteside, they are Wayne Ellington, Udonis Haslem, Stefan Jankovic, James Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder, Willie Reed, Dion Waiters, Okaro White and Derrick Williams.

Salary Guarantees To Watch This Weekend

July 29th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, the Pacers announced that they’d parted ways with Shayne Whittington, placing the big man on waivers. The timing of the move seemed odd at first glance, but it made sense when considering the language in Whittington’s contract — his full salary for the 2016/17 season would have become guaranteed if he’d remained on Indiana’s roster beyond August 1.

As our list of upcoming salary guarantee deadlines shows, Whittington isn’t the only player who will either make some money or lose his roster spot within the next few days. Six other players will have some or all of their ’16/17 salary guaranteed if they remain on their respective teams’ rosters beyond August 1.

Here’s a closer look:

Jonathon Simmons (Spurs): Full $874,636 salary to become guaranteed
- Simmons’ guarantee date is actually on Saturday, rather than Monday, but it shouldn’t make much of a difference. After averaging about 15 minutes per game in 55 regular-season contests for the Spurs in his rookie season, Simmons may be in line for a bigger role in 2016/17, as we heard earlier this month.
Michael Beasley (Rockets): Full $1,403,611 salary to become guaranteed
- Beasley, who played the role of mentor for the Rockets during Summer League action, will be kept beyond his guarantee date, according to a Houston Chronicle report from early July.
Dahntay Jones (Cavaliers): Full $1,551,659 salary to become guaranteed
- Jones appeared in 15 playoff games for the NBA champions in the spring, but his most memorable moment may have involved earning a one-game suspension for hitting Bismack Biyombo in the groin. There has been no indication yet whether the Cavs, who will likely be back in tax territory in 2016/17, intend to keep Jones — he’s a candidate to be cut.
Rodney McGruder (Heat): $150,000 of $543,471 salary to become guaranteed
- The Heat just signed McGruder about three weeks ago, so it seems unlikely they’d waive him already, especially since only a small portion of his 2016/17 salary will become guaranteed on Monday.
Josh Richardson (Heat): Full $874,636 salary to become guaranteed
- In the wake of Dwyane Wade‘s departure, the Heat will be going younger this season, and Richardson figures to be a big part of that youth movement. He’s not going anywhere.
Glenn Robinson III (Pacers): Full $1,050,500 salary to become guaranteed
- When the Pacers announced Whittington’s release without cutting Robinson as well, it was a sign that the former Wolverine should be safe. Assuming that’s the case, he’s a good bet to earn a regular-season roster spot for Indiana.

And-Ones: Butler, White, McRoberts

July 29th, 2016 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler told reporters that he had no influence on the roster moves the team made this offseason, ESPN.com relays. “That has nothing to do with me. I don’t move guys,” Butler said. “It’s like I always say: People are going to think what they want to think. That doesn’t bother me. I know where I stand. I know who I am.”

Butler also noted that he’s happy for former teammates Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, telling reporters, “I’m happy for (Rose). He’s happy for me,” Butler said. “I’m glad we get to go against each other whatever day that may be when the season rolls around. I talked to Jo. We texted a few messages. Nothing too serious, but we’re always going to have love for each other because we’re always going to be teammates. We were in those trenches together.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Aaron White, a 2015 second round pick of the Wizards, signed a two-year deal to play in Russia with Zenit St. Petersburg, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic.com reports. The second year is a team option and the pact includes an NBA-out clause, Michael adds. White recently played for Washington’s squad in the Las Vegas summer league where he averaged 7.2 points and shot 29.4% from three-point range.
The Warriors have hired former NBA player Willie Green as an assistant on coach Steve Kerr‘s staff, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter).
The Heat‘s roster currently stands at 18 players, which is three over the regular season maximum. One player the team would like to move is Josh McRoberts, but thus far have found no takers this offseason despite trying to “give him away,” Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel noted in his recent “Ask Ira” column. Miami may consider waiving the forward, but his player option worth $6,021,175 for 2017/18 complicates matters because the team would be on the hook for that amount if it cut him, Winderman notes.

Dwyane Wade On: Butler, Riley, Chicago

July 29th, 2016 at 5:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Longtime face of the Miami Heat franchise, Dwyane Wade, was officially introduced today as a member of the Bulls. The veteran inked a two-year, $47MM deal with Chicago this offseason, leaving behind the only NBA team he had ever known. Wade addressed members of the media today and touched on a number of subjects. The transcription comes courtesy of ESPN.com and Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald. Here are some of the highlights from Wade’s press conference:

Discussing who the “alpha” is on the new-look Bulls:

“This is Jimmy’s team. It won’t be a tug and pull whose team it is.” Wade then recalled the 2004 offseason when Miami acquired big man Shaquille O’Neal, saying, “We had no championships at the time and I remember his press conference. I was playing in the Olympics at the time, like Jimmy is right now. And I remember Shaq said, ‘We’re not going to go through this all year. This is Dwyane Wade’s team.’ So, we’re not going to go through this all year. This is Jimmy Butler‘s team. Myself and Rajon Rondo are here to bring what we bring as athletes to this team and to this city. He’s the young Bull on this team. He’s a 26-year-old who can play 40 minutes if coach wants him to and maybe more. I ain’t trying to do all that. And we’re going to depend on him a lot.”

Discussing if he chose Chicago because of a rift with Heat president Pat Riley:

“I have no rift with Pat Riley. It’s funny the reports come out about a lot of different things. I’ve never seen nobody around me and Pat when me and him was talking. I didn’t see no one CC’d on the emails that we talk about. I have nothing but respect for what he’s done in this game. I have so much to learn. So I have no rift in that. This year, the direction and the focus for that organization in Miami — which I have nothing but love and respect for — was a little different than it has been in years past.

With that being said, my direction and my focus was a little different than it had been in year’s past. I communicated with them that ‘Hey I’ve only done this once, but I’m going to be a free agent. I’m going to go out and see what the market is saying about me.’ And, like I said, this opportunity with Chicago when first I said I was going to be a free agent, this was nothing that we all knew was going to happen. But it was things that happened along the way that made this even realer and realer. I made the decision.

I had a contract offer in Miami that I could have took. I decided not to take it. It was my decision to be selfish and to live out a dream of mine. I’ve brought a lot of excitement to Miami and it’s a home to me. It will always be. I want to bring a little bit here to Chicago when I have a little bit left. So, let’s clear up the notion that Pat Riley orchestrated me getting out of Miami because he didn’t offer me the money I wanted. This was not a money deal. If this was a money deal I wouldn’t be sitting here. I would have taken the most money. At the end of the day this is a place I wanted to be.”

Discussing Riley’s role, or lack thereof, in his recruitment this summer:

“I dealt with (team owner) Micky Arison, Nick Arison when it came to my contracts the last two years. That’s what he means when he said he wasn’t involved, meaning he didn’t sit at the table. He didn’t call or email or text or nothing like that to try to sway me or try to get me back. I guess that’s what he meant.

I dealt with two people I respect in the organization. And like I said, at the end of the day it wasn’t about Pat Riley, it wasn’t about Micky, it wasn’t about Nick. It was about me. I told that to the Arison family in our meeting. They asked me, ‘What else? Is there anything else we can do? I said, ‘This is a decision I’m going to have to make. And I made that decision.’

I wasn’t looking for Pat to reach out to me. That wasn’t the focus of mine. My focus was making the best decision for my family. He has to make the best decision for the organization, which he has done an amazing job over his tenure there. And we all benefited from it.“

Dion Waiters Has 15% Trade Kicker

July 28th, 2016 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Dion Waiters‘ new two-year deal with the Heat features a 15% trade kicker, tweets Pincus.

Winderman On Heat Backcourt, Sanders, Bosh

July 27th, 2016 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest mailbag for The South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman examines the Heat‘s backcourt logjam and speculates about whether or not Miami would be interested in Larry Sanders.

Heat Notes: Waiters, Johnson, Offseason

July 26th, 2016 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Dion Waiters‘ new two-year deal with the Heat is worth a little under $6MM, which is less than he would have earned in the 2016/17 season alone if he had accepted his qualifying offer from the Thunder before Oklahoma City rescinded it. As Waiters explains in an Instagram post, he believes he could have waited out the market and “got what I wanted” in terms of salary, but he decided to join the Heat because he believes he’ll be happy in Miami.

“I didn’t do it for the money,” Waiters wrote. “I did it for the opportunity to go out & ball & have fun. Everything else will take care of its self!!! I just felt like it was the best situation for me…& my family.”

Here’s more on Waiters, along with some other Heat-related notes:

According to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter), the Heat may have been close to extending an offer sheet to Waiters earlier in July, when he was still a restricted free agent. Miami ultimately used its cap room on other players, and was able to land Waiters at a lesser rate.
Like most NBA observers, Tyler Johnson didn’t expect Dwyane Wade to leave Miami, and was therefore “almost 100% sure” that he’d end up in Brooklyn, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. But he’s happy to be back with the Heat and he’s still adjusting to the fact that he’s a $50MM player. “I threw up a couple of times when I heard the number go out there,” Johnson said. “I was in shock. I even lost a little bit of weight, because just the anxiety of going through that whole process and not knowing where I was going to be.”
In his latest mailbags for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman discusses the big-picture fit for Waiters in Miami, and addresses some questions about the Heat’s offseason roster-building decisions.

Heat Sign Dion Waiters

July 26th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 26, 12:27pm: The Heat have officially signed Waiters, the team confirmed today in a press release.

“Dion is not a Room Exception player,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He wanted to play for the Miami HEAT and chose to forgo other more lucrative financial opportunities to be a part of our championship organization. We are very honored that he made the commitment to come to South Florida and sign with us. Dion is young, athletic and explosive, which fits in with our roster. He will add a great dimension for us at the off-guard spot. I really like the depth and versatility that we now have in our perimeter positions. Welcome aboard Dion!”

JULY 25, 3:48pm: Waiters received a two-year deal worth nearly $6MM, sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The club did use its room exception and Waiters has a player option on the second year, Wojnarowski adds.

2:13pm: The Heat have reached an agreement on a new contract with free agent shooting guard Dion Waiters, according to Jon Krawczynski and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The AP duo reports that Waiters will sign a one-year deal with Miami worth the club’s $2.898MM room exception.

Given the kind of money we’ve seen thrown around so far this month, a one-year, $2.898MM deal for Waiters looks incredibly team-friendly. At the start of free agency, the Thunder issued a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589 to Waiters, making him a restricted free agent. Although Oklahoma City later rescinded that offer, allowing the 24-year-old to hit the open market, Waiters could have signed that one-year QO at any time while it was still on the table. Instead, he’ll earn less than half that amount with Miami.

Heat president Pat Riley indicated at a recent press conference that his team didn’t intend to use its room exception this summer, preferring to save it for a potential mid-season acquisition. Of course, Riley likely didn’t anticipate a player of Waiters’ caliber being willing to sign for such a modest one-year deal.

A former fourth overall pick, Waiters hasn’t developed into a star, but he has been a steady scorer off the bench over the course of his four NBA seasons. For his career, he has averaged 12.8 PPG, with a shooting line of .411/.334/.707. Last season, he appeared in 78 games (15 starts) for Oklahoma City, averaging a career-low 9.8 points for the Northwest division champs.

Although the Heat suffered a major blow when Dwyane Wade decided to sign with the Bulls rather than returning to Miami, the team has been active as it attempts to replace Wade’s production and fill the holes on its roster. As our Free Agent Tracker shows, the Heat have signed or re-signed veteran free agents Wayne Ellington, Tyler Johnson, James Johnson, Willie Reed, Derrick Williams, and Hassan Whiteside, in addition to Waiters.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.