Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Re-Sign Udonis Haslem

July 10th, 2016 at 3:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:37pm: The two sides have agreed on a one-year deal worth $4MM, Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald tweets.

8:39am: Udonis Haslem is finalizing a deal to stay in Miami for his 14th season, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The veteran power forward has been in negotiations with the Heat this week and is hoping to receive a contract for something more than the veteran’s minimum.

Haslem, 36, has been with the franchise since 2003, but has seen his playing time drop steadily in recent years. He appeared in 37 games with Miami this season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.0 minutes of action. Team president Pat Riley recently singled out Haslem for becoming a mentor with younger players and said he would like to keep him for another season.

The Heat may need Haslem on the court more often next season if Chris Bosh‘s availability remains limited by health issues. Another veteran big man, Amar’e Stoudemire, is also a free agent and may not return to Miami.

Heat To Sign James Johnson

July 10th, 2016 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

NBA: Toronto Raptors at Sacramento Kings

Kelley L Cox / USA TODAY Sports Images

Free agent combo forward James Johnson has agreed to a one-year deal with Miami, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The 29-year-old combo forward will receive $4MM.

Johnson spent the past two seasons with the Raptors, where he built a reputation as a defensive specialist. He played in 57 games and started 32, averaging 5.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 16.2 minutes.

Jackson has also played for the Bulls, Kings and Grizzlies in his eight-year NBA career. He made $2.5MM this season with Toronto.

Heat To Sign Wayne Ellington

July 10th, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Arthur Hill

Mar 15, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Wayne Ellington (21) drives the ball during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Gruppuso / USA TODAY Sports Images

Wayne Ellington will sign with Miami, tweets The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 28-year-old shooting guard is expected to receive more than $12MM over two seasons.

The addition of Ellington reduces the chance that Miami matches Brookyn’s $50MM offer to Tyler Johnson, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The Heat now have five guards under contract, as Ellington joins Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson, Briante Weber and Rodney McGruder.

Ellington appeared in 76 games with the Nets after signing with Brooklyn last summer. He started 41 times and averaged 7.7 points in a little more than 21 minutes per game. He has also played for the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, Mavericks and Lakers in his seven-year NBA career.

Heat To Sign Derrick Williams

July 8th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat have agreed to a contract with free agent forward Derrick Williams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). The arrangement is for one year and will pay Williams $5MM, the scribe adds. Ian Begley of ESPN.com first reported Miami’s interest in Williams.

The Knicks had expressed their desire to bring Williams back to New York for next season, but the team lacked the cap flexibility to re-sign him, though, the forward “only” landing a salary of $5MM in the current free agent market is a bit surprising. Williams isn’t necessarily a starting caliber player, but he can certainly be a valuable contributor off the bench. The 25-year-old opted out of his contract with the Knicks in June and was slated to earn $4.598MM for 2016/17, so he secured himself a small raise for his troubles.

Williams appeared in 80 games for the Knicks this past season, including nine tip-offs as a starter. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 17.9 minutes per outing. Williams’ slash line on the year was .450/.293/.758.

Heat, Udonis Haslem Negotiating New Deal

July 8th, 2016 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

One longtime member of the Heat left for Chicago this week, but it sounds like another won’t be going anywhere. According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sentinel, the Heat are in negotiations with free agent big man Udonis Haslem, and are working toward a new agreement with him. Unlike Miami’s earlier discussions with Dwyane Wade, talks with Haslem are amicable, and are expected to result in a deal above the veteran’s minimum, says Winderman.

Haslem, 36, joined the Heat at the same time Wade did back in 2003, and has been with the franchise since then. The Florida native doesn’t play as many minutes or contribute as much as he once did, having averaged a career-low 7.0 minutes per contest in 2015/16. Still, he provides a veteran leadership that Miami values.

Although the Heat did secure an agreement with Hassan Whiteside, the team is seeking additional frontcourt depth, with Luol Deng headed to Los Angeles, Amar’e Stoudemire unsigned, and Chris Bosh‘s health still a question mark. Re-signing Haslem would be a start, but the Heat have also expressed interest in Derrick Williams, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Winderman adds within his report that point guard Beno Udrih – who was bought out by the Heat earlier this year – is working out at AmericanAirlines Arena. It’s not clear if Miami intends to re-sign Udrih, but the veteran free agent is eligible to return to the Heat at any time, as Winderman notes.

Heat Sign Rodney McGruder

July 7th, 2016 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:10pm: The signing is official, the Heat announced via press release.

11:27am: The Heat and shooting guard Rodney McGruder are close to an agreement on a partially guaranteed three-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

McGruder has played on Miami’s summer league team the past two seasons. He’s averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists through three games in the Orlando Summer League this month.

The 24-year-old McGruder appeared in 48 games last season with the Heat’s D-League’s team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He started 44 games and averaged 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 51.3% from the field and 38.4% on 3-point attempts. He gives Miami some depth at shooting guard in the wake of Dwyane Wade‘s impending departure to the Bulls.

McGruder went undrafted in 2013 after starting three seasons at Kansas State.

McGruder was a training camp signee with the Thunder that year but was waived before the season opener. He then played in Hungary before signing with the Celtics in 2014 prior to training camp. He was once again waived before the start of the season and wound up in the D League with the Maine Red Claws and Skyforce.

Heat Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside

July 7th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images

July 7th, 4:55pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced via press release.

8:12am: As expected, Whiteside’s pact is a four-year, maximum salary contract, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets.

JULY 1st, 6:59am: Unrestricted free agent Hassan Whiteside has decided to remain in Miami and will re-sign with the Heat, he announced via a post in The Player’s Tribune. The agreed upon terms were not announced, but Whiteside was reportedly seeking a maximum salary offer.

“I’ve played on eight teams since college — from Reno to Sioux Falls to Sichuan, China,” Whiteside wrote in his announcement. “I am not ready for there to be a ninth. I have decided to re-sign with Miami. I just wanted to take this time to tell all the fans how much you mean to this team, and to me. Can’t wait to get back to work and try to bring another championship to Miami. #HeatNation”

The Heat and Mavericks both had the opportunity to make pitches to Whiteside in the early hours of free agency, and the free agent big man left both meetings without an agreement in place, relaying that he would make his final decision this morning. Heading into those early morning meetings, the Mavs were the reported favorites, but ultimately Pat Riley convinced the big man that Miami was the best spot for him to continue his playing career. Portland was also reported to have scheduled a meeting, but it appears the Blazers never had the opportunity to sit down with Whiteside.

For Dallas, this becomes another big name free agent that has spurned the organization, and the second offseason in a row that Mark Cuban and company failed to land their top target. While there was no bizarre stand-off at Whiteside’s home similar to what occurred last summer with DeAndre Jordan, losing out on the big man has to sting. The team will need to regroup and hope it has better luck with point guard Mike Conley, who is reportedly the team’s other free agent priority.

Whiteside appeared in 73 games this past season for Miami, including 45 as a starter. He averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in 29.1 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .606/.000/.650.

Pat Riley Never Called Wade During Free Agency

July 7th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

During Dwyane Wade‘s free agency saga, Heat president Pat Riley never called Wade directly, per Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter), Riley and Wade had a meeting after last season ended, but it was owner Micky Arison who was in touch with the former Finals MVP during this past week’s negotiations.

Free Agent Notes: Timberwolves, Wizards, Randolph

July 7th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves offered veteran small forward Luol Deng a three-year contract at $12MM per season, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP Radio (Twitter link). Head coach and president of basketball operations Tim Thobideau refused to fully guarantee the third year, Wolfson adds. In the end, the Timberwolves didn’t come close to signing Deng, as the former Heat starter agreed to a four-year, $72MM contract with the Lakers.

In other news regarding free agency:

The Wizards have interest in re-signing shooting guard Alan Anderson and will meet with him this weekend, league sources told J. Michael of CSNmidlatlantic.com (Twitter links). The meeting is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Michael adds. Anderson, who made $4MM last season, appeared in just 13 games with the Wizards after undergoing a second surgery on his left ankle. The previous season, he played in 74 games with the Nets and averaged 7.4 points in 23.6 minutes.
Shooting guard Brandon Paul is drawing major interest around the league after some strong performances for the Hornets’ summer-league team, Sportando tweets. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through four games in the Orlando Summer League. The 6’4” Paul went undrafted in 2013 out of the University of Illinois and has been playing for a Spanish league team, FIATC Joventut.
Forward Anthony Randolph will remain in Europe and sign a one-year deal with Spain’s Real Madrid, a source told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Randolph received interest from the Mavericks this summer, Spears adds. The contract will be the $1.5MM-$2MM range, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’11” Randolph hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he appeared in 43 games with the Nuggets.
Power forward Willie Reed has drawn interest from the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Timberwolves and Pacers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes over 39 games with the Nets last season.
Free agent center Robert Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet.

Tyler Johnson Signs Offer Sheet With Nets

July 7th, 2016 at 1:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Jan 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson (8) passes around Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Wierzbicki / USA TODAY Sports Images

JULY 7TH, 1:20am: Johnson has signed the offer sheet, Wojnarowski tweets. Miami will have three days to match Brooklyn’s offer.

JULY 3RD, 11:18am: The Nets will extend a $50MM offer sheet to Miami restricted free agent guard Tyler Johnson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The four-year offer, which Johnson has agreed to sign, has a player option for the final season, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge.

Miami will have three days to decide whether to match the offer once Johnson signs it, which can happen as soon as the moratorium is lifted on Thursday. The deal is heavily backloaded, tweets Miami-based capologist Albert Nahmad, with Johnson receiving $5.628MM in the first season and $5,881,260 in the second, followed by $18,858,765 in season three and $19,631,975 in season four.

The Heat’s decision on Johnson will be heavily influenced by what happens with Kevin Durant, who is meeting with Miami officials today, and Dwyane Wade, who is reportedly talking to other teams after being unhappy with the Heat’s initial offer. If Miami matches Brooklyn’s offer, its cap hit will be equal to Johnson’s yearly salary, Nahmad tweets. If he goes to Brooklyn, the Nets will have a $12.5MM cap hit each year.