Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Wade, Stoudemire, Whiteside

November 19th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwyane Wade parlayed 21.5 points per game last season into a one-year, $20MM contract this summer, but even as he faces free agency again in the coming offseason, he’s not worried about his individual accomplishments, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Wade is averaging just 10.8 points per contest in his last four games.

“This year, this team is about trying to win. This is not a year where I’m worrying about scoring,” Wade said.

The Heat aren’t doing too much winning so far this year, at 6-4, but they have an opportunity to improve their record at home tonight against the Kings. See more from Miami:

Amar’e Stoudemire has only played in one game for the Heat this season, thanks in part to sore knees, but he’s not complaining and not looking for a trade, agent Travis King tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Stoudemire signed a one-year deal for the minimum salary with Miami in the offseason. “He’s fine with it; he’s a team player and is glad to be with the organization,” King said of his client’s lack of playing time. “… He talked to [Erik Spoelstra about the situation]. He has made his money. He doesn’t have to play for another contract. He just wants to win.”
Hassan Whiteside has maintained his strong play from the second half of last season into this season, as Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald examines, and he’s meshed well on both ends of the floor, as Matt Lurie of RealGM details. All of it is liable to add up to a maximum-salary deal this summer for last year’s minimum-salary signee, Skolnick writes.
Wade and Chris Bosh see plenty of depth on the Heat this year thanks to the infusion of youth that Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson represent, observes Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.

And-Ones: Rockets, Chalmers, Kilpatrick

November 17th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Rockets, who are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, held a players-only meeting to clear the air and work on their communication, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays. “What happens in the room, stays in the room,” center Dwight Howard said. “It was good for us to sit down and talk, but it’s a long season and you can’t get caught up in losing a couple of games and getting upset and so frustrated and feel like it’s the end of the world. It is embarrassing. We hate to lose but at the same time we have a long season and we can’t think negative when we lose. We have to try and find the positive in any situation. You keep thinking negative, then negative things will continue to happen to you. You got to stay positive and fight through it. All this stuff will build our character.”

Star shooting guard James Harden also agreed that the meeting was a productive one for the team, Watkins adds. “It was a good talk for us,” Harden said. “We hadn’t had an opportunity to communicate like that since the season had been going. It was good for us to communicate and each guy basically said what their role was and every single night they’re going to contribute to that role. After the talk we had a really good practice, guys communicated, we worked hard and now it’s about carrying it over. It’s about doing it on the floor.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Mario Chalmers has been lighting up stat sheets since the Grizzlies acquired him from the Heat, and the point guard credits his new teammates having confidence in him for his recent output, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I just try to bring as much energy to the game as possible,” Chalmers said. “It means a lot when your coach and your teammates have confidence and they want you to shoot.” The veteran guard also sees a number of similarities between how Memphis plays defense and shares the ball on offense with the championship squads he played for in Miami, Winderman adds.
The Delaware 87ers, the Sixers‘ D-League affiliate, have re-acquired Sean Kilpatrick as a returning player, the team announced. Kilpatrick, who was in training camp with the Pelicans, was a member of the 87ers at the end of the 2014/15 season.

Southwest Notes: McHale, Lawson, Chalmers

November 17th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin McHale is displeased with his team’s effort and defense amid a 4-7 start, and he admits he’s thinking of moving marquee trade acquisition Ty Lawson to the bench, observes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, though Patrick Beverley hurt his ankle over the weekend. Sources close to the team tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that they wonder whether the players aren’t listening to McHale or if the roster is simply composed of ill-fitting parts. GM Daryl Morey refused comment when ESPN’s Marc Stein asked about the team’s struggles, Watkins relays. See more from around the Southwest Division, where Houston isn’t the only team with a problem:

A desire to prove his worth to the Heat, who traded him away last week, appears to be fueling the strong play of Mario Chalmers, opines Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald. The Thunder’s issues with their perimeter defense played a role, but Chalmers, with 29 points in 23 minutes, looked like the best Grizzlies point guard in Monday’s win over Oklahoma City, The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater observes. “He doesn’t even know the plays yet,” Marc Gasol said. “Imagine when he knows the plays.”
Dwight Powell, set for restricted free agency at season’s end, has looked strong so far this year, but he still has to prove his value to the Mavs, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News contends in a chat with readers. I touched on Powell and more when I looked back on the Mavs’ offseason earlier today.
Paul Flannery and Tom Ziller of SB Nation debate the surprising troubles for the Rockets, Pelicans and Grizzlies, with Flannery opining that the Lawson acquisition has been a “debacle” so far for Houston but that New Orleans is in the most perilous position of the three teams.

Heat Notes: Green, Whiteside, Wade

November 16th, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

Gerald Green returned to practice with the Heat on Saturday and was remorseful for having missed time. However, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, Green declined to get into the specifics of what caused his absence.

“This whole situation, to me, was an incident that I’m ashamed of,” said Green, who missed six games and has been suspended for the last two for conduct detrimental to the team. “I’m just trying to get over this situation. I can’t apologize enough to the residents that live in my building, my fans who support me and definitely my family and definitely this organization that’s had my back. It’s a situation I’m not proud of, but I’m ready to move forward.”

Here’s what we do know: On November 3rd, Green called in sick for a game against the Hawks. The next morning, according to Miami police, Green went to the lobby of his apartment building with bloodied hands and asked a front desk worker for help. He then fell down, punched a man upon getting up, and was so combative with rescue personnel that police had to handcuff him for the ambulance ride to the hospital. Still, no charges related to the incident have been filed and the Heat have welcomed Green back into the fold, so the bizarre event seems to be in the rear view mirror for all involved.

Here’s more out of Miami:

Hassan Whiteside‘s bargaining position is soaring and there will be some interesting contractual decisions for the Heat after the season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. If Whiteside were to accept a deal around $15MM/year from Miami (which is far from a certainty) and if Dwyane Wade accepted just $10MM for 2016/17, Miami would be left with ~$15MM for five spots, which would not be enough to go after the likes of Kevin Durant or DeMar DeRozan.
The Heat are well positioned for Wade to move into a “Manu Ginobili role” whenever that time comes, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel isn’t ready to write him off yet, either. When Wade is in more of a reserve role, or no longer with the team even, Winderman is enthusiastic about a young, athletic team that features a smart veteran leader in Chris Bosh coupled with an inside presence like Hassan Whiteside.
More from Winderman, who believes that owner Micky Arison will find a way for the Heat to avoid becoming the first team to pay the “repeater” luxury tax. One possible remedy for Miami could be to move Luol Deng for a player who earns significantly less, but it’s too early in the season to consider that and the tax is not computed until the season’s end.

Categories:
Miami Heat

Eastern Notes: Rose, Pistons, Heat

November 15th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose may be dealing with blurred vision for a few more months, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com relays. Rose has struggled shooting so far, averaging only 12.6 points per game, as Friedell points out. Rose suffered a left orbital fracture during the Bulls’ first training camp practice on September 29th.

“[The doctors] said it could be as long as three months,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “But [the vision] has continued to improve, and that’s obviously a positive.”

The news, however, came as a surprise to Rose.

“This is my first time hearing about it,” Rose told reporters, including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). “But you kind of have that hope in your mind that it gets well a lot quicker. But for this to be seven or eight [weeks] out and still the same way, I can’t do nothing but live with it. Get the most out of every day, keep putting my deposits in and keep working on my game until my eye gets better.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

While former Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith is still upset with comments team president Phil Jackson made during the summer about Smith’s personal life, Marc Berman of the New York Post opines that Smith should be grateful that he was traded to the Cavs. After not fitting into the Knicks’ plans, and despite his current shooting woes, Berman writes that the Cavs still see Smith as a capable scoring threat in a reserve role.
Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, who is recovering from a torn left Achilles suffered in January, participated in four-on-four and three-on-three games with teammates and is still on track to return around Christmas, David Mayo of MLive.com reports. “As I told him today, what’s not back right now is his quickness,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “It’s going to take some time. Being out and being able to do stuff is one thing, and being able to do it at a speed that you can really do is another.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Beno Udrih should have no problem fitting in with Miami, Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel writes. “He’s got veteran savviness about him,” Spoelstra said. “You saw it the other night. He hasn’t been in a practice. He hasn’t been in a shootaround but he’s played for enough different systems that he can just play basketball. You don’t notice things that you might have because he’s a veteran player. You can throw him in any situation. Guys like that are very valuable with veteran teams.” The Heat acquired Udrih from the Grizzlies in exchange for Mario Chalmers. Spoelstra did not identify a clear-cut role for Udrih, Richardson adds.

Heat Rumors: Andersen, Johnson, Deng

November 15th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

While Miami may have dreams of landing Kevin Durant or another marquee free agent, the team will likely have to use all of its resources just to keep the current roster intact, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel argues. Winderman believes Hassan Whiteside, who has been playing at an All-Star level so far this season, could command an annual salary of over $20MM. The team will also have to worry about a new contract for Dwyane Wade and possibly a new contract for Luol Deng, who will be a free agent at season’s end.

Here’s more from South Beach:

The Heat would still like to move Chris Andersen to reduce their tax bill, but the team isn’t optimistic about finding a trade partner, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald passes along.
The emergence of Tyler Johnson played a key role in Miami trading Mario Chalmers and the team has faith that the 23-year-old can handle an added role, Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald writes. “He has emerged,” Dwyane Wade said. “We’ve all seen it. When we got into this season, we all looked at each other and said, this guy’s made a big jump. He’s going to be important to us.”
While there may be value in moving Deng before the trade deadline, keeping the veteran is the right move due to key role he plays on the team, Winderman opines in a separate piece.

Western Notes: Stephenson, Chalmers, Kanter

November 14th, 2015 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers coach Doc Rivers cautions not to read too much into Lance Stephenson‘s brief cameo during today’s win over the Pistons, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Even with Chris Paul and J.J. Redick sitting out with injuries, Stephenson saw the court for just 1 minute and 42 seconds. Rivers said it was a “spacing” issue and he wasn’t convinced that Stephenson was “ready” during his brief appearance. Stephenson was dealt to L.A. in June after a disappointing season in Charlotte. He had started the Clippers’ first nine games, averaging 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Rivers said Stephenson handled today’s demotion well. “Lance has been great,” Rivers said. “He’s been in great spirit. He really has. Obviously, he wants to play. We want to play him. And tonight we chose not to. I thought he was the pro’s pro.”

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

Mario Chalmers came to the Grizzlies in a bad mood, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. After seven seasons in Miami, the Heat traded Chalmers to Memphis this week in a deal aimed at reducing their luxury tax payment. Chalmers is upset about being involved in trade rumors all summer, then having his playing time cut to 20 minutes per game this season. “I’m definitely playing with a chip on my shoulder, especially with the way everything went down in Miami,” he said. “I’m just licking my chops at this new opportunity and I’m ready to help the Grizzlies start winning.”
After matching Enes Kanter‘s hefty offer from the Blazers, the Thunder are happy with the early returns, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Even though Kanter is being used as a backup, he’s justifying his four-year, $70MM deal with some impressive rebounding numbers. Kanter ranks sixth in the league in offensive rebounds and is third in rebounds per 48 minutes. He also provides scoring punch. With 27.5 points per 48 minutes, he trails just Jahlil Okafor and Brook Lopez among centers.
The Spurs recalled forward Jonathon Simmons from their D-League team in Austin today. He made his first appearance of the season in tonight’s game against the Sixers.

Cavaliers Rumors: Luxury Tax, Varejao, Blatt

November 14th, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat’s recent cost-cutting moves, such as trading Mario Chalmers this week, are a stark contrast to the Cavaliers’ free-spending philosophy, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. While Miami trims salary to avoid a hefty luxury tax bill, Cleveland is facing the second-highest payroll/tax figure in league history. However, Lloyd points out that the Cavs are still years away from having to worry about the repeater tax. No team has ever been in a position to pay it, but the Heat could be if they don’t cut salary by about $5MM more before the season ends.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

Anderson Varejao has become a very expensive insurance policy for the team, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal. The veteran has seen his playing time cut because of Cleveland’s influx of talent, but his contract remains hefty. Varejao is making more than $9.6MM this year, and the figure is set to rise above $10.3MM next season, with more than $9.3MM of that guaranteed. The final year of his deal is non-guaranteed at $10MM, but he will get a $4.5MM guarantee if he remains on the roster on August 1st, 2017. “Do I want to play? Yes. But I can’t take it personal,” said Varejao, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury. “It’s just the beginning of the season. It’s a long season. I’m still getting better. I know I’m not 100% yet.”
Varejao’s chance should come later in the season, contends Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. With Timofey Mozgov, Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love taking most of the minutes at center and power forward, there hasn’t been much need yet for Varejao, but Pluto expects injuries and slumps to change that equation before the season ends.
David Blatt is happy that questions about being a rookie head coach are finally over, writes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. After more than two decades of coaching overseas, Blatt didn’t like being treated like a newcomer to the profession.

Southeast Notes: Riley, Anderson, Patterson

November 13th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Heat team president Pat Riley tried to convince LaMarcus Aldridge to take Miami’s mid-level exception on a one-year deal this summer with the idea of re-signing him for the maximum salary using cap space in 2016, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). That conflicts with an earlier report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who heard that Riley was selling Aldridge on the idea of signing a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers so that he could be available in 2016. The mid-level plan would have been a tough sell, especially since the Heat are limited to just the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level instead of the full $5.464MM. Aldridge ultimately wound up signing with the Spurs on a max deal that pays him $19.689MM this season. Next year’s maximum salary for Aldridge would be a projected $29.3MM, thanks to the rising salary cap and the fact that Aldridge would be a 10-year veteran and eligible for the highest maximum-salary bracket. Still, he ultimately decided against trying to recoup the losses of a financial sacrifice this season with a more lucrative max deal in 2016. See more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards have struggled on defense, ranking just 24th in defensive efficiency according to NBA.com, but coach Randy Wittman thinks the team’s newcomers are better defenders than those they replaced, notes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Alan Anderson, one of the team’s offseason signees and a key part of the team’s defensive upgrade, is out until December, though John Wall credits him for his voice in the locker room that’s helped keep the team from panicking amid its disappointing 3-4 start, as Michael details.
The physicality of the NBA caught Hawks rookie Lamar Patterson by surprise, but he’s already had his moments, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders examines. Patterson has been in and out of the rotation already this season for Atlanta, though he hasn’t played in the past three games. The Hawks inked the 2014 No. 48 overall pick this past summer as a draft-and-stash signee.
Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer won’t be coaching tonight in the team’s game against the Celtics in Boston, since he’s returned to Atlanta to attend to a family matter, the team announced via press release. It’s unclear how long he’ll be away. Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson will be in charge for tonight’s game, the team says.

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Whiteside, Durant

November 12th, 2015 at 5:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis arrived in the NBA with questions regarding whether or not his thin frame could endure the nightly beatings administered by the league’s other big men, but the Latvian has shown that he can hold his own thus far, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “As you can see, I’m still skinny, I’m still light. But I fight hard and I can’t back down to anybody,” said Porzingis. “So that’s been my game; a lot of people didn’t know my game. So that’s why they thought, ‘Skinny white guy, he’s not going to be physical.’ But I still fight for those rebounds and try to do my job on the court.”

While the 20-year-old has gotten off to a solid start, averaging 11.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest, the coaching staff cautions against placing too high an expectation on what Porzingis will be able to accomplish this season, Begley relays. “I don’t think we could anticipate that he’d be as good as he’s been. There probably will be a stretch for two weeks where he looks bad and everybody is questioning whether we should have drafted him and all the stuff that comes with that,” coach Derek Fisher said. “He’s a rookie and there’s a lot to learn. His ceiling is a long way from wherever he is now.”

Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:

The Celtics have once again assigned swingman James Young and power forward Jordan Mickey to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will mark Young’s fourth jaunt to Maine of the young season, and Mickey’s third, as our tracker shows.
One executive who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI.com said he wouldn’t sign 2016 free agent Hassan Whiteside for more than $10MM a year, which Mannix connects to the Heat big man’s track record of maturity issues.
Kevin Durant‘s relationship with the Wizards and their fanbase will never quite be the same after making what could be his last appearance at the Verizon Center as a visiting player on Tuesday night, writes Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post. If Durant signs with Washington next offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, he will arrive with a massive set of expectations attached. But if he instead elects not to play for his hometown squad, there will be a palpable sense of disappointment present every time he plays in D.C., Steinberg opines.
Bucks point guard Tyler Ennis credits his time spent with the Suns during the early half of the 2014/15 season for helping his development as a player along, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel writes. “In the long run, it helped me a lot,” Ennis said of his time in Phoenix. “Competing against those guys [Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas] in practice is not something every rookie gets to do. I learned a lot from them.” The second year player has been forced into a starting role for Milwaukee thanks to an injury to Michael Carter-Williams.