Heat Rumors

Western Notes: Dragic, Rondo, Suns, Fredette

November 12th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Goran Dragic remarked around the time of his trade to Miami that he saw the Lakers as a “perfect fit,” but while the Lakers were initially likely to pursue him in free agency, they abandoned the idea when they became enamored with D’Angelo Russell and were optimistic about signing a big man, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Dragic, despite his comment about the Lakers, seemed likely to re-sign with Miami in the months prior to his free agency, and he re-upped with the Heat in July. See more from around the Western Conference:

An executive who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI.com raised a hypothetical scenario in which the Timberwolves trade Ricky Rubio in the offseason and sign Rajon Rondo, who’s on a one-year contract with the Kings. Kevin Garnett has a strong relationship with Rondo, his former Celtics teammate, and Garnett has a ton of pull with Minnesota, Mannix points out.
Trade acquisition Jon Leuer was supposed to be behind offseason signee Mirza Teletovic on the Suns depth chart, but instead Leuer is averaging more than twice as many minutes thanks in part to his strong shooting so far, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic in a piece that examines the Phoenix bench. Leuer and Teletovic are both poised to hit free agency next summer.
Jimmer Fredette‘s non-guaranteed deal with the Pelicans is for one year at the prorated minimum salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Durant, Green, Aldridge

November 12th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Chuck Myron

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News mentions the Lakers, Bulls and Knicks as major-market suitors for Kevin Durant, and the Warriors as a team that could catch his eye, but people around the league have long felt as though Durant will either sign with the Thunder or the Wizards, Deveney writes. It’s a sentiment one Eastern Conference GM who spoke with Deveney confirms. Still, Washington doesn’t plan an extravagant pitch, a source tells Deveney, in keeping with the former MVP’s low-key personality. That said, neither the Warriors nor the Heat should be ruled out as potential Durant destinations, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. See more from around the NBA:

Gerald Green punched a man who was trying to restrain him from going from the lobby of his condo building to his unit, according to a police report that Manny Navarro and Charles Rabin of the Miami Herald obtained. The man, who elected not to press charges, was attempting to keep Green in the lobby so that he would be there when rescue officials arrived, the report states, according to Navarro and Rabin. Green had earlier approached the front desk of the lobby with bloody hands and asked for a call to paramedics, then proceeded to the valet area in front of the building and collapsed, the report continues, as Navarro and Rabin detail. Green, who was handcuffed but not arrested, was hospitalized and later released and is serving a two-game suspension from the Heat. Team president Pat Riley said the team still believes it can count on Green, who issued an apology as part of a team statement, Navarro and Rabin add.
The Mavericks weren’t the favorites for LaMarcus Aldridge, but they still had a chance to sign him when they abandoned their pursuit to instead nail down the more certain acquisition of Wesley Matthews, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports details in an inside look at Aldridge’s free agency. Aldridge liked Kobe Bryant‘s basketball chat but little else about the Lakers presentation, while Aldridge was reluctant to share the marquee with James Harden despite an intriguing Rockets pitch and found Raptors GM Masai Ujiri appealing but not convincing enough to sway him to Toronto, according to Wojnarowski.
The Spurs wooed Aldridge with a casual, face-to-face approach from Gregg Popovich and other San Antonio principals, Wojnarowski explains in the same piece. Popovich’s decision to fly in for a second visit, prompted by Aldridge’s second Lakers meeting, helped sealed the deal for the Spurs, thanks in part to a last-minute appeal from Riley that the Heat president intended to use to sell Aldridge on a secondary role in Miami, Wojnarowski writes. Instead, Aldridge took Riley’s message to heart as he embraced the idea of sacrificing some of his impressive offensive numbers in San Antonio’s egalitarian offense, as the Yahoo scribe details.

2015/16 Salary Cap: Miami Heat

November 11th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from this past season, and the luxury tax line will be $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM.

With the October 26th cutoff date to set regular season rosters now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of running down the current salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Miami Heat, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $90,269,303
Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $0
Non-Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $0
Total Salary Cap Commitments= $90,269,303
Remaining Cap Room= -$20,269,303
Amount Above Luxury Tax Line= $6,490,084

Cap Exceptions Available:

Taxpayer’s Mid-Level Exception= $2,850,907

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $721,300

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

Last Updated: 11/10/15 @ 1:55pm

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Fallout From/Reaction To Mario Chalmers Trade

November 11th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies almost traded Jarnell Stokes to the Knicks to open a roster spot before the start of the regular season, according to The Commercial Appeal. Instead, Memphis included him in Tuesday’s trade with Miami, the earliest November swap since 2008, which sent Stokes and Beno Udrih to the Heat for Mario Chalmers and James Ennis. People within the Grizzlies organization believe that the shooting and playmaking ability Chalmers has gives the team an opportunity to see how he functions sharing the court with Mike Conley in two point guard sets that would have Conley playing off the ball, the Commercial Appeal report says.

“We just felt that this was a chance to get a guy in Mario Chalmers who is an upgrade as a 3-point shooter, particularly in the playoffs. And you get a little younger,” Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said. “He’s been in the top 10 in steals percentage. He’s not afraid to step up and take the big shot. It’s an opportunity we had to take. It’s also an opportunity to take a look at a young, athletic guy in James Ennis.”

See more on the trade:

Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal doesn’t see Chalmers as a shooting upgrade over Udrih, but Chalmers is a better defender a theoretically a better fit with the Grizzlies bench, Herrington opines.
The Heat were reportedly seeking the involvement of a third team before the trade became official, and the Sixers were in play to fill that role, but the sides couldn’t work out a way to make it work, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets. A Heat spokesperson denied that a search for a third team held up the trade call with the league, and team president Pat Riley said he wasn’t looking to channel Udrih and Stokes to another team, as Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald notes (Twitter link). Coach Erik Spoelstra answered affirmatively when asked if Udrih and Stokes will be staying with the team, Navarro tweets. “We’re not actively pursuing anything else other than what we have today,” Riley said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
The move wasn’t primarily about finances, Riley insisted, adding that he doesn’t think the Heat would ever trade a player they thought could help them win a title merely to save money, as Navarro chronicles.

And-Ones: Tavares, King, Chalmers

November 10th, 2015 at 10:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets, who are off to an 0-7 start to the 2015/16 campaign, are interested in reworking the roster through the trade market, though GM Billy King doesn’t anticipate anything drastic occurring, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post relays. With Brooklyn set to have in the neighborhood of $40MM in available cap space next summer, the team doesn’t want to make a short-sighted move, Bontemps adds. “We can trade now and eat all that space up, get to 30-something wins and make the playoffs in the eighth spot,” King said. “[But] then, where’s the future now? So it’s about adding the right pieces and being patient. We didn’t get here overnight, and we are not going to get out of it overnight. That’s reality. There is not something where it’s, ‘OK, this is the magic wand and we are going to do this and it’s going to change overnight. We knew that going in, we knew that when we made those decisions and it didn’t work, and so now we’ve got to gradually, systematically dig yourself out of it.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The Hawks have assigned center Edy Tavares to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Since Atlanta is without its own affiliate, Tavares will be subject to the league’s flexible assignment process to determine the team he’ll report to, Vivlamore adds. This is the first D-League assignment of the year for Atlanta.
The Euroleague’s new alignment and format opens the door to the possibility of a future partnership with the NBA, and a possible “Euro Conference,” international journalist David Pick tweets. Euroleague Basketball A-Licence Clubs and IMG have agreed to a 10 year partnership wherein the two parties will oversee the commercial operation and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing, according to the official release.
The Heat created a trade exception worth approximately $2.1MM as a result of dealing Mario Chalmers to the Grizzlies earlier today, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald notes (via Twitter). The precise figure is $2,129,535, the difference between the salaries of Chalmers and Beno Udrih.

Eastern Notes: Drummond, Prokhorov, Green

November 10th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov making a series of moves recently that expanded the Russian’s holdings in New York’s sports and entertainment market, some concern exists that these real estate moves may diminish his interest, as well as financial commitment, to the team, according to NetsDaily. Dmitry Razumov, Prokhorov’s CEO and chairman of the Nets, disputed any notion that team ownership is losing interest in the franchise or the NBA, NetsDaily adds. “Without doubt ownership is focused on team performance,” said Razumov. “Our new projects will contribute to the team’s ultimate success by providing a best-in-class practice facility and a D-League team as a resource for players and coaching staff.”

The team has made a series of roster moves that have reduced the team’s payroll since Paul Pierce departed as a free agent prior to the 2014/15 season, but Razumov suggests these decisions were not just about the money, and added that fans should give the rebuilding process a chance to bear fruit, the NetsDaily scribe relays. “We also understand that a team of largely new, younger players needs time to come together and we have to give the coach and the players a chance to do their work without breathing down their necks,” Razumov continued. “The many devoted fans who have been with us through thick and thin will recall we have been through this before, and have managed to get to the playoffs three times in the last three seasons. We have every hope that the same thing is possible this season.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat have suspended swingman Gerald Green for two games, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links), and the team confirmed. The suspension is for what the team is referring to as “detrimental conduct,” Wojnarowski adds. Green has been away from the team following an incident last week that apparently left him bleeding and unconscious.
Pistons center Andre Drummond is off to a spectacular start to the 2015/16 campaign, and much of his success is due to the departure of Greg Monroe, who signed with the Bucks this offseason, Adam Woodard of For the Win writes. Drummond, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer, could see offer sheets for deals worth approximately $100MM come his way, Woodard opines.
Drew Gooden has played for 10 different teams during his 13-year NBA career, and he now finds himself an important rotation piece on the Wizards, a longevity that the player attributes to his versatility, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays. “I’m like a tunnel rat,” Gooden told Mannix. “Every situation I’m in I have to reinvent myself, have to do what I can do to fit in. I came [to Washington] on a 10-day contract and I made the best of it. But the league has changed, in a good way for me. When I came in the league, the biggest knock was that I was a tweener, that I couldn’t play the three or the four. Now there is value in that. It’s made its way full circle.”

Grizzlies Acquire Mario Chalmers

November 10th, 2015 at 5:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

5:10pm: The trade is official, the Heat and Grizzlies have announced, though no mention was made of a second-rounder changing hands in the deal. “This is a tough day for myself and the organization in trading Mario Chalmers and James Ennis,” said Heat president Pat Riley. “Mario was a part of two championships with us and Ennis is a solid young player, but it is part of the business and it was a move necessary to make because of our crowded backcourt. We feel that it is in the best interest of Mario and we want him to be successful and be a part of a good team. We wish them nothing but the best. We would also like to welcome Beno Udrih, an accomplished veteran and someone that has playoff and championship experience, and the addition of Jarnell Stokes, a young player that we would like to develop.”

4:04pm: The Heat don’t see either Udrih or Stokes as long-term pieces, but they’d still execute the two-team trade with the Grizzlies if they can’t find a third team, Stein writes. The ESPN scribe also invokes Andersen’s name, suggesting that he remains available.

2:57pm: The Heat are looking for a third team willing to take Udrih, Stokes or both, and that’s keeping the deal with the Grizzlies from becoming official, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Miami has the option of simply pulling off the two-teamer with Memphis, but the Heat would prefer to include a third team, Stein adds.

12:27pm: The Grizzlies and Heat are have agreed to a deal that will send Mario Chalmers and James Ennis to Memphis for Beno Udrih, Jarnell Stokes and a second-round pick, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). Wojnarowski’s full story indicates Miami is receiving a second-round pick from Memphis, too, but it makes no mention of, who was in Wojnarowski’s Twitter report, which didn’t include the second-rounder. In any case, the teams are preparing for a trade call with the league office today, Wojnarowski notes. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported a week ago that the sides had talked about a potential trade involving Chalmers, and a few days later Stein wrote about growing concern within the Grizzlies organization amid a slow start. Memphis, at 3-4, next plays Wednesday at home against the Warriors.

The move is a cost-cutter for the Heat, who give up the $4.3MM salary of Chalmers in exchange for Udrih and his pay of $2.17MM, which is only a little more than half of what Chalmers makes. Stokes and Ennis are have identical one-year veteran’s minimum salaries, though Stokes has a full guarantee while Ennis has a partial guarantee of only about $254K, since he and the Heat reworked the terms of his contract before the start of the regular season. Memphis will likely use part of its $967,500 trade exception left over from the offseason Jon Leuer deal to absorb the $845,059 that Stokes makes and offset the unbalanced exchange of salaries, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

Miami is set to remove about $6MM from its potential luxury tax bill with the trade, according to Wojnarowski, though the tax isn’t calculated until the final day of the regular season. The Heat would still be in line to pay repeat-offender tax penalties in the wake of today’s deal, and many of the same offseason rumors that raised the idea of a Chalmers trade also made mention of Chris Andersen, who could be the next to go, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates (Twitter link).

Memphis hasn’t been pleased with the play of its bench and hopes that Chalmers will be an upgrade behind starting point guard Mike Conley, league sources told Wojnarowski. Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal had heard from some people, ostensibly around the Grizzlies, who quietly expressed disappointment with what they perceived to be Udrih’s lack of conditioning, athleticism and defense, and the team wasn’t ready to turn the backup job over to third-stringer Russ Smith, Tillery also wrote.

A desire to avoid the tax plus confidence in Tyler Johnson and Gerald Green helped prompt the Heat to make the move, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), though Green remains away from the team following his hospitalization last week. Green is out of the hospital and is reportedly expected to return to the team soon, however. In any case, the acquisition of Udrih gives the team an experienced backup at the point as it attempts to regain its status among the Eastern Conference elite, even with the concerns about Udrih from Memphis. Of course, no guarantee exists that the team won’t flip Udrih to further its efforts to dodge the tax, tweets Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald.

Chalmers first became a trade candidate in June, when Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported that the Heat were shopping him and Andersen to try to clear room for a new deal with Dwyane Wade. Team president Pat Riley denied that, ESPN’s Zach Lowe heard in July that Chalmers and Andersen could be had “for nothing” in return, which speaks to the idea that the Heat wanted their salaries off the books. Miami had apparently backed away, at least temporarily, from the idea of a Chalmers trade by late August, but at that point they wouldn’t rule out a deal as soon as October, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported.

The Grizzlies have to renounce cap holds for unsigned free agents from years past who didn’t return to the NBA, notes former Nets executive Bobby Marks (All Twitter links). The cap holds they’re renouncing are the ones for Gilbert Arenas, Leon Powe, Stephen Hunter and Marcus D. Williams, according to Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). That’s because those cap holds technically put the Grizzlies over the tax line, which would mean they could only take in 125% plus $100K of what they sent out — not enough to accommodate this deal, as Marks explains. Renouncing the cap holds would up that limit to 150% plus $100K, which allows the trade to take place, Marks notes.

Which team do you think is getting the better end of this deal? Leave a comment to let us know.

Southeast Rumors: Winslow, Green, Magic

November 9th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Justise Winslow has already shown signs of being a lockdown defender through the first seven games of his career, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports. Navarro cites advanced metrics to illustrate Winslow’s prowess, pointing out that among players to defend at least 50 field goal attempts, the Heat small forward ranks tied for third in the league in defensive field goal percentage (32.8%). He’s also holding opponents to 21.1% shooting from 15 feet or deeper. “You always want to kind of be easy on the rookies, but he is raising the bar every game with his maturity and ability and knack to play defense,” Heat power forward Chris Bosh told Navarro. “I’ve never seen anything like it as long as I’ve been in this league from a rookie. He’s not making many mistakes. He’s playing solid defense. He’s already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is helping us out a lot.”

In other news around the Southeast Division:

Gerald Green is expected to return to the Heat soon, a source told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, even as the team remains tight-lipped about his status, other than to say that he’s safe and healthy. Green is reportedly out of the hospital following an incident last week that apparently left him bleeding and unconscious.
The pattern of NBA coaching tenures for Scott Skiles suggests he’ll help the Magic improve for a short while before wearing out his welcome and giving way to another coach who can take the next step, but none of his successors guided his old teams to championships, notes Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Skiles has also had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes to better prepare for his latest gig, Aschburner writes.
Evan Fournier, a restricted free agent after the season, could determine the direction of the Magic franchise, Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com opines in a detailed examination of the team’s roster. Fournier, who failed to reach an rookie scale extension agreement with the club before the Nov. 2 deadline, is attacking the rim with greater force, finishing through contact and drawing more fouls this season, Smith continues. He’s also been very active as a perimeter defender and that’s why the swingman’s decision next summer could impact his team more than any other free agent besides Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Mike Conley, Smith adds.

Offseason In Review: Miami Heat

November 8th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Will Joseph

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Goran Dragic: Five years, $85MM. Signed via Bird rights. Fifth year is a player option.
Gerald Green: One year, $1.356MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
Amar’e Stoudemire: One year, $1.499MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
Dwyane Wade: One year, $20MM. Signed via Bird rights.

Extensions

None

Trades

Acquired Boston’s 2019 second round pick (top-55 protected) from the Celtics in exchange for Zoran Dragic, Miami’s 2020 second round pick and $1.6MM in cash.
Acquired Orlando’s 2016 second round pick (top-55 protected) from the Magic in exchange for Shabazz Napier and $1.1MM in cash.

Waiver Claims

None

Draft Picks

Justise Winslow (Round 1, 10th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
Josh Richardson (Round 2, 40th overall). Signed via taxpayer mid-level exception for three years, $2.4MM. First year is fully guaranteed; second and third years are non-guaranteed.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

None

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Heat are a popular sleeper pick for a deep postseason run this year in the Eastern Conference despite losing 45 games last season. That’s because they still have one of the top coaches in the league in Erik Spoelstra and they have an improved roster. The Heat chose to remain in win-now mode instead of going through a rebuilding phase. Therefore, with two aging stars in Dwyane Wade (33) and Chris Bosh (30), there is a lot riding on this season.

There is also reason for all the optimism (albeit, even if it is under-the-radar) surrounding the team this season. The team had a sensible offseason. Miami snagged former Duke star Justise Winslow with the 10th overall pick of the draft in June, and the small forward is immensely talented. The best part for the Heat is that they don’t need Winslow to carry them this season at all. Winslow is only 19 and can use this season to grow and learn behind Wade and a batch of other veterans.

The Heat are relying on a strong starting five that features three former All-Stars in Bosh, Wade and Deng. It’s the two other players, however, that are arguably more important: Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. Re-signing Dragic was the Heat’s most significant move of the offseason. Dragic, who came at midseason in a trade with the Suns, is a solid point guard with above-average court vision and the deal will look like less of an investment from Miami’s standpoint once the salary cap skyrockets, as expected, in the next few years. In other words, it was a win-win for Miami.

The deal with Wade was similar in that sense. By re-signing its longtime star to a one-year, $20MM arrangement, the Heat didn’t do much to compromise their ability to build in the future. Of course, the Heat would have preferred Wade to opt in on his old contract for 2015/16, which would given Wade a salary of $16.125MM. Wade has been limited by injuries the past few seasons, and he appeared in 62 games for Miami last season, averaging 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. The X-factor for the Heat this season is whether Wade can stay healthy. Spoelstra will offer Wade rest whenever possible to preserve his body.

With the exception of drafting Winslow and re-signing Dragic, the Heat’s offseason was rather quiet. Miami reportedly met with LaMarcus Aldridge, but the Heat were never viewed as major players in obtaining the All-Star’s services. Miami did not want added luxury tax issues, for that matter. On the flip side, the Heat didn’t have to replace much, either. Michael Beasley, Zoran Dragic, Shabazz Napier and Henry Walker are gone from last year’s team, but none of those players were part of the big picture for Miami. Goran Dragic said he understood the team’s decision of not keeping his brother. The Heat cut ties with Zoran Dragic and Napier in salary-clearing trades.

Miami made some changes to its bench that should help. For one, Josh McRoberts, who was expected to start last year but missed time most of the season with injuries, is part of the veteran reserve group. McRoberts can stretch the floor and knock down jumpers. The Heat’s two other additions were done cheaply with the bench in mind. Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire were added on one-year deals that feature very low-risk and moderate upside. From Miami’s perspective, that the way they had to be. When the Heat signed Stoudemire, they were limited to only their $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception, and they didn’t even use that with tax penalties looming. Spoelstra was high on both acquisitions when the team made them.

“If you had told me a year ago we would have an opportunity to sign both those players, I would have said that’s not realistic,” Spoelstra said, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “We recruited Amar’e in 2010 and were fans of his game back then. His game has evolved and he has found a niche and a role the last couple of years we definitely can take advantage of. Gerald Green is an explosive player. Those type of game changing players are tough to find in this league.”

The Heat took a flyer on Green hoping they get the 2013/14 version (15.8 points per game with the Suns) instead of last year’s version (11.9 points per game with a poor shooting percentage). So far, Green hasn’t been able to provide much. He was released from the hospital Saturday after a four-day stay for an undisclosed reason. The Heat have not elaborated on Green’s condition.

The presence of Dragic was a major draw for Stoudemire to join Miami as a free agent, according to a recent report. Stoudemire is another injury-prone player on a team that seems to have many, however. The power forward did play well last year, though, in limited time. He had played in only one game so far this season.

Health isn’t the only issue for the Heat this season, though. Mario Chalmers, now the backup point guard to Dragic at the point, has been known for his inconsistency. Chalmers was involved in trade rumors for a good portion of the summer and those whispers have continued into the season. Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com first reported in June that the Heat were shopping Chalmers, as well as Chris Andersen, in an effort to clear the way for a new deal with Wade, though team president Pat Riley denied it. The Heat and Grizzlies have reportedly talked about a potential trade that wound send Chalmers to Memphis. The Heat are in line to pay repeat-offender tax penalties if they finish the season above the $84.74MM tax line, and they’re at about $91.9MM now. Chalmers makes $4.3MM on an expiring contract.

An interesting argument exists that whether or not the Heat had a positive offseason depends largely on their ability to ship out Chalmers and make the other moves necessary to avoid the tax. Regardless, the Heat have positioned themselves to win now with a roster dotted with veteran All-Star-caliber talent. The presence of Winslow also indicates that the Heat have an eye toward the future as well as the present.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.

Heat Rumors: Kelley, Green, Wade

November 8th, 2015 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Tre Kelley plans to take advantage of what could be his last shot at the NBA, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The 30-year-old point guard received an invitation to Miami’s training camp last month and is now playing for the team’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. Kelley said he wants to prove he can run the Heat’s system, which could create an opportunity if Mario Chalmers gets traded to ease the luxury tax burden. “I want to build upon what I did in Miami and work hard every single day,” Kelley told Skyforce broadcaster Dan Peters of KSOO. “I have an important role of being this team’s leader as point guard. That’s all going to help.” Kelley was undrafted out of South Carolina in 2007 and has played overseas and in the D-League while trying to make an NBA roster.

There’s more news out of Miami:

Gerald Green has been released from the hospital after an incident earlier this week, tweets Will Manso of television station WPLG in Miami. Green entered the facility Wednesday after a reported confrontation at his address involving a “combative patient.” Manso said the Heat confirmed the veteran swingman is safe and doing better.
The Heat are being guarded in what they release about Green or the incident, Winderman writes in a separate story. The team’s last public comment came Thursday from coach Erik Spoelstra, who said, “We’re grateful that he’s safe and he’s healthy right now. And our thoughts are with him and his family.” Green signed with the Heat in July, receiving a veteran’s minimum contract for one season.
Signing a new $20MM contract wasn’t Dwyane Wade‘s only major move of the offseason, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Wade also switched trainers — going from Tim Grover to Dave Alexander — in hopes of cutting down on missed games. Wade has sat out 17, 13, 28 and 20 games over the past four seasons. “It challenged my body in a different way since I’ve been coming off injuries, since I’m older,” Wade said. “We did a lot of power and explosion work. I got fit. Got lean. I came in the same weight as last year [but] I feel better than I’ve felt in the previous three years.”

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