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Heat Rumors: Chalmers, Andersen, Spoelstra, Deng

September 27th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

A comment from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra may provide a clue about the future of Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Spoelstra praised the professionalism of both players, who have been rumored to be on the trading block to ease the Heat’s luxury tax bill, but he added, “They know we care about them and they know it’s a business.” Winderman takes that to mean that if young point guards Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson can mature quickly and the Heat have enough quality big men, Chalmers and Andersen may both be gone by February’s trade deadline.

There’s more news from Miami:

  • Spoelstra’s biggest task as Heat coach will be turning a talented fantasy league roster into a real winner, Winderman writes in the same story. During the offseason, Miami added Amar’e Stoudemire, Gerald Green and Justise Winslow to an already productive roster, but concerns remain about pace of play, defense and a shortage of three-point shooters. “You have to be able to adapt in this business,” Spoelstra said, “and figure out where your strengths are and try to maximize those and minimize your weaknesses more than other teams.”
  • Spoelstra said he has a better understanding of how to use Luol Deng, who is entering his second training camp with Miami, Winderman writes in a separate story. Deng, who will be a free agent next summer, averaged 14.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 72 games after signing as a free agent in 2014 for two years at nearly $20MM. “We got together this summer” Spoelstra said, “and we both just kind of laughed, and kind of said, ‘You know even when you’re a veteran coach or a veteran player and you come together, it does take some time to build a relationship, build a comfort level,’ and we started to hit our stride in the spring last year.”
  • Five league insiders all agree the Heat got good value in signing Gerald Green to a $1.4MM deal, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The paper assembled a panel of two scouts, two GMs and an assistant coach to rate the Heat’s offseason. The reviews were also mostly positive on Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, and most think Stoudemire will be productive, but only in limited minutes.
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Eastern Notes: Wade, Celtics, Bulls

September 23rd, 2015 at 10:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat don’t plan on Dwyane Wade playing under a minutes restriction this season, and coach Erik Spoelstra wants to utilize the veteran shooting guard as much as possible in 2015/16, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. “Dwyane has to be our leader,” Spoelstra said. “He’s grown in that role and with new veteran players, everybody naturally turns to Dwyane as the cornerstone of our franchise and they turn to [Chris Bosh] and they turn to [Udonis Haslem]. He’s fully accepted that responsibility. Dwyane is coming into this season ready for whatever challenges it brings, and I’m not coaching him with restrictions in mind. We’ll adapt and be aware of anything that may come up as the season goes on.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Center Tyler Zeller thinks that the Celtics‘ stocked frontcourt will be a boon to the team, despite him having extra competition for playing time, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. “I think [the frontcourt will] be good,” said Zeller. “Hopefully we can learn from Amir [Johnson] and David [Lee]. I know David has had a lot of success all over the board in being an All-Star, winning a championship, those kind of things. Hopefully we can learn a lot from him and he can push us in the right direction and help us become a better team. I’m really looking forward to playing with them. I think they are going to be great assets to us and hopefully help us take that next step.“
  • The Bulls are expected to have much more freedom on the offensive end under new coach Fred Hoiberg than they previously did under former coach Tom Thibodeau, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “Obviously it’s going to be different,” swingman Jimmy Butler said of his new coach. “I’ve studied some film with my trainer how [Iowa State] played in college. We go over some of the offensive schemes [Hoiberg’s] told me and my trainer about. So we work that into our workouts, but it’s definitely going to be different. I think it’s not going to be so much concentrated on defense like it was [with] Thibs. I think it’s actually going to be more offense [minded].“
  • The Wizards believe that a healthy Bradley Beal and John Wall, along with the team’s stout frontline, give the team potential for significant growth, which is one reason the team held off from making a splash in free agency this summer, the crew at Basketball Insiders write in their season preview of the team. Washington has the capability to make it to the second round of this year’s playoffs, but advancing to the Conference Finals is unlikely with the current roster, the panel concludes.
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Knicks Sign Travis Trice For Camp

September 22nd, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

SEPTEMBER 22ND, 4:30pm: The signing is official, the team has announced.

SEPTEMBER 10TH, 12:12pm: The Knicks have agreed to sign undrafted Michigan State point guard Travis Trice to a one-year, partially guaranteed contract, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Trice was with the Heat during summer league, but he’ll be with New York this fall, joining four others who have partially guaranteed deals with the Knicks, plus 13 players with full guarantees, as our Knicks roster page shows.

Trice was a largely unheralded draft prospect, falling outside of ESPN’s rankings, but he showed a knack for outside shooting with the Spartans, nailing 39.5% of his three-point attempts in his four years of college ball. The 6’0″ 22-year-old brought that stroke with him to the summer league, canning five of 14 total attempts. This past season was his only year as a full-time starter at Michigan State, and he averaged 15.3 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 turnovers in 33.6 minutes per game. However, his 36.9% three-point shooting was the worst mark of his college career.

The Knicks will probably keep Langston Galloway on his partially guaranteed contract, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, in whom New York invested the 51st overall pick in 2014, would appear to have the inside track on the 15th regular season roster spot despite his lack of a full guarantee. So, Trice faces long odds to stick around for opening night. The Knicks can claim the D-League rights to as many as four of the players they cut at the end of the preseason, so Trice appears to have a better shot of remaining with the organization that way.

Do you think Trice is capable of making a regular season contribution for an NBA team? Leave a comment to let us know.

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Rockets Sign Joshua Smith

September 21st, 2015 at 6:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

MONDAY, 6:16pm: The Rockets have formally announced the signing on Twitter.

FRIDAY, 7:14pm: The signing is official, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The deal is a one-year, minimum salary arrangement that includes no guaranteed money, Pincus adds.

THURSDAY, 4:45pm: The Rockets and unrestricted free agent center Joshua Smith have reached an agreement on a contract, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports (via Twitter). The length and terms of the agreement are not yet known, though it is most likely a minimum salary training camp deal. The Heat also reportedly expressed interest in the big man.

Smith, 23, finished his NCAA career at Georgetown this spring after spending his first two seasons at UCLA, and he appeared in 33 games as a senior, averaging 10.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 20.5 minutes per night. His career collegiate numbers overall were 10.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 0.7 assists, and his career slash line was .591/.000/.613. Smith played summer league ball for the Heat this offseason, appearing in nine contests, where he averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG.

The addition of Smith will give the Rockets a roster count of 19 players, including 14 with fully guaranteed pacts. However, Houston is a bit thin at the pivot as far as depth goes, which could give Smith a chance to make the regular season roster with a strong preseason showing.

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Eastern Notes: Celtics, Parker, KD, Heat

September 21st, 2015 at 1:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Celtics are hoping that their depth will be enough to power them to success since they are lacking in star power, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes.  Celtics GM Danny Ainge understands the importance of having elite players, but he also pointed to the Spurs’ 2013/14 championship team as a team that won it all while not necessarily having the most talent.

“History has shown us that you need stars — or at least some level of stars,” said Ainge. “But I do believe you can win with really good players. Teams in the past that have won haven’t had the best players.”

Of course, that was a roster anchored by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, so it’s not as though it was a team of no-names.  Here’s more from the Eastern Conference..

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Eastern Notes: Heat, Pistons, Wizards

September 20th, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Will Joseph

Heat assistant Dan Craig was hired as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports, citing league sources. Craig, who has worked for the Heat for 12 years, has coached the Heat’s summer league teams for the past three years, as Wojnarowski points out.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • There’s a good chance it won’t happen until February, but it is difficult to imagine the Pistons not making a trade involving one of their point guards, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. That’s because, Mayo adds, once Brandon Jennings — who is not expected back from his Achilles injury until December — returns, the Pistons could have three reserve point guards with trade value. Jennings will be on a high-value expiring contract, and Steve Blake will be on a more affordable expiring contract, Mayo writes. Blake was acquired to give the Pistons three healthy point guards to start the season, according to Mayo. Spencer Dinwiddie is also expected to see time at point guard for the Pistons.
  • Tim Bontemps of the New York Post believes the Wizards are once again a middle-of-the-pack kind of playoff team (Facebook link). Bontemps adds that the Wizards improved during the summer with a series of small, but smart moves, such as acquiring Kelly Oubre in the draft, signing Gary Neal and trading for Jared Dudley.
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Heat Rumors: Crawford, Richadson, Ennis, Haslem

September 20th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Arthur Hill

With a roster stuffed with expiring contracts, there is pressure on the Heat to win right away, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Projected starters Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng and Dwyane Wade will all enter free agency next summer, as will reserves Amar’e Stoudemire, Gerald Green, Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen, Udonis Haslem and Tyler Johnson. “We have a lot of guys on one-year deals this season, and that’s something we have to acknowledge,” said Chris Bosh, one of the few Miami players with a long-term contract. “… The main challenge for us will be coming together as a team and making sure we define our roles and play our roles to perfection.”

There’s more today out of Miami:

  • Clippers coach Doc Rivers may have killed the Jamal Crawford to Miami rumors with his declaration this week, Winderman writes in the same piece. In an interview with host Fred Roggin on The Beast 980 radio in Southern California, Rivers said Crawford will probably remain with the team through the end of the season, competing for playing time in a crowded rotation that now includes Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson, Lance Stephenson and Pablo Prigioni. There had been rumors that the Clippers wanted to move Crawford’s $5.675MM salary to ease their luxury tax bill.
  • Barring any trades or injuries, Josh Richardson and James Ennis will probably rotate between being inactive on game nights, Winderman speculates in a separate story. The columnist says Richardson would be more valuable in games where the Heat need better perimeter defense, and Ennis can be used against small-ball teams when Miami won’t need both Andersen and Haslem.
  • The Heat have the luxury of keeping Haslem on the roster as mainly a mentor, Winderman contends in another column. The 35-year-old, now entering his 13th season in Miami, won’t be part of the rotation but will be counted on to teach the game to young players such as first-round pick Justise Winslow, along with Johnson, Richardson and Ennis. Haslem will make more than $2.85MM in the final year of his contract.
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Tre Kelley Working Out With Heat

September 18th, 2015 at 1:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former University of South Carolina combo guard Tre Kelley has been working out with the Heat this week, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). A similar report about John Lucas III emerged Thursday afternoon, shortly before a follow-up revealed that the team had agreed to sign him. It’s unclear if the Heat have a deal with Kelley or are even considering him for one, though his presence in the workouts with less than two weeks to go before the start of camp is a strong indication that the team is at least eyeing him for a job.

The Heat signed Kelley once before, around the start of camp in 2008, but he was only under contract for about a week before they waived him. Kelley, now 30 years old, was in training camp with the Thunder the next year and the Grizzlies in 2010, but he hasn’t scored an NBA contract since, even though a report from 2012 indicated he would sign a camp deal with the Spurs. Three NBA teams apparently had interest in him a year later, but he’s instead remained overseas and in the D-League. He split last season between Pertevniyal Istanbul of Turkey and second-tier Italian team Sigma Barcellona, combining to average 17.8 points, 7.4 assists and 3.4 turnovers in 33.7 minutes per game.

Miami has one open spot left under the 20-man offseason limit, as our roster count shows. The Heat already have seven players who can handle point guard duties, Jackson writes, though that’s a broad interpretation, since only Lucas, Goran Dragic, Mario Chalmers and Tyler Johnson primarily play the point, and the Heat haven’t ruled out trading Chalmers as soon as next month, as Jackson recently reported.

Is there a remaining veteran free agent the Heat should sign instead of Kelley? Leave a comment to let us know.

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Southeast Notes: Washburn, Hawks, Watson

September 17th, 2015 at 10:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets training camp signee Jason Washburn could not continue to play overseas because the political unrest in Ukraine made it unsafe to do so, Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders writes in her profile of the 25-year-old center. “They [his team] said we can’t pay you anymore – this has really destroyed our economy – and we can’t guarantee your safety,” Washburn said. “We think you should leave.”

Washburn understands that it will be difficult to make Charlotte’s regular season roster, with the team already possessing 14 players with fully guaranteed deals, Camerato adds. “I don’t know the odds [of making the team] and to be honest, I don’t care,” Washburn continued. “I’m going to come in here, soak up what I can, play as hard as I can, if I get my opportunity, try to take as best advantage of it as I can and let the chips fall where they may.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

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Eastern Notes: Wade, Bucks, Nicholson, Celtics

September 17th, 2015 at 2:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwyane Wade praised the Heat brass for the job that they did building the roster for the season ahead, and while he acknowledged the somewhat bumpy path he and the team took to his new one-year, $20MM contract, he reiterated his commitment to Miami. Wade made his comments in a variety of venues today, including on 790 The Ticket radio, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald transcribes.

“There’s a business side of everything,” Wade said to 790 The Ticket. “But my heart, and where I always said I wanted to be, was here. I started my career here and I would like to finish it. I came here just happy to be here, just wanting to make this organization proud for drafting me as the fifth pick.”

Wade batted down criticism from local fans that’s extended even to his choice of football jerseys for casual wear, imploring to the 790 The Ticket audience, “Don’t question my loyalty, you all. Do not question my loyalty.” The 11-time All-star will have another chance to back up those words with action when he hits free agency again next summer. See more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Former Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks and Grizzlies executive vice president of player personnel Ed Stefanski are drawing prominent mention for the Bucks assistant GM job, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link). Milwaukee let go of former assistant GM David Morway this week when team reached an extension with GM John Hammond.
  • Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel finds it tough to see where Andrew Nicholson fits in with the Magic as he enters the last season of his rookie scale contract, given that four others who can play power forward are on the roster. Nicholson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this fall, but little, if any, talk has emerged suggesting the Magic will seek to give him one.
  • It’s a waiting game in Boston, where an opportunity for the Celtics to cash in their trade assets hasn’t materialized and the team’s young players still must prove their worth, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com in his season preview for the team.
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