Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Hinkie, Anthony, Jazz

June 28th, 2014 at 11:50pm CST by Cray Allred

Many NBA stars are having discussions of teaming up now and in the future, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer details how Sixers GM Sam Hinkie pounced on the Magic‘s needs by drafting Elfrid Payton at No. 10 and then trading him to Orlando, receiving back the 2015 first-rounder Philadelphia owed to the Magic.
A Knicks player that recently spoke with Carmelo Anthony told Marc Berman of The New York Post that the star forward gave no indication of leaving New York.
The Jazz will most likely let 2013 draft pick Raul Neto spend another year developing overseas, reports Jody Genessy of Deseret News.
Utah has yet to decide what to do with 2008 draft selection Ante Tomic, per Genessy. The Jazz could buy out his overseas contract and bring the center over to contribute this season, trade his rights, or simply wait another year.
Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald tweets that Ray Allen is still in the Heat‘s plans going forward. Allen has been leaning toward returning to play another year alongside LeBron James.

Eastern Rumors: Caboclo, Gortat, Bulls

June 28th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Cray Allred

With word of Joel Embiid‘s injury putting him on the shelf for longer than previously reported, and Dario Saric’s contract keeping him overseas for at least another year, both the Sixers first round draft picks might not play for Philadelphia in the 2014/15 season. Coach Brett Brown told reporters including Jason Wolf of USA Today Sports that he isn’t disappointed facing another season where the Sixers will likely finish at the bottom of the standings. “It is not even close to being demoralizing,” Brown said. “It just reconfirms in a more profound way that our words about trying to rebuild and being disciplined and patient went to a far greater level last night.” More from the Eastern Conference:

The Raptors had promised Bruno Caboclo that they would draft the off-the-radar Brazilian at No. 37 in December, and chose him with pick No. 20 when they discovered the Jazz and Suns were poised to snatch him before that, reports Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
Multiple teams are preparing to make a run at free agent Trevor Ariza, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Kennedy says the small forward’s stock is very high following a strong 2013/14 campaign.
Zach Lowe of Grantland suggests (on Twitter) Marcin Gortat is a player other than Kyle Lowry that could join the Heat if Miami gains cap flexibility.
The Cavs weren’t torn on whether to select Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker with the No. 1 pick in the draft, reports Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. The actual conflict in Cleveland was whether or not to trade away the pick, writes Pluto.
Pistons president Stan Van Gundy tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com that Detroit will target around 10 players when free agency begins on July 1, with a priority given to players on the wing, where Van Gundy believes Detroit to be thinnest (Twitter links).
Anthony Randolph was absorbed by the Bulls from their trade with the Nuggets via the trade exception they received from moving Luol Deng earlier this season, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times.
Scottie Pippen is now listed as a special advisor to the Bulls president and COO (H/T Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv). Pippen had previously discussed working for the Knicks with Phil Jackson.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Gasol

June 28th, 2014 at 9:02pm CST by Cray Allred

Klay Thompson‘s father told Charley Walters of St. Paul Pioneer Press that the Warriors shooting guard would not object to being traded to the Wolves in a Kevin Love deal. “Klay’s attitude about it is very professional,” said Thompson’s father, Mychal. “He says if he’s traded, he’ll make the most of it and enjoy playing with Ricky [Rubio], and if he isn’t, he’s fine. Either way, he’s a pro and knows how to handle it.” Here’s a rundown of the latest in the Pacific Division:

Steph Curry joined Andre Iguodala in voicing his preference to keep Thompson in Golden State when asked about the Kevin Love trade discussions between the Warriors and Wolves. “As great as Kevin Love is, it would be very hard to see your teammates and your brothers leave at this time,” Curry told reporters including Diamong Leung of Bay Area News Group. “So we’ll see what happens, but it’d definitely be a tough situation.” Of course, Curry’s public support for Mark Jackson didn’t stop the team from cutting ties with their former coach, and Curry acknowledged a decision on Love was not his to make.
The Lakers remain open to re-signing Pau Gasol, and believe the former All-Star’s presence could aid the team in acquiring Carmelo Anthony this summer, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (video link) suggests the Mavs, Heat, and Lakers would all give the Knicks stiff competition if Gasol were willing to accept a discounted deal like the one Phil Jackson will reportedly offer the big man, and thinks there’s “no chance” Gasol signs in New York if Carmelo Anthony isn’t still there.

Southeast Rumors: Heat, Hornets, Gooden

June 28th, 2014 at 6:15pm CST by Cray Allred

Heat president of basketball ops Pat Riley shared his thought process behind the decision to trade up in the draft for Shabazz Napier, telling reporters including Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel he heard a team was set to pick the point guard ahead of Miami. “You don’t want to get sort of left at the altar,” Riley said. Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

While the cap holds for the Heat prevent the team from making significant additions without renouncing the rights to recent opt–outs Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Udonis Haslem, Miami could obtain a $2.5MM room exception for being at least temporarily below the cap, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com notes. The exception is only likely to come into play if the trio of James, Wade, and Chris Bosh re-sign at a discounted rate, or if one of them leaves.
The Heat have engaged in trade talks to deal away Norris Cole and his $2MM salary, Windhorst adds.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford made it clear to Josh McRoberts and Cody Zeller that the team’s selection of Noah Vonleh does not impact Charlotte’s plans for either player, he tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. “When we drafted Noah, the first thing I did was clap, and then I texted (McRoberts and Zeller) that this doesn’t affect their status, their playing time,” Clifford said. “Josh is the starter, coming off a great year. We need him back. I made sure he understood that.” McRoberts declined his player option for next season, but the team has maintained their desire to retain him moving forward.
The Hornets will look to improve upon last year’s playoff berth with pieces acquired this summer. “We’ve been preparing for the draft and free agency for the last year,” Charlotte GM Rich Cho tells Bonnell in a separate article. “We have a definite game plan for free agency.” In the same piece, Bonnell looks at some of the free agents the Hornets could target with their cap space this summer.
J. Michael of CSNWashington.com says it’s a “win-win” for free agent Drew Gooden to return to the Wizards. Michael notes that Gooden is still being paid by Milwaukee for his amnestied contract, so it would behoove him to sign a modest deal with Washington in order to preserve his Early Bird Rights for the 2014/15 season.

Haslem Opts Out, Wade And Bosh To Follow?

June 28th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Cray Allred

Udonis Haslem has opted out of the the final year of his contract, tweets Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report. Skolnick suggests that the move is a part of a concerted strategy by the Heat’s Big Three to provide cap flexibility in Miami, and that Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will exercise their early termination clauses for the same purpose. Haslem will forgo $4.6MM in salary for 2014/15 in hopes of re-signing a multi-year deal that rewards him financially while giving the Heat some much needed breathing room as it seeks to retain and build around its championship core (all Twitter links).

As soon as LeBron James terminated his contract with Miami for this season, the onus shifted to the Heat management and players to find a way to convince the league’s best player of their viability as a long-term contender. Haslem shares representation with Wade and Bosh, and had the trio opted to remain on their original contracts, there would have been virtually no room for team president Pat Riley to significantly improve the roster outside of re-signing aging veterans.

While Bosh has maintained his willingness to accept a reduced deal in order to keep the team in tact, Wade has been mum on his decision. Wade stands to sacrifice the most by terminating his deal, as he would give up over $41.8MM over the next two years in salary. That’s a number he is very unlikely to fetch on the open market, especially after a poor showing in the Finals despite regimented rest to keep him fresh throughout the year.

Knicks Confident About Re-Signing ‘Melo

June 28th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Cray Allred

Sources tell Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that the Knicks are “quietly confident” they will be able to re-sign Carmelo Anthony, in part due to the star forward’s growing bond with president Phil Jackson. ‘Melo will be chased by teams that appear closer to a championship than New York in free agency, but the Knicks are hoping that their recent trade with the Mavericks, which provided an upgrade at point guard with Jose Calderon, will make their roster more appealing to Anthony.

With head coach Derek Fisher and the newly acquired point guard Calderon, Jackson has put in place some of the pieces for his cherished triangle offense. If Anthony re-signs in New York, one of the biggest remaining gaps for the system would be a skilled big man. The ESPN scribes’ source says that Jackson is planning on pursuing Pau Gasol at a discounted rate to fill that need this summer, and the team has its eye on his brother Marc Gasol for the 2015/16 season, when the Grizzlies center will be a free agent. Currently, the most the Knicks could offer Pau would be the taxpayer’s mid-level exception of $3.278MM, a steep pay decrease from his $19.3MM salary in 2013/14.

This summer will be a highly intriguing one for the Knicks. The hiring of Jackson brought hope to a franchise that has bumbled away opportunities and flexibility for years. Knicks fans have been hoping the Zen Master could work his magic and turn the Knicks’ straw to gold. While a typical turnaround for a franchise as limited as New York requires some losing and patience to regain cap space and assets, Jackson would certainly increase his legend if he could jump start the turnaround in his first year as a front office executive.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Bucks, Magic

June 27th, 2014 at 8:58pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls trade that sent the No. 16 and 19 picks to the Nuggets for the chance to draft Doug McDermott actually hurt the teams chances of landing Carmelo Anthony, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders.The article notes that by adding Anthony Randolph‘s $1.825MM salary to McDermott’s $1.898MM cap hold as the 11th pick and the roster charge of over $500,000, Chicago actually now has about $1 million less to offer Carmelo in free agency than they would have had if they kept both picks.

Raptors Have No Interest In Lowry, Heat Deal

June 27th, 2014 at 7:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:10pm: Bucher has retracted the story via his Twitter feed, saying the information he obtained from sources was incorrect (All Twitter links).

FRIDAY, 6:02pm: An agreement in principle on the trade is “imminent,” reports Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. Bucher also backs off the assertion that a Bosh return to Toronto was a definite part of the deal, now saying that Bosh and the Raptors intend to meet to “gauge his interest” in returning.

9:55pm: Norris Cole would head to the Raptors in this scenario, too, Bucher hears (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 9:42pm: The Raptors are seeking to send Kyle Lowry to the Heat in a sign-and-trade that would also involve Chris Bosh opting out and heading back to Toronto, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher tweets. The soon-to-be free agent Lowry and the Heat reportedly have mutual interest, even though Lowry has expressed a strong affection for Toronto.

The notion that Bosh, who would be a free agent should he opt out of his deal, would head back to the team where he began his career, seems an odd one, especially given Bosh’s strong desire to remain in Miami. Still, it’s apparently questionable whether he’d want to remain with the Heat if LeBron James left.

It’s not truly surprising that the Raptors would envision trading Lowry for Bosh, given that Bosh is a perennial All-Star and Lowry has never been selected for the game. Still, the notion that the Raptors are attempting to make the move, even as they’ve professed allegiance to Lowry time and again, indicates that they’re willing to be bold and leave no option unexplored this summer.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Afflalo, McRoberts, Heat

June 27th, 2014 at 4:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thursday’s trade that sent Arron Afflalo to the Nuggets in exchange for Evan Fournier and No. 56 pick Devyn Marble also gave the Magic a chance to reap an additional asset. It allows Orlando to create a $6,077,280 trade exception representing the difference in salary between Afflalo and Fournier. Of course, it might not last long if Orlando, which has been technically operating above the cap in spite of its diminutive payroll, elects to use cap space this summer. Still, it’s one more arrow in GM Rob Hennigan‘s quiver, and it helps explain another decision he made, as we detail below amid the latest from the Southeast Division:

The Magic fielded offers that would have allowed them to obtain a first-round pick for Afflalo, but they elected to take the package from the Nuggets instead, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe reveals.
Hornets GM Rich Cho contends that the team’s decision to draft big man Noah Vonleh at No. 9 doesn’t affect Charlotte’s designs on re-signing Josh McRoberts, as Cho told reporters today, including Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
It was a surprise when Caron Butler signed with the Thunder instead of the Heat this past season, but he said in a recent radio appearance on FM 104.3 The Ticket that the Heat approached him after he’d already committed to joining Oklahoma City. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald has the highlights from the interview, in which the soon-to-be free agent confirmed that he’d consider signing with Miami this summer.

Eastern Rumors: Rondo, Love, ‘Melo, Bucks

June 27th, 2014 at 9:02am CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told reporters Thursday night that he intends to keep Rajon Rondo around in spite of the team’s decision to draft fellow point guard Marcus Smart at No. 6, observes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Rondo’s name has come up frequently in trade rumors, but Ainge, as usual, did his best to dispel such talk, also dismissing the idea that Smart’s arrival is a harbinger of soon-to-be restricted free agent Avery Bradley‘s departure.

“Absolutely. No question,” Ainge said of whether Smart and Rondo could share the floor. “And [Smart] and Avery. No question. [Smart]’s a very versatile player. He can play off the ball. He can handle the ball. With his length and his size, he can probably play against a lot of small forwards — 6’3″, long wingspan, 230 pounds. He’s a very versatile player. Easily those guys can play together, and I think they would really thrive playing together, all of them.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Kevin Love is “100%” on board with the notion of signing a long-term deal with the Cavs if LeBron James returns to Cleveland, a source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Trade talk between the Cavs and Wolves had reportedly halted when Love made it clear he wouldn’t remain in Cleveland past his current deal if Minnesota sent him there.
Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated his desire for Carmelo Anthony to take less than the maximum salary to re-sign with the club, notes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. “I think it puts limitations on a team,” Jackson said of a maximum-salary contract. “What happens is then you end up having two or three players that have big contracts and everybody else’s is either veteran minimums or young players coming in. You don’t have that middle ground for a player that’s veteran, comfortable leadership-quality people. Miami explored it. I think they got the most out of it.”
The Bucks are looking to acquire a veteran big man, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, who believes that Larry Sanders would be a part of any deal to acquire one (Twitter links).