Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Hamilton, Bogut, Heat, Beasley

September 14th, 2013 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Even though most of the big fish are off of the board at this stage of free agency, there are still some notable names searching for jobs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter links) went to bat for two in particular: Richard Hamilton and Jamaal Tinsley. Even though Hamilton is obviously past his prime, he still makes sense for the minimum salary and his averages of 9.8 points and 2.4 assists last season are nothing to sneeze at. Meanwhile, Tinsley averaged 4.4 dimes in 18.5 minutes for the Jazz and Kennedy argues that he could be even more as a facilitator with a better supporting cast. Here’s more from around the Association..

In a video interview with Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Bogut explained that he’s not worried about working out a new contract with the Warriors. Even though the big man was on the trading block this summer, he said in July that he doesn’t have any hard feelings towards Golden State management.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the newly-acquired Michael Beasley will wind up being the sixth man for the Heat. While nothing is guaranteed in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, he expects Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole, and, most likely, Udonis Haslem, all to see minutes ahead of the former No. 2 overall pick.
More from Winderman, who writes that Beasley and Greg Oden give the Heat an injection of youth and hope that can help spark the club. In another time, owner Micky Arison might have spent on pricier, more reliable options, but the luxury tax has necessitated cheaper acquisitions to round out the bench.

Eastern Notes: Livingston, Oladipo, Beasley

September 13th, 2013 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

It's not as easy as it used to be for NBA players to transition to front office positions, as Sam Amick details in his latest piece for USA Today. Still, the NBA Player's Association has tried to help its players become more familiar with the league's CBA, setting up events like a July seminar that featured presentations from several team executives. Shaun Livingston is one player who is appreciative of the NBPA's efforts.

"I'm really trying to take advantage of it," said the Nets guard. "And learn and soak everything in to where if I can study and meet the right people and stars can align then I can really create some good opportunities."

Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

At a season ticket-holder's event in Orlando, second overall pick Victor Oladipo said that he "really didn't want to go to Cleveland," the team with the No. 1 pick. Oladipo has since apologized for offending Cavs fans, hinting that the comment was meant to reflect how much he wanted to land with the Magic. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details.
Heat fans are somewhat divided on the signing of Michael Beasley, so Ira Winderman's Friday mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel is an extended all-Beasley edition, breaking down the move.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com provides an interesting take on the concept of tanking and roster-building, with a focus on teams like the Sixers and Bucks.

Odds & Ends: Pistons, LeBron, Anderson

September 12th, 2013 at 10:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

A panel of HoopsWorld columnists discussed their thoughts on the Pistons' offseason additions, current strengths and weaknesses, and where the team projects to finish in the Central Division standings this year. Count Brandon Jennings among those who seem most eager to get the season started, as he believes that with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Josh Smith, Detroit should be a dominant rebounding force on both sides of the court (Detroit Free Press staff report). Here's the rest of tonight's noteworthy links:

Ken Berger of CBS Sports believes that with so many variables to consider, there's no way that even LeBron James knows what he's going to do on July 1st next year, when he'll have the ability to exercise his early-termination option and hit unrestricted free agency.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN (via Twitter) doesn't think it's a guarantee that UCLA's Kyle Anderson will declare for the draft after this year, especially since he's not considered a lock to get selected in the first round at this point.
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com gives the Trail Blazers a "B" for their offseason report card, highlighting their coaching staff and frontcourt as the team's strongest suits and identifying defense as their weakest one. In another a piece, Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge.com relays Damian Lillard's interview with True Hoop TV's Henry Abbott about his workload and expectations defensively.
Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation wades through the changes and holdovers of the Northwest Division and touches upon what to expect from each team in 2013/14.
Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld held his weekly chat with fans, answering questions about Seattle, the Knicks, how Danny Granger's return from injury could affect Paul George, and the Pelicans' playoff chances among other topics.

Eastern Notes: Wilkins, Smith, Heat, Wizards

September 12th, 2013 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Eastern Conference teams have reached agreements with free agents today, as the Sixers worked to finalize a deal for Darius Morris, while the Bulls signed a pair of players – Patrick Christopher and Kalin Lucas – for camp. Here's more from around the East:

Free agent forward Damien Wilkins has been working out for the Hawks in Atlanta, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The 33-year-old, who has played for the Hawks, Pistons, and Sixers in the last three seasons, also worked out for the Spurs last week, says Charania. No deal is imminent, but the Hawks appear to have some interest.
Two months after he officially signed his deal with the Pistons, Josh Smith tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com that he feels great about choosing Detroit. "Our team, our roster, is very impressive to me," Smith said. "Everybody wants to get better and everybody wants to do it together. Whenever you are able to be a part of something like that, it’s special."
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel is surprised the Heat would bring back a player like Michael Beasley, who "didn't exactly do things the Heat way," and that the team may give him minutes over guys like James Jones and Rashard Lewis, who have "toed every Heat line."
Although Mike James has played for several NBA teams since 2009, this will be the first time since then he has participated in training camp, writes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. James reportedly agreed to a camp deal with the Bulls.
The Wizards have hired former Raptors executive Marc Eversley as vice president of scouting, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

Poll: Is Michael Beasley Worth The Risk?

September 11th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Alex Lee

The Heat announced earlier today that they have brought back Michael Beasley, who they let go three years ago after making the Kansas State product the No. 2 overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. As our Luke Adams indicated today, few scouts question Beasley's natural ability, potentially making him the consummate buy-low reclamation project for a team like the Heat.

Beasley's deal with Miami is non-guaranteed and requires him to make the roster in training camp to secure his one-year minimum contract salary of $1MM, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj agrees that Miami could be a good spot for Beasley, with a strong veteran leadership group and stability in place throughout the organization. He writes that several of the team's key veterans were supportive of the signing.

It certainly seems like many people, including the Heat brass, think this is a no-risk situation for Miami. But is it? Beasley's issues with marijuana are well-documented and his on-the-court statistics are headed in the wrong direction. Not only did the 6-foot-10 Beasley average a career-low in points and rebounds last season (10.1 and 3.8 per game), his PER has dropped every year since his rookie season. Coming off two titles and with one project already on the roster in Greg Oden, is adding the enigmatic Beasley worth the risk for the champs?

Heat Sign Michael Beasley

September 11th, 2013 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Three years after the Heat parted ways with their 2008 lottery pick, Michael Beasley is headed back to Miami. The Heat announced today (Twitter link) that Beasley has signed with the team, following his release from the Suns.

It won't cost the Heat anything to roll the dice on Beasley, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, who hears that the 24-year-old has agreed to a non-guaranteed, make-good contract. The source adds that the club considers the fall audition to be no-risk, and worth the gamble, according to Winderman.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported over the weekend that Miami was weighing the possibility of signing Beasley. Team sources shot down the rumor to multiple local beat reporters, but it appears that was a smoke-screen, or the club either reconsidered its stance.

The second overall pick in the 2008 draft, Beasley had the least productive year of his career in 2012/13, setting career-lows in PPG (10.1), RPG (3.8), and FG% (.405), among other categories. It also marked the fifth straight season that his PER has declined, from 17.2 in his rookie year to 10.8 in '12/13.

The general consensus among NBA fans and observers suggests Beasley still has plenty of talent, which could shine through if he can get his off-court issues under control. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com wrote earlier today at SBNation.com though, there hasn't been a whole lot of evidence recently to suggest that the Kansas State product can be an above-average NBA contributor. Perhaps reuniting with Erik Spoelstra and Dwyane Wade in Miami will help Beasley to deliver on the promise he showed as a Wildcat.

The Heat currently have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, and have suggested there's a decent chance their regular-season roster won't include additional players. Still, Beasley becomes the fourth player the club will bring to camp on a non-guaranteed contract, so the team certainly figures to consider its options next month for those last two roster spots.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Nash, Sixers

September 10th, 2013 at 9:15pm CST by Michael Pina

A few random notes from around the league.

The Heat have told agents they may be content keeping the 13 guaranteed contracts they already have on their roster, rather than adding more players for the season, according to a tweet from the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman.
InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina breaks down Steve Nash as starting point guard for the Lakers this season and what the team should expect—specifically related to his place on the depth chart and whether he can stay healthy.
Brandon Williams has accepted a job with the Sixers beneath general manager Sam Hinkie, according to a tweet from Grantland.com's Zach Lowe. Williams previously worked in basketball operations for the league.

Heat Sign Justin Hamilton

September 10th, 2013 at 5:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 5:06pm: The Heat have offically announced Hamilton's signing in a press release. The release also includes confirmation that Miami has signed Eric Griffin, whose agreement with the team was reported nearly a month ago.

SUNDAY, 11:28am: The Heat will bring Justin Hamilton to training camp, agent J.R. Hensley tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hensley says his client, who's been working out at the Heat's home arena the past few weeks, will ink a deal with the team in the days ahead. The 45th pick in the 2012 draft still isn't participating in any contact drills as he recovers from a hamstring injury that kept him out of summer league.

The signing will force Miami's brass to either keep the former LSU center into the regular season or cut him in training camp and lose his rights. The Heat could keep Hamilton's NBA rights in perpetuity if they elect not to sign him, as they did last year when he played in Europe. With some agents hearing that the Heat plan to carry only the minimum 13 players amid a luxury tax crunch this season, it's somewhat surprising that the team appears to be bringing Hamilton aboard now. Miami already has 13 fully guaranteed contracts.

Hamilton split 2012/13 between BC VEF Riga in Latvia and KK Cibona of Croatia. In all, he averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game. His numbers as a senior at LSU weren't staggering, either, as he put up 12.9 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 30.0 MPG.

LeBron Hopes To Table Contract Talk For Season

September 10th, 2013 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With LeBron James less than 10 months away from potentially becoming a free agent, it's fair to assume he'll receive plenty of questions about his future from the media this season. However, LeBron doesn't intend to discuss his contract situation throughout the year, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst. Windhorst writes that the four-time MVP plans to address it briefly on the first day of camp, then table the subject until after the season.

James, a few years removed from "The Decision," has been much more reserved when it comes to discussing his future this time around. According to Windhorst, LeBron even hopes to squash free agency talk within his inner circle.

"All LeBron is thinking about is winning a third straight title," said agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. "He has no interest in talking about next season and everyone around him knows it."

As we heard earlier today, the 28-year-old intends to focus solely on the Heat's success on the court this season, as the team attempts to win its third straight title. He has yet to make any decisions about next summer, and that's fine with Heat president Pat Riley.

"I don't know LeBron's stance," Riley said. "He'll probably say one time, 'I'll talk about it next year.' We haven't discussed it yet, but we will. I'll tell him the main thing is to make sure the main thing remains the main thing. And the main thing is to win the championship."

When next July does roll around, there's no guarantee that James will even opt out of his current contract, which doesn't expire until 2016. LeBron will have an early termination option next summer, and a player option the following summer, which means he could choose to opt out either year. But even if he does elect free agency, he wouldn't necessarily be committing to leaving Miami, since he'd have the option of negotiating a new long-term deal with the Heat.

Of course, just because LeBron doesn't want to discuss his contract situation until after the season, that doesn't mean we won't hear plenty of rumors and speculation over the next several months. For now though, it seems that the Heat superstar won't be fueling the rumor mill with any quotes of his own.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Hawks, Heat, Sixers

September 10th, 2013 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With his free agency potentially less than a year away, LeBron James continues to brush off questions about his future. Most recently, it was ESPN.com's Chris Broussard who asked the Heat superstar about his plans for the summer of 2014.

"I have absolutely no idea," James said. "I would love to spend the rest of my career in Miami with this great team and great organization as we continue to compete for championships. That's ideal. But we don't know what may happen from now to the end of the season. That's the nature of the business. It's the nature of not knowing what tomorrow brings."

As the reigning MVP continues to focus on the coming season, let's check out a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Former Texas-San Antonio guard Chris Allen will work out for the Hawks today, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter).
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel believes 2012 second-rounder Justin Hamilton is more likely to start the 2013/14 season with the Heat's D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, rather than with the NBA club.
Sixers second-round pick Arsalan Kazemi may be headed to Iran for the coming season, tweets Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival. That news isn't confirmed yet, and wasn't included in the daily update of our international player movement tracker, but we did hear earlier this summer that the Oregon product was expected to play overseas in 2013/14.