Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

LeBron Unlikely To Sign With Jay-Z

April 27th, 2013 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

Ever since rapper Jay-Z announced that he would be making a foray into sports representation with his Roc Nation company, there has been speculation that he could sign longtime friend LeBron James. However, there is no reason to believe that James will abandon Klutch Sports to sign on with Jay-Z, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today.

The theory that James would hook on with Jay-Z's company centers around the star's relationship with William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley. Wesley is a part of CAA Sports, the company that has partnered with Jay-Z but also lost James as a client in September when he left for the newly formed Klutch Sports, captained by former CAA agent Rich Paul.

However, James has long since moved on from the "Worldwide Wes" chapter of his life and according to one source, the two hardly, if ever, speak these days. Without that bridge, there's little reason to believe that James would consider a reunion with CAA. Even if that connection was still in place, it would still be a stretch for him to come back to his old agency less than a year after parting ways.

You can keep up with the latest in NBA player representation with Hoops Rumors' brand new Agency Database.

Eastern Notes: Dalembert, Adetokunbo, Cavs

April 26th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up a few Western Conference notes earlier today, so let's head east and check in on the other conference….

Although Samuel Dalembert has expressed some interest in signing with the Heat this summer, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn't see Dalembert as more than a "fallback option" for Miami. Winderman isn't sure whether Dalembert would fit the Heat's culture, and thinks any interest from Miami would come later in free agency, if at all.
The Pistons are expected to scout Greek prospect Giannis Adetokunbo for the first time this weekend, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Hopefully they'll have better luck than scouts for the Spurs, Heat, Hawks, and Grizzlies — Sportando contributor David Pick reports they failed to secure game passes to watch Adetokunbo today and were refused credentials. Representatives from the Cavs and Jazz did get in, however (Twitter links).
New Cavs head coach Mike Brown has a long list of potential assistant candidates, and will begin getting in touch with them next week, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the merits of hiring Brian Shaw for the Sixers, noting that as of earlier this week, the team had yet to set up any interviews with potential coaching candidates.

Chris Andersen Hopeful Of Re-Signing With Heat

April 24th, 2013 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

After not landing an NBA job until January of this season, Chris Andersen has become a crucial piece of a Heat team that has posted a 42-4 record since adding him to the roster. If it's up to him, his stay in Miami will extend beyond this season, as agent Mark Bryant told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link).

"We’re certainly hopeful," Bryant said of the possibility of Andersen re-signing with the Heat. "But he’s going to finish this task first (of trying to win a title with Miami). But, absolutely, he has embraced (being with the Heat)."

Andersen is in his first year with the Heat, which means, somewhat ironically, that the Birdman only has Non-Bird rights. Because he's on a minimum-salary contract with Miami, the team's ability to offer him a raise next year is limited. The Heat could elect to use all or some of its mid-level exception, which will have a starting salary of $3.183MM, on Andersen, but the club figures to explore outside options as well with that exception.

Given the Heat's recent success, there will likely be several veteran players interested in that mid-level exception in free agency this summer. Earlier this week, we heard that Samuel Dalembert, whose Bucks are currently facing the Heat in the playoffs, has interest in signing with Miami for next season.

Wojnarowski On LeBron, Cavs, Brown, Aldridge

April 24th, 2013 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Now that the Cavaliers have made it official, announcing that Mike Brown has returned as the team's head coach, one looming question is what effect the hire will have on Cleveland's potential pursuit of LeBron James in the summer of 2014. LeBron told the Associated Press (link via Cleveland.com) that he's "very happy" for Brown, adding that he's a "really good coach," but would James be interested in playing for his former coach again? Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tackles that subject in his latest column, so let's round up the highlights….

One former Cavs staffer told Wojnarowski that "the way Mike had to bend for LeBron weakened him as a leader. They'd be crazy to put him through that again. It's pointless."
One league source tells Wojnarowski "there are still some scars" when it comes to Brown and the Cavs, primarily centered on the coach's relationship with Dan Gilbert, who fired him in 2010.
Agent Rich Paul has created anticipation for LeBron's possible return to the Cavs in 2014, but according to Wojnarowski, "the idea of returning as the conquering hero is probably much more romantic than reality." Wojnarowski suggests that it's "unfathomable" that James would trade Miami, Erik Spoelstra, and Pat Riley for a return to Cleveland.
According to Wojnarowski, the Cavs have privately pitched the idea of trading young players and draft picks to the Trail Blazers for LaMarcus Aldridge.
Such a deal with Portland is unlikely to ever happen, says Wojnarowski, since the Cavs value their young players like Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters more than other teams around the league do.

Samuel Dalembert Has Interest In Heat

April 22nd, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Samuel Dalembert didn't play in the Bucks' first playoff game against the Heat yesterday, and has only appeared in one game all month. If he does see action during Milwaukee's first round series though, he may be auditioning for his next team. The free-agent-to-be told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that "the Heat will definitely be an option" when he searches for a new contract this summer.

"I love that option," Dalembert said of Miami's proximity to Haiti, where he was born. "That’s an option to move back and forth… I have a lot of family (in South Florida) and we have a lot of concentrated Haitian population here."

The Heat have had interest in Dalembert in the past, having explored signing him for their $3MM mini mid-level exception prior to the 2011/12 season. The big man had reservations about signing for that amount, and eventually landed a two-year, $13MM+ deal with the Bucks, while the Heat used their MLE on Shane Battier.

Whether or not Miami will pursue Dalembert again this summer remains to be seen, and could depend on whether the team decides to re-sign Chris Andersen, as Tomasson notes. As for Dalembert, he'll be looking for a chance to compete for a championship, and the Heat are a good bet to start next season as title favorites once again.

"It’s up to them and seeing what’s going to be out there," Dalembert said. "But at this point you want to be with a contending team. You don’t want to go backwards, so you want to chase that promised land."

Atlantic Links: Curry, Sixers, Celtics, Iverson

April 21st, 2013 at 11:55am CST by Chuck Myron

Yesterday was the first day since 1974 that two pro basketball teams held playoff games in New York, and the Knicks and Nets made the most of it. Both came away with victories and 1-0 series leads. The other three teams in the Atlantic Division are making noise off the court, as we detail here.

Sixers players have spoken positively about assistant coach Michael Curry, who appears ready to become a head coach again after his unsuccessful stint leading the Pistons in 2008/09, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Curry will interview for the head job with the Philadelphia and may do so with the Cavs, but he doesn't appear to be a candidate for Detroit, Goodwill adds (Twitter link).
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Sixers should embrace rebuilding and resist the urge to spend significant cash on free agents this summer in a quick-fix effort.
With Doug Collins no longer in a position to dictate the direction of the team, the time is right for the Sixers to pursue a marquee general manager, argues fellow Inquirer scribe Bob Ford.
Ray Allen is pleased that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has given him the license to post up smaller defenders, something he said Celtics coach Doc Rivers did not allow him to do, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Washburn has heard rumors that the Celtics considered signing Allen Iverson this season, but he says there's no truth behind them.
HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston looks back on the tenure of Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, concluding that the team shouldn't fire him. If Toronto wants to make a change to its front office, it should give more responsibility to Ed Stefanski, its executive vice president of basketball operations.

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Kings, Draft, Wiggins

April 20th, 2013 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's today's look around the Association as we get set for the 2013 playoffs to get underway, starting with the Knicks and Celtics at 2pm central..

If the Cavs really want to make a run at bringing LeBron James back to Cleveland in the 2014 offseason, it will be interesting to see how they replace coach Byron Scott, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. If John Calipari somehow winds up as the Cavaliers' choice, then it might be time to at least consider how deep the James-Calipari connections run.
Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times is displeased with how commissioner David Stern has handled the Seattle-Sacramento battle over the Kings. Brewer opines that it's frustrating to see Stern continue to defend the Sacramento offer while inferring that it does not fully match the Chris Hansen deal.
The latest mock draft from HoopsWorld still has Nerlens Noel going No. 1 but has some changes elsewhere in the lottery. Victor Oladipo is at No. 3 in the latest mock while Georgetown's Otto Porter is projected to go No. 6.
Despite rumblings to the contrary, Canadian high school standout Andrew Wiggins says that he won't be announcing his college choice anytime soon, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Wiggins is universally projected to be the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Pat Riley On Big Three, Andersen, Spoelstra

April 19th, 2013 at 6:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Heat president Pat Riley held court with the media today for the first time since July, and offered insight on how the 66-win Heat were built, as well as a few hints about his plan to keep the defending champs together. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com all provide detail. We'll round it up here:

Riley suggested the team may need a new, high-dollar local television contract to absorb the tax hit necessary to keep LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together beyond 2014, when they can all opt out and become free agents. A report last summer suggested the team was in talks with Fox Sports about a deal that would pay them $80MM-$100MM per season, but both the team and Fox denied it.
Riley thinks keeping the team together is "doable" and said the front office has already begun to craft its plan for doing so, but said it's ultimately up to Micky Arison to decide how much he wants to shell out.
Coach Erik Spoelstra was the driving force behind the team's midseason acquisition of Chris Andersen. "If I got another text from (Spoelstra) about getting Chris Andersen, I was going to put my hands around his neck," Riley quipped.
Riley declined comment on Spoelstra's contract, which runs out after next season.
The team believes Wade can handle point guard duties in case Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole goes down, and that's why they didn't seek more depth at the position this season.
It doesn't seem as though the Heat will fully embrace analytics anytime soon, as Riley said proponents of advance metrics "make me squeamy a little bit," Haberstroh tweets.

Eastern Links: Miller, Heat, Sixers, Raptors

April 16th, 2013 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Due to yesterday's Boston Marathon tragedy, tonight's Celtics/Pacers game has been cancelled, leaving just two games on the NBA's schedule. Another Eastern matchup will take the place of the C's and Pacers on TNT, as the Hawks host the Raptors in search of the conference's fifth seed. While we wait to see which team extends its winning streak, let's round up a few notes from around the East….

Mike Miller was "very close" to ending his NBA playing career last offseason, but tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he feels great now.
In a mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman discusses the possibility of the Heat bringing back Chris Andersen next season or potentially pursuing Stephen Jackson.
As a disappointing season for the Sixers winds down, Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com looks ahead to the team's next step, concluding that there are plenty of unknowns and no obvious ways to improve immediately.
This offseason figures to have a different feel for the Raptors, since there isn't a sense that major roster changes are on the way, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Will Bynum will test the free agent market this summer, but his first choice would be to return to the Pistons, says Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press.

Eastern Notes: Nene, Sixers, Andersen, Walsh

April 15th, 2013 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchups have been locked in, and one is particularly intriguing, as the No. 2 Knicks will take on the No. 7 Celtics. The winner of that series will avoid playing the Heat in round two, but could eventually be the biggest threat to Miami in the East. Here are a few of today's notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Ongoing injury woes had Wizards big man Nene considering retirement earlier this season, as he tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post. "Tough enough to think about the end of my career? Yeah, that’s how tough it was," Nene said. "It was so hard to play the way I did it. I thought to end my career because it’s so painful, my body can’t support. I’m glad I finished the season, but the way I suffer, I hope, never again."
With coach Doug Collins seemingly on his way out of Philadelphia, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com suggests some potential replacements for the Sixers to consider.
Chris Andersen hasn't given much thought yet to whether or not he'll remain with the Heat beyond this season, writes Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post.
Donnie Walsh isn't sure if he'll be back as the Pacers president next season, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I took this job because Larry [Bird] wanted a year off," Walsh said. "If Larry wants to come back, I’m out. I’m leaving. If he doesn’t I don’t know what I’ll do."
Rumors are swirling about the futures of Joe Dumars and Lawrence Frank in Detroit, but Greg Monroe tells David Mayo of MLive.com that he trusts the Pistons decision-makers.