Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 25th, 2013 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Since the trade deadline, a pair of contenders have taken advantage of having an open roster spot, with the Knicks adding Kenyon Martin on a 10-day contract and the Thunder agreeing to sign Derek Fisher for the remainder of the season.

For New York and Oklahoma City, adding a veteran as a 15th man makes sense for depth purposes, and we may see a few more playoff contenders take the same approach as Friday's buyout deadline nears. For non-contenders, a D-League pickup or two may be more likely, as teams take a look at players who may be able to contribute beyond this season.

Clubs carrying fewer than 15 players are more likely to add free agents at this point, since they won't have to release a player on a guaranteed contract to clear space for a pickup. So with the help of our constantly-updated roster counts page, let's take a quick look at the list of teams with at least one open roster spot. The number of available spots is indicated in parentheses.

Eastern Conference:

Boston Celtics (2)
Brooklyn Nets (1)
Charlotte Bobcats (1)
Chicago Bulls (1)
Detroit Pistons (1)
Miami Heat (1)
Orlando Magic (1)

Western Conference:

Golden State Warriors (2)
Houston Rockets (1)
Los Angeles Clippers (1)
Los Angeles Lakers (1)
Memphis Grizzlies (2)
New Orleans Hornets (2)
Sacramento Kings (1)

James Jones Mulling Retirement

February 24th, 2013 at 9:25am CST by Chuck Myron

James Jones has made a minimal impact this season for the Heat, totaling just 88 minutes of playing time spread out over 21 games. He occupies $1.5MM worth of space on Miami's payroll and has a player option to earn that same salary next year, but if the Heat win the championship again, Jones is prepared to walk away, as he tells HoopsWorld's Lang Greene.

The 32-year-old small forward nearly retired over the summer, but felt physically capable of returning. He said it's "bittersweet" to come back and play such limited minutes, though he acknowledged the well-stocked Heat have plenty of other options at the wing.

The Heat probably stand to benefit if the Miami native retires, since that would likely mean he'd decline his option and reduce the team's tax bill for next season. The Heat have $75.547MM in commitments for 2013/14, so they'll almost certainly exceed the tax threshold. That figure doesn't include a $4MM team option for Mario Chalmers or the player options for Jones, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

Brigham On Future Contenders

February 23rd, 2013 at 10:13am CST by Sean Highkin

Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld has a new column examining which teams have a chance to be title contenders five seasons from now, taking into account possible moves in free agency and the ages of the teams' core players.

Brigham believes the Thunder still have the brightest future, given that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka will all be under 30 in five seasons.
LeBron James' free agency will play a major role in determining the next title contender, Brigham writes. The health and effectiveness of Dwyane Wade will determine whether James stays with the Heat, but the Cavaliers and Lakers are also possible destinations.
On that note, Brigham writes that, although Kyrie Irving is blossoming into a superstar, the Cavs will not be a contender unless James signs in Cleveland.
The Bulls will still be contenders if Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah stay healthy, Brigham writes. He also notes that Nikola Mirotic will have come over to the NBA by then.
The trade for Thomas Robinson added another young piece to the James Harden/Jeremy Lin core the Rockets have built, Brigham writes. Additionally, the team is still well under the cap and can add another high-level player via free agency.
Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge give the Blazers a solid core to build around, writes Brigham.
Brigham writes that there will be uncertainty every year for the next five as to whether Chris Paul will still be with the Clippers.
Even if Stephen Curry's ankles don't hold up, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes give the Warriors a good young core, Brigham says.
Brigham writes that the Pacers have excellent cornerstone players in Roy Hibbert and Paul George.

Recap Of Deadline Trades

February 21st, 2013 at 7:44pm CST by Sean Highkin

A complete recap of trades that were completed before Thursday's trade deadline:

The Houston Rockets traded Marcus Morris to the Phoenix Suns and Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, and Toney Douglas to the Sacramento Kings for Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, Tyler Honeycutt, and a future second-round pick.
The Miami Heat traded Dexter Pittman and a future second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rights to Ricky Sanchez and cash considerations.
The Washington Wizards traded Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics for Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins.
The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers for a trade exception and the rights to Georgios Printezis. The Blazers waived Ronnie Price to clear a roster spot for Maynor.
The Thunder also acquired Ronnie Brewer from the New York Knicks for a future second-round pick.
The Atlanta Hawks traded Anthony Morrow to the Dallas Mavericks for Dahntay Jones.
The Suns traded Sebastian Telfair to the Toronto Raptors for Hamed Haddadi and a future second-round pick.
The Orlando Magic traded J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon, and Ishmael Smith to the Milwaukee Bucks for Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris, and Doron Lamb.
In a separate deal, the Magic traded Josh McRoberts to the Charlotte Bobcats for Hakim Warrick.
The Golden State Warriors traded Jeremy Tyler to the Hawks for a second-round pick. They also traded Charles Jenkins to the Philadelphia 76ers for an additional second-round pick.

Free Agent Rumors: Celtics, Oden, Amundson, Bell

February 21st, 2013 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

With the trade deadline officially behind us, the next important date on the NBA's calendar arrives on March 1st. If a player who has been on an NBA roster this season is released after that date, he'll be ineligible to be on the postseason roster for any new team he joins. So we could see a number of players agreeing to buyouts and hitting free agency in the next week. Here are a few of the latest rumblings related to free agency:

Danny Ainge expects the Celtics to add a free agent big man soon, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
After the Heat opened up a roster spot by trading Dexter Pittman today, Miami re-emerged as a potential destination for Greg Oden, as agent Mike Conley tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. "We're going to get him down there for a visit," Conley said of Miami.
Tomasson adds within the same piece that free agent big man Louis Amundson would "love" an opportunity to sign with the Heat.
The Cavaliers are still kicking the tires on Oden as well, and have had him in for a couple visits, GM Chris Grant told reporters today (Twitter link via Bob Finnan of the News-Herald).
Now that the Jazz can no longer trade Raja Bell, the club may revisit a buyout. If the two sides reach an agreement, the Lakers would have interest in signing Bell, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).

Grizzlies Acquire Dexter Pittman From Heat

February 21st, 2013 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

2:54pm: The Heat have confirmed in a press release that they've sent Pittman to Memphis. The Grizzlies also received cash considerations from the Heat, according to the release.

12:48pm: The Grizzlies and Heat have agreed to a deal that will send Dexter Pittman and a second-round pick to Memphis, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports that the Heat will acquire the rights to Ricky Sanchez, who is currently playing in Argentina, in the trade (Twitter link). Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal first reported that the two sides were in serious talks about a swap.

For the Grizzlies, Pittman represents another piece of frontcourt depth off the bench. Memphis had been carrying just 12 players, and would have been required to add a 13th man in the very near future had the team not acquired a player via trade today. The team had intended to make use of one of its seven trade exceptions, but likely won't need to do so, since the third-year big man is making the minimum salary of $854,389.

From Miami's perspective, the trade allows the club to open a roster spot for a potential free agent addition later in the season. According to Windhorst (via Twitter), the Heat have kept in touch with Kenyon Martin, but will likely wait until March to explore all their options.

Moving Pittman also reduces the Heat's tax bill slightly, and the cost to do so wasn't exactly exorbitant — Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the second-rounder is Miami's 2013 pick, which is currently projected to be 59th overall, as our projected draft order indicates.

I would assume that Sanchez, who was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2005, will never see the floor for the Heat. The Grizzlies simply had to include a piece in the deal so that they weren't acquiring Pittman and a pick for nothing. Miami will also obtain a trade exception worth $854,389 (Pittman's salary) in the move.

Grizzlies In Serious Talks To Acquire Pittman

February 21st, 2013 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies are in serious talks with the Heat to acquire big man Dexter Pittman, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The proposed deal would see the Grizzlies land Pittman and a second-round pick using one of their seven trade exceptions.

Because Pittman is only making a minimum salary ($854,389) this season, the Grizzlies could use one of their smaller exceptions to absorb his contract, rather than using a chunk of their $7.49MM TPE from the Rudy Gay trade. From Miami's perspective, the team could clear a roster spot and save some money on its luxury-tax bill.

Heat Expressed Interest In Timofey Mozgov

February 21st, 2013 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have expressed interest in Timofey Mozgov, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). However, Wojnarowski adds that it's "hard to see a path" to a deal between the two teams.

Because Mozgov is earning about $3.14MM this season, the Heat would have to send out $2.5MM+ to make a deal work. They could offer Norris Cole, James Jones, and a draft pick, but the Nuggets probably wouldn't have much use for Cole or Jones' contract, which includes a player option for next season.

Mozgov has also been linked to the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Bobcats this week.

Morning Rumors: Hickson, Pacers, Heat, Bulls

February 21st, 2013 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

With the deadline less than five hours away and trade rumors picking up steam, here are a few miscellaneous rumblings from around the league:

The Trail Blazers' chances of landing a first-round pick in exchange for J.J. Hickson don't look good at the moment, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
In an effort to move below the tax threshold, the Warriors are still attempting to move bench players, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Within the same tweet, Wojnarowski says the Pacers are shopping D.J. Augustin and his expiring contract.
Wojnarowski's rumor-heavy tweet also includes word that the Heat are offering Dexter Pittman in deals.
The Bulls are "pushing hard" to unload Richard Hamilton, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
The Thunder have been seeking a first-rounder for Eric Maynor, but haven't found any takers yet, says Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter).

Spears On Oden, Kings, Gordon, Ridnour, Bucks

February 19th, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

In the last pre-trade-deadline installment of his weekly power rankings, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports shares trade nuggets for a good chunk of the NBA's 30 teams. We've already heard many of them, but here are a few of Spears' notes of interest:

Agent Mike Conley tells Spears that his client Greg Oden likely won't sign with a team until the offseason. We've heard that the Cavaliers and Bobcats are preparing to make Oden offers after the trade deadline, so if he really waits until the summer to sign, it would strongly suggest to me that he prefers to go to the Heat. Miami can only offer a minimum-salary contract at this point, but would have the mini mid-level exception available again in July.
The Kings prefer to let a new ownership group inherit the team as is, so they likely won't make any moves at the deadline.
Eric Gordon figures to remain with the Hornets through the deadline, but the club may explore potential trades involving Gordon this summer.
A source tells Spears that, contrary to previous reports, the Timberwolves aren't actively shopping Luke Ridnour.
The Bucks doubt that they'll move either Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis this week, even though both players could become free agents in the summer.
Mark Cuban would like to make a trade that makes Dirk Nowitzki the Mavericks' second-best player, according to Spears. I have a hard time believing there's a deal out there like that for Dallas.
The Pistons are expected to stand pat at the deadline.