Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Moves: McCalebb, White, Roberts

August 2nd, 2012 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

We haven't been keeping up with international free agent signings this summer like we have with NBA transactions, but occasionally there are a few items of interest to pass along. Here are a few notable recent moves from overseas:

Top international player Bo McCalebb will remain overseas rather than making the leap to the NBA anytime soon. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes, Turkey's Fenerbahce Ulker announced today that they've signed the former University of New Orleans standout. The deal will be for three years, with a third-year option.
2010 Pistons second-round pick Terrico White has signed in Serbia with Radnicki Kragujevac, according to Carchia.
According to various reports, Brian Roberts, who had been playing in Germany, has left his team and will receive a training camp invite from the Hornets. This move has yet to be confirmed by any Hornets beat writer or the team itself.
Jarvis Varnado, who was selected 41st overall by the Heat in the 2010 draft, is hoping to sign with Miami this summer, and isn't considering offers overseas at the moment, says Carchia.

Darko Milicic Not Considering Playing Overseas

August 1st, 2012 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Darko Milicic is still seeking a new contract after having been amnestied by the Timberwolves last month, but he expects that contract to be with an NBA team rather than an international club. Agent Marc Cornstein tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that his client isn't considering playing overseas, and that he will be back in the NBA.

Shortly after he was waived by Minnesota, Darko was said to be drawing interest from the Heat, Nets, Clippers, and Bulls. The latter two teams have signed other veteran bigs – Ryan Hollins for the Clippers and Nazr Mohammed for the Bulls – so it would seem the Heat and Nets would be the two frontrunners for the 2003 lottery pick, and Tomasson confirms that Miami still has interest. However, according to Cornstein, Darko is still looking at a number of teams, with no definite timetable for his decision.

Because he's still earning a pay check from the Timberwolves, Darko has indicated that playing time will likely be a more important factor in his decision than salary. I'd expect to see him sign a minimum-salary deal with a team that could offer him a spot in its frontcourt rotation.

Southeast Notes: Bobcats, Heat, Magic, Howard

August 1st, 2012 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

On this day 12 years ago, the Heat and Hornets consummated a blockbuster swap that was, at the time, the largest trade in Heat history. The nine-player deal saw Jamal Mashburn, P.J. Brown, and three others head to Charlotte in exchange for four players, including Anthony Mason and Eddie Jones. We're certainly not expecting a move that big out of the Southeast or any other division today, but there are a few links worth passing on out of the Southeast, so let's round them up….

The Bobcats made "a big push" to sign Carl Landry, but there was mutual interest between Landry and Warriors since the start of free agency, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks the Heat would still like to add a veteran big man, if possible.
While the exact details of the Magic's long-term plan remain unclear, the team intends to follow the model established by the Spurs, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Chris Broussard suggests the steps Dwight Howard should take to rehabilitate his image and part ways on good terms with the Magic.

Rivers Takes Blame For Allen Leaving Celtics

August 1st, 2012 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Although much has been made of Ray Allen's reportedly frosty relationship with Rajon Rondo, coach Doc Rivers tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that Rivers, rather than Rondo, should be blamed for Allen's departure from Boston. According to Rivers, Allen wasn't pleased with a reduced role in the Celtics' offense and rotation, a decision made by the coach.

"I'm the guy who gave Rondo the ball," Rivers said. "I'm the guy who decided that Rondo needed to be more of the leader of the team. That doesn't mean guys liked that – and Ray did not love that – because Rondo now had the ball all the time…. And that bothered Ray.

"And not starting [games] bothered Ray," Rivers continued. "I did examine it, and the conclusion I came back to was this: By doing the right things, we may have lost Ray. If I hadn't done that, I would've been a hypocrite. In the opening speech I make every year, I tell the team: 'Every decision I make is going to be what's good for the team, and it may not be what's good for the individual.'"

According to Rivers, he mediated issues between Rondo and Allen for most of the five years that both players were in Boston together, with the relationship between the backcourt mates worsening in 2010/11. Wojnarowski reports that Allen also took issue with how he was compensated, his reduced role, and the fact that his name was constantly included in trade talks.

Rivers doesn't believe Allen's role will be any greater in Miami than it would have been in Boston. However, the C's coach points out that it may be easier for a veteran player to accept a lesser role when he's getting a fresh start, rather than being gradually shifted into that role by a team that used to feature him more. Rivers also holds no ill will toward the veteran sharpshooter for his decision to sign with the Heat.

"For a week or two, I was really disappointed, pissed, because I thought it was for all the wrong reasons," Rivers said. "It was more about himself, his team. And then, I realized: Well, it should be about himself. It was free agency. I wasn't thinking right."

Raja Bell Close To Buyout With Jazz

July 30th, 2012 at 7:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

JULY 30: Bell's buyout with the Jazz hasn't been finalized and there's a holdup in negotiations, a league source tells Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Utah would like to sign off on Bell's buyout and move on from last season's drama while Bell's camp has yet to agree to the terms, Smith tweets.

JULY 8: Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that Raja Bell is on the verge of a buyout with the Jazz. The 6'5'' shooting guard averaged 6.4 PPG and shot 39.1% from three point range in 34 games last season. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (via Twitter) says that Bell could be interested in returning to his hometown to play for the Heat. The Lakers could also be a possibility, as the 35-year-old guard would be reunited with former-Suns teammate Steve Nash.

Smith also mentions that Bell holds no ill-will toward the Jazz and greatly respects GM Kevin O'Connor. The 12-year-veteran elaborated further on his current situation with Smith (Sulia link):

"We typically play it pretty close to the vest. [Agent] Herb [Rudoy] and I are pretty private. But, in essence, [I'm] pretty much a free agent. I don't think the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed. But we've been given the greenlight by Utah to go ahead and find something that works for us. We've agreed to the terms. So I think it's safe to say now we are in the market again and we're entertaining our options at this point."

During the summer of 2010, Bell signed with Utah despite heavy interest from the Bulls and Lakers. In May of this year, we documented Bell's intentions of moving on from the Jazz and recalled the tension brewing between him and head coach Tyrone Corbin over the course of the season. Although Utah made the playoffs this year, Raja did not play in any of team's postseason games.

Odds & Ends: Vaughn, Heat, Jerebko, Pistons

July 28th, 2012 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Magic have their head coach in former Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn – now it’s on to the small matter of figuring out what to do with Dwight Howard. Here’s the latest from around the Association..

While some outsiders might be surprised to see Vaughn get the head coaching job in Orlando over more high-profile candidates, the Spurs saw this coming, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “Jacque Vaughn is a star,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said upon hiring Vaughn two summers ago. “You can see the same qualities in him that you saw in Avery [Johnson].”
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn’t think that the Heat have to rush into adding a big man as it is July and there are still plenty of centers available.
LeBron James had high praise for Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko and called him a “shining star,” writes Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press. Jerebko inked a four-year, $18MM deal with Detroit prior to the start of the 2011/12 season.
As far as Alonzo Mourning is concerned, the original Dream Team is the best USA basketball team ever assembled, Winderman writes. The former center believes that the second-best squad assembled is the 1994 USA team (also known as “Dream Team II”) which featured Mourning in the middle.

2011/12 Taxpaying Teams

July 25th, 2012 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

While teams get their books in order for the 2012/13 season, navigating the salary cap and the luxury tax threshold, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com takes a look back at the league's 2011/12 finances. Deeks shares the official list of teams that paid the luxury tax in 2011/12, along with the amount each club paid. The list is as follows:

Los Angeles Lakers: $12,557,264
Boston Celtics: $7,365,867
Miami Heat: $6,129,340
Dallas Mavericks: $2,738,843
San Antonio Spurs: $2,514,275
Atlanta Hawks: $666,199

The more punitive luxury-tax penalties introduced in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement have yet to kick in, so the tax penalties for the aforementioned six teams come by way of the old system — teams are penalized $1 for every dollar they spend over the tax line. In 2011/12, that tax line was at $70,307,000, so the Hawks, for instance, spent $70,973,199 on their roster.

Tax penalties for 2012/13 will remain the same as in 2011/12, but next offseason the CBA's increased restrictions take effect in earnest. In the summer of 2013, teams over the luxury tax line are ineligible to acquire players in sign-and-trade deals, while clubs that exceed the tax threshold for the 2013/14 season will pay an incremental rate based on team salary.

Heat Notes: Lewis, Sign-And-Trades, Milicic

July 22nd, 2012 at 9:46am CST by Daniel Seco

The rich got richer this offseason as the Heat reloaded for another run at the Larry O'Brien trophy heading into the 2012/13 season. With the proverbial monkey off LeBron James' back, the Heat will enter next season as the odds-on favorites to take home another championship with an even stronger supporting cast surrounding King James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has the latest news and headlines from South Beach to catch you up to speed…

The addition of Rashard Lewis to the mix for merely the veteran minimum doesn't mean the forward will strictly come off the bench for the Heat next season. Adding Lewis to the starting lineup would allow Shane Battier to return to his role of defensive stopper off the bench and allow Bosh to play at center given Lewis' length. Lewis, who is reportedly in good shape, will have to show something during training camp for any chance at securing a spot in the starting lineup.
Joel Anthony and a first-round pick from the Sixers could be dangled as attractive pieces in a potential sign-and-trade if the Heat aren't satisfied with their current roster. While the team would benefit from acquiring a veteran point guard, the available options wouldn't make the team significantly better at this point. Andray Blatche, recently amnestied by the Wizards, could be a quality addition, but the team wouldn't have to do a sign-and-trade to acquire him.
Look for Darko Milicic to end up in Miami now that Nazr Mohammed appears set to sign with the Bulls. Milicic could stand to benefit playing amongst a group of All-Stars who will push him to play to the best of his ability. At 27, the former second overall draft pick of the Pistons in 2003 still has a chance to have a respectable career if given the right opportunity.

Ben Wallace, Juwan Howard Considering Returns

July 21st, 2012 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Long-tenured NBA veterans Juwan Howard and Ben Wallace are considering whether to come back and play one more season. Howard, who'll turn 40 on February 7th, said he'd prefer to come back with the Heat if he opts against retirement, according to the Associated Press.

"I still have the itch," Howard said. "I still have the passion and the love for the game. More importantly, I still like staying in shape and I can't sit on my behind. I'm still iffy as far as if I want to come back and play or not, but I'll tell you one thing – once I decide, I want to be ready. So I am working out … ready for whatever happens."

Wallace recently indicated he'd like to return to the Pistons after previously saying he'd retire following last season. He tells WTVR, a Richmond, Va., television station near his home, that he's "50-50" about coming back. The Detroit Free Press says the team would have to make a trade to open a roster spot for Wallace, but that's contingent on the team signing second-round pick Khris Middleton, which is not a given. The Pistons are mulling whether Wallace fits in with their youth movement, but some in the organization would like him around to mentor ninth overall pick Andre Drummond, the Free Press report says.

Wallace averaged 1.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game last season for the Pistons, cracking the starting lineup 11 times. Howard was an afterthought in Miami, notching 1.5 PPG and 1.7 RPG in just 6.8 MPG in 28 appearances. If either were to play next season, it would almost certainly be on a veteran's minimum deal.

Four Teams In Running For Darko Milicic

July 18th, 2012 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

No team submitted a bid for Darko Milicic when the Timberwolves placed him on amnesty waivers, but the former second overall pick is drawing interest now that he's a free agent. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Heat, Clippers, Bulls, and Nets are the frontrunners to sign Milicic.

We heard yesterday that the Nets and Clippers are targeting backup centers, so their interest comes as no surprise. The Heat are also in the market for a big man, after adding a pair of shooters, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, in free agency. The most interesting team of the four is the Bulls — K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wonders (via Twitter) if Chicago's interest in Darko is a hint that the team might let Omer Asik go to Houston.

While Milicic certainly hasn't had the sort of career that the other top-five picks in 2003 have, the 27-year-old is one of the more attractive centers left among this summer's unrestricted free agents. Nazr Mohammed, Ben Wallace, and Ryan Hollins are a few of the other available options.

With the T-Wolves still paying him for the next two years, Milicic is a good bet to sign a minimum-salary deal this summer.