Oden Eyeing NBA Return; Heat, Others Interested
11:58am: Several teams, including the Heat, have expressed interest in signing Oden to a multiyear deal that begins this season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. However, even if Oden signs during the 2012/13 season, he's unlikely to return to the court until 2013/14, says Windhorst. A multiyear contract that begins this season would allow him to continue his rehab with an NBA club.
9:20am: It has been more than three years since Greg Oden appeared in a regular-season NBA game, but the former first overall pick hasn't given up on his playing career yet. Mike Conley, Oden's former teammate at Ohio State and the son of Oden's agent Mike Conley Sr., tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) that the big man hopes to hit the free agent market and join an NBA team before the end of the 2012/13 season.
According to Conley, Oden is back in Columbus, taking classes and trying to work himself into playing shape. If Oden decides he isn't ready to return to the court by season's end, or if there isn't sufficient interest among NBA teams, the seven-footer intends to look ahead to next season and try again in the fall.
The last we heard from Oden himself, back in August, he was downplaying his chances of returning this season. However, he did admit that if he feels good and is healthy enough to come back, he'd "love to play this year." Oden underwent his most recent microfracture surgery on his left knee last March.
Heat Re-Sign Josh Harrellson
Three days after being released by the Heat, Josh Harrellson has rejoined the team, according to Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Richardson reports that Miami has re-signed Harrellson to a 10-day contract.
The Heat opened up two roster spots earlier this week by cutting Harrellson and Terrel Harris before their non-guaranteed contracts became guaranteed for the season. However, the club didn't waste much time in filling those spots. Besides Harrellson, Jarvis Varnado also signed a 10-day contract with Miami yesterday.
The pair of signings means that, for now, there's no room on the Heat roster for Chris Andersen, who worked out for the team this week. However, Miami will have the opportunity to reevaluate their frontcourt options in 10 days, when Varnado's and Harrellson's contracts expire.
Before Harrellson re-signed with Miami, he was in contact with the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Martin, Knicks, Cavs, Andersen
Kenyon Martin is one of many talented NBA veterans who has so far been unable to find a home in 2012/13. That may change soon as the Knicks are showing interest in him, but a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that they have only discussed him internally to this point. The Knicks haven't reached out to Martin's representative yet, but that could be around the corner. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert did an on-air interview during the telecast of tonight's game to discuss the current state of the club. While 2012/13 has been difficult for Cleveland thus far, the owner vowed that better days are ahead, according to the Plain Dealer (on Twitter). "This year has not been an easy year…Things will improve. There are better days ahead. We will get through it," said Gilbert.
- One NBA executive told Andrew Perna of RealGM that we likely won't see significant trades go down until February. “There hasn’t really been a lot of talk going around,” the executive said. “There is general chatter, but nothing serious. A lot of teams are trying to figure out what is going on with [the Grizzlies] and all the names that have been thrown around.”
- Nuggets coach George Karl gave Chris Andersen a strong endorsement in an interview with Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (on Twitter). While admitting that the 34-year-old isn't what he once was, he believes that he could be a solid piece for the Heat for 15-25 minutes per night. The forward known as Birdman auditioned for Miami earlier this week.
Heat Sign Jarvis Varnado
WEDNESDAY, 7:51am: The Heat signed Varnado to a 10-day contract late last night, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). It appears Miami waited until Wednesday to officially complete the move, which will allow them to keep Varnado around for an extra day next weekend.
TUESDAY, 11:20am: Jarvis Varnado was waived two days ago by the Celtics, meaning he's on track to clear waivers later this afternoon. When that happens, Varnado is expected to sign a 10-day contract with the Heat, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Varnado, who was drafted 41st overall by the Heat in 2010, spent two seasons overseas before joining Miami's camp this fall. However, he was cut by the team before the regular season began. The former Mississippi State product signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Celtics in December and appeared briefly in five games for Boston before being released in advance of this week's guarantee deadline.
The Heat are also working out Chris Andersen today, and signing Varnado wouldn't necessarily preclude adding the Birdman as well. After waiving Terrel Harris and Josh Harrellson this week, the Heat have two open roster spots.
Odds & Ends: Kaman, Fredette, Beverley
Chris Kaman, making $8MM this year as one of many Mavs on a one-year contract, told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida that he wants to return to Dallas next year, but he isn't sure whether the team will have him. Kaman's preference is for long-term contracts (Sulia links). "Nobody wants to do a one-year deal," he said. "If anybody prefers, they would do a long-term deal if they felt comfortable in the situation. So everybody kind of is just trying together to be a team. I think sometimes that creeps in. 'I’m in this one-year deal, I better play good.' It’s not that it’s selfish but it’s just a lot of pressure for a player." The handful of players without fully guaranteed contracts who got the ax today probably wouldn't mind a one-year deal right now, but it's all relative in the NBA. Here's more from around the Association.
- DeMarcus Cousins isn't the only member of the Kings off-limits in trade talks, as USA Today's Sam Amick hears the team is not making Jimmer Fredette available, either.
- The final two seasons of Patrick Beverley's three-year contract with the Rockets are team options, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- The Rockets signed Greg Smith to a similar deal 11 months ago, and he's become a significant contributor off the bench this season, as Feigen examines.
- Mike James will sign his 10-day pact with the Mavs on Tuesday, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link).
- Wolves GM David Kahn doesn't think the team's most pressing need is another big man, even with Kevin Love sidelined, and said he's having difficulty getting other GMs to engage in serious trade talk with the deadline still more than six weeks away. Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune has the details.
- The Wolves are still keeping an eye on Mickael Gelabale, but other teams may have stronger interest, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- Chris Andersen's "ancillary issues" aren't a concern for the Heat, who will bring him in for a workout Tuesday, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Winderman is presumably referring to Andersen's legal troubles last year.
Heat Eyeing Chris Andersen
Having cleared a pair of roster spots by cutting Terrel Harris and Josh Harrellson, the Heat are considering signing Chris Andersen, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Andersen will be in Miami over the next couple days to take a physical and work out for the Heat, according to Wojnarowski.
This isn't the first time the Heat have mulled the idea of signing the Birdman. Back in August, the team was looking at Andersen, but ultimately elected to sign Harrellson instead. However, Miami was unwilling to guarantee Harrellson's contract for the season, and has circled back and renewed its interest in Andersen.
If the Heat decide to sign Andersen, the club will have the opportunity to offer him a 10-day contract rather than a rest-of-season deal, since the 10-day-contract portion of the season got underway today.
Heat Waive Josh Harrellson
The Heat have officially waived big man Josh Harrellson, according to a team press release. Harrellson was on a non-guaranteed contract, so the team won't be on the hook for his full-season salary.
Harrellson, 23, saw very limited action in Miami this season, logging just 28 total minutes in five games with the team. The 45th overall pick in 2011, Harrellson will become an unrestricted free agent assuming he clears waivers.
Having also waived Terrel Harris over the weekend, the Heat now have 13 players on their roster, leaving two open spots.
Heat Rumors: Harris, Big Men, Martin, Pittman
The Heat were pounded on the boards last night in a loss to the the Bulls, who outrebounded them 48-28. That came just days after Nikola Vucevic set a Magic franchise record by pulling down 29 rebounds against the Heat. No team has grabbed fewer rebounds this season than the defending champs, and that makes it easy to assume Miami will pursue a rebounder with the open roster spot they'll have when Terrel Harris clears waivers. We have more on that and other matters out of South Beach this afternoon.
- Team president Pat Riley said through a team spokesman that Miami is not looking to add anyone at the moment, reports Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. That echoes the sentiments of coach Erik Spoelstra and the players, who believe the team can solve its rebouding woes on its own.
- Free agent Kenyon Martin had the Heat atop his wish list in November, but the team has shown little recent interest in the veteran who's averaged 7.1 rebounds per game for his career, writes Michael Wallace of ESPN.com.
- Part of the reason the Heat let go of Harris is so they can keep a roster spot open to add someone via trade, or make a signing after the trade deadline when players from other teams are bought out, as Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida explains (Sulia link).
- If Harris clears waivers, the Heat could opt to bring him back via 10-day contract, just as they did with Mickell Gladness last year, Winderman points out.
- Winderman also checks in with Heat center Dexter Pittman, who's on assignment with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League, and provides updates on a handful of former Heat players.
Heat Waive Terrel Harris
The Heat announced that they have waived guard Terrel Harris. Harris' deal would have become guaranteed on Monday's deadline and the move could signal that the Heat are gearing up to sign a big man.
Harris appeared in seven games with the Heat this year, averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.1 minutes per contest. He was a bigger part of Miami's rotation in 2011/12 as he appeared in 22 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
The move leaves the Heat with 14 men on their roster. Josh Harrellson is the team's only remaining non-guaranteed player.
Odds & Ends: Draft, Amare, Varejao, Heat
Most people seem to think that Kentucky's Nerlens Noel will be the top pick in the 2013 Draft but Joe Kotoch of Sheridan Hoops believes that it's still wide open. UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad has the Bruins on a six-game winning streak following his return to action and the guard is impressing scouts with his outside shooting. Maryland center Alex Len has injected himself into the conversation with surprisingly strong play so far this season. Indiana big man Cody Zeller could even find himself in the mix with a strong finish to the 2012/13 season. Here's more from around the Association..
- Amare Stoudemire made waves this week when he said that Knicks coach Mike Woodson has him playing defense for the first time in his career, but the forward walked those comments back somewhat. Stoudemire told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he meant it as a compliment to Woodson and not a shot at former coach Mike D'Antoni.
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter) thinks that the Cavaliers might have to give some more thought to moving Anderson Varejao given the strong play of Tristan Thompson in his place. The Cavs' asking price for Varejao at the moment is said to be quite high.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see free agent Kenyon Martin as the solution to the Heat's rebounding woes as they need a taller big man to help clean the glass.
- The D-League Showcase gets underway on Monday and Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside previews some of the top players auditioning for ten-day contracts. Mike James, who hooked on with the Texas Legends this week, is among the players to watch.