Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Notes: Hoiberg, Rondo, Mirotic, Forman

January 27th, 2017 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg will eventually have to pick a side in the ongoing verbal battle involving Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago. The team has seen verbal sniping this week, with Wade and Butler questioning the effort some of the players and Rondo responding on social media by saying his former Celtics teammates wouldn’t criticize players in the media. Goodwill states that Hoiberg faces a “defining moment” in trying to diffuse the situation.

There’s more today out of Chicago:

Nikola Mirotic and Michael Carter-Williams have been the main sources of frustration for Wade and Butler, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Johnson adds that both addressed the players privately before speaking to the media. “I’m very expressive. I want good for these guys. I try to help these guys,” Wade said. “But there also comes a time [when] I can’t want it for you. It’s not every person on this team. But guys know who they are if they want to be real with themselves, if they’re doing enough.”
GM Gar Forman is expected to make a statement to the media at this afternoon’s shootaround, Johnson tweets. Rondo will also reportedly answer questions (Twitter link).
Waiving Rondo would be the easy way out for the Bulls, says Bobby Marks of The Vertical on a podcast with Chris Mannix. Marks suggests a team meeting where all the players can discuss their grievances and says Rondo shouldn’t be made a scapegoat for exposing the problems in the Bulls’ locker room. The former Nets executive also criticizes the Bulls’ roster, which he says is poorly formed outside of Butler and Wade.

Blazers Duo, Embiid Fail To Make All-Star Cut

January 26th, 2017 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, the Blazers backcourt duo Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and Jazz center Rudy Gobert were among the prominent players who failed to make the cut on the Western Conference All-Star reserve unit, which was unveiled on Thursday and relayed on the NBA’s Twitter feed. Joel Embiid, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were some of the notable names who didn’t make the cut on the Eastern Conference squad. (Twitter links).

Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan and Gordon Hayward received the most votes by the conference’s coaches, who pick the reserves. Westbrook, of course, was the biggest snub among the All-Star starters as the fan voting, which counted for 50% toward the overall balloting, put him behind Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Paul George, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, Kemba Walker and John Wall were named the Eastern Conference’s All-Star reserves.

Did the coaches get it right or was there an obvious mistake on their part? Go to the comments section and weigh in.

Rondo Rips Wade, Butler For Criticizing Teammates

January 26th, 2017 at 5:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Rajon Rondo ripped teammates Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler in an Instagram post for their leadership qualities after they criticized younger teammates following a home loss to the Hawks on Wednesday. The Instagram post was retweeted by numerous media members, including Bulls beat writer Nick Friedell of ESPN.com.

Without naming Wade and Butler in the post, Rondo called out the duo for voicing their frustration about their teammates’ desire, effort and decision-making to the media after Chicago squandered a late lead to Atlanta. Rondo pointed to his early NBA years, when he was a young point guard, and said “my vets” — the post included a picture of former Celtics duo Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett — would not have gone public with those criticisms. He also questioned the Bulls’ duo work habits and approach to adversity.

Here is the full post:

“My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn’t pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym, whether it was practice or a game. They didn’t take days off. My vets didn’t care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn’t blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn’t have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn’t change the plan because it didn’t work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can’t win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don’t deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it’s the leadership.”

Rondo, who has seen his playing time diminish after beginning the year as the team’s starting point guard, figuratively threw a stick of dynamite on an already volatile situation. Rondo aligned with his younger teammates at the expense of undermining Wade and Butler.

It will be interesting to see how Bulls management handles the controversy. Rondo is making a guaranteed $14MM but is now sharing time with Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams. His $13.4MM salary for next season is not guaranteed and the front office could decide to cut him loose sooner rather than later, given his public stance on the team’s leadership.

Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler Criticize Bulls Teammates

January 26th, 2017 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls suffered another frustrating defeat on Wednesday night, blowing a 10-point lead in the final three minutes and losing 119-114 to the Hawks. The collapse represented a boiling point for a pair of Bulls stars, as Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler questioned the effort and heart of their teammates in post-game comments, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

“I wish I could say that everyone in here is going to go home and not eat tonight. I can’t say that. I don’t know that they care enough,” Wade said. “Games are supposed to hurt. You’re not supposed to sleep. You’re not supposed to want to talk to anybody. I don’t know if that is in guys in this locker room. Hopefully, they can prove me wrong. But I will challenge them to see if losses like this hurt.

“They have to figure it out as individuals,” Wade added. “Guys have to look at themselves in the mirror and see if you really care enough. Are you putting everything into it for your teammates and for yourself? I would say no.”

Butler echoed Wade’s sentiments, questioning whether their teammates were as upset about the team’s bad losses this season as they should be.

“If you don’t come in this (expletive) pissed off after you lose any game, something is wrong,” Butler said. “This is your job. This is what you’re supposed to love to do, and I don’t think that everybody looks at it that way. I want to play with guys who care, guys who play hard, who want to do well for this organization, who want to do whatever it takes to win.”

Wade and Butler also questioned the Bulls’ shot-attempt decisions down the stretch, with players like Paul Zipser and Nikola Mirotic taking – and missing – key three-pointers late in the game. Butler suggested that the club needs to make a better effort to get the ball into the hands of its best players in key late-game situations, while Wade acknowledged that players should be ready to take open shots, but added that “you better have made that shot a lot of times and you better have put the work in — and I don’t see that enough.”

“Me and Jimmy, Coach puts the ball in our hands a lot to make plays, to make shots. That’s our job,” Wade said. “I think for the majority of the season we’ve done it when (it) counted, when we needed to. I can look at Jimmy and say Jimmy is doing his job. I think Jimmy can look at me and say Dwyane is doing his job. I don’t know if we can keep going down the line and be able to say that.”

The Bulls remain in the playoff picture in the East, as their 23-24 record is good for the No. 8 seed. However, given the frustration in the locker room, and the criticisms coming from team leaders, it would be surprising to see Chicago stand pat over the next few weeks. The club’s front office figures to explore ways to improve – or shake up – the roster prior to the trade deadline, though Butler had no interest in offering suggestions for potential deals.

“That’s not my job,” Butler said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “I don’t give a damn about no trade deadline. I just want to win now. Not later. Now.”

Heat Notes: Waiters, Bosh, Gay

January 25th, 2017 at 6:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat are open to keeping Dion Waiters long-term and the shooting guard, who holds a player option worth $3MM for next season, feels like he’s finally found a home in the league, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

“Everything, the organization, my teammates, my coach, of course [Pat Riley],” he said. “I feel right at home. Like I said before, when I signed, it wasn’t ever about the money. It was about the opportunity and just having a place you could call home, the enjoyment, and having fun. It’s been good. It’s just been consistent love. I’m happy for the opportunity and I’m just happy to be here.”

Here’s more from Miami:

Chris Bosh hasn’t definitively decided to resume his basketball career, but the idea of playing alongside Dwyane Wade or LeBron James appeals to him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Jackson hears that Bosh, who suffers from blood clotting, has not been working toward a comeback this season. Bosh reached out to the Players Association last season in an attempt to force the Heat to allow him to play, but he has not reached out to the union for that kind of help this season, a source tells Jackson. Jackson also hears that the big man isn’t responding to some of the union’s calls.
The Heat remain interested in Rudy Gay as a second-tier free agent should the team not be able to sign a star, Jackson writes in the same piece. Jackson notes that Gay, who ruptured his Achilles earlier this month, “loves the idea” of playing for Miami.
Udonis Haslem will make $4MM in the final year of his contract, but he wants to sign a new deal with the Heat during the offseason, as he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “My body still feels good,” Haslem said. “I plan on being around at least another year after this year.”
The MRI on Tyler Johnson‘s shoulder came back negative and the Heat are not expected to request a roster exception from the league, Winderman relays in a separate piece. Johnson has missed the team’s last two games because of the sprained shoulder.

Bulls’ Mediocrity Could Impact Wade’s PO Decision

January 24th, 2017 at 6:54pm CST by Austin Kent

The mediocrity of this year’s Bulls team could influence Dwyane Wade‘s decision to opt out of the final year of his contract, says Nick Friedell of ESPN. In 40 games with Chicago, Wade has posted averages of 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists but the 22-23 Bulls haven’t done much to prove that they’re ready to compete for much more than a possible eight-seed playoff berth.

“I can’t play this game forever. I just turned 35 and I have a number in my head how long I want to play,” Wade said. “At the end of the day you want to be in a situation where it’s a competitor situation, whatever the case may be.”

Despite that, Wade was quick to clarify that he wasn’t a “ring chaser,” citing the three titles he won with the Heat as the major difference between his mentality and those of players who’ve never competed for a championship.

There have been positives to come out of the first few months of the 2016/17 campaign, however, as uncompetitive as the team has been at times.

“Obviously I’m not happy with being 22-23. Who would be? But there are things around here that I am happy with,” he said. “Obviously I’m happy with Jimmy Butler‘s growth and our relationship. I’m happy with the organization, how they’ve approached things, but I’m not happy with our record.”

This summer Wade will have the option to turn down a $23.8MM option for the 2017/18 campaign, but he insists he hasn’t concerned himself with it. Though the salary cap is slated to rise, bringing with it an influx of available money, the 35-year-old may not yield offers as weighty as the one he signed with Chicago.

Worth noting is that, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, no teams were willing to give the veteran a guaranteed third year in 2016.

Central Notes: Wade, R. Jackson, Parker, Cavaliers

January 22nd, 2017 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Fiscal realities will probably keep Dwyane Wade in Chicago past this season, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Wade has a player option on next year’s $23.8MM salary, an amount that Winderman doesn’t think he’ll get from any other organization at age 35. If the Bulls opt to rebuild, the columnist believes Wade would consider taking an $8MM mid-level exception to team up with one of his close friends, either LeBron James in Cleveland, Chris Paul in Los Angeles or Carmelo Anthony in New York. A return to Miami is unlikely next season, Winderman states, but could be conceivable for 2018/19.

There’s more news from the Central Division:

Trading Reggie Jackson isn’t the right answer for the Pistons, argues Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News. A rumor made the rounds Friday that Detroit was considering a deal with Minnesota involving Jackson and Ricky Rubio. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy contacted Jackson and assured him it wasn’t true. Wojnowski states that it would be a mistake for the team to trade its floor leader after investing so heavily in him two years ago. “If he traded me, I told him it was news to me,” Jackson said. “I appreciated the text, just let me know I’m his guy. But I don’t really pay attention much to it.”
The Bucks held Jabari Parker out of the starting lineup Saturday as punishment for talking to the media about locker room conversations, discloses Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Parker made comments on a team meeting earlier this week, which is a violation of team rules. “I spoke up for the first time, and it didn’t go my way,” he told the media. “I was getting thrashed, but hey, as long as I give them another perspective, I did my job.”
The Cavaliers‘ need for a backup point guard was on display in Saturday’s nationally televised loss to the Spurs, writes Joe Vardon of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. In the overtime defeat, the Cavs were outscored 17-2 to start the second quarter and 12-1 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Wall, Dragic, Hezonja

January 20th, 2017 at 9:10pm CST by Milo Taibi

Controversy surrounded the ending of Thursday’s game between the Knicks and Wizards. Down three points in their final possession, the Knicks attempted to get a shot off while Washington assistant coach Sidney Lowe was standing on the court, appearing to distract Courtney Lee. The NBA addressed Lowe’s actions today, claiming he “should have been assessed a technical foul,” before levying a $15,000 fine against the Wizards and a $5,000 fine to Lowe. Carmelo Anthony stood up for his teammate, claiming Lee was deceived.

“He [Lowe] was on the court. They have six players on the court,” Anthony said of the Wizards’ assistant. “I’ve never seen it before. I’ve never seen that before, especially not in a situation like that. Close game, half court offense, we’re trying to make something happen. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Other goings-on around the Southeast:

John Wall, playing at the healthiest he’s been throughout his seven-year NBA career, is posting career-high totals in offensive categories. Unhappy with his perception as a player who wasn’t engaged at practice, the Wizards point guard has worked with a vengeance at the gym. “I wanted to put the work in but I couldn’t because I needed to spend an hour to stretch just to get prepared to practice. That was frustrating,” Wall said, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “People would tell me I don’t take the NBA seriously. I take this as seriously as possible. Now, I can do a regular stretch for 10 minutes and get a full workout in without having any problem afterward. That’s the key to why I am playing at a higher level.”
Goran Dragic has Dwyane Wade‘s competitive spirit, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said this week, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel details. “This game means so much to Goran Dragic,” Spoelstra said. “When we lose, he doesn’t sleep. He takes it hard like a coach would. I get text messages from him about things that he thought he could have done better or differently, hours after the game.” Dragic’s 20.3 points per game are his highest total since 2013/14 with the Suns.
The Hornets “have much to prove” at the midway point of the season, Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer writes. Coach Scott Clifford lamented his team’s inability to play to their strengths. “We are not physically imposing.” Clifford said. “We are not playing three guys who are going to average 23 (points) a night. What we are is we have exceptional basketball IQ, skill level and intelligence. And that only matters if you take advantage of it. So if you’re going to make mistakes and have dumb turnovers — we lost a game the other night with 19 turnovers — we’re not that team. …We can’t turn it over. We can’t beat ourselves.”
The playoffs appear to be an afterthought for the Magic, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. While the Magic expected to be an imposing defensive team, they’ve recently dropped out of the Top 20 in league-wide defense. With an ugly 17-27 mark at the halfway point of the season, coach Frank Vogel is shaking up his rotations, including giving 21-year-old Mario Hezonja additional court time.

Bulls Notes: Wade, Butler, Grant, Rondo

January 20th, 2017 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade calls his first half season in Chicago “average” and says he’s still adjusting to life with the Bulls, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Wade is still playing at an All-Star level, averaging 18.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game, but the team has been disappointing at 21-22. Because his $47MM deal includes a player option for next season, Wade will face another decision on his future this summer. Wade admits he left his “comfort zone” after 13 seasons in Miami. “Whenever I feel a certain way about anything, I always think about that, that I made the decision, and it’s a challenge that I wanted for myself,” he said. “Like I said maybe in the [introductory] presser or somewhere, the easiest for me to [have done is] to just ride off into the sunset in my comfort in Miami. And no one [would have] judged me at all. … But I made it a little more difficult than that because I’m a competitor, so I challenged myself.”

There’s more this morning from Chicago:

Wade’s future with the Bulls may be tied to Jimmy Butler‘s, Friedell writes in a separate piece. There are internal discussions in the organization about committing to a rebuilding process, which Wade wouldn’t be interested in at age 35. He said Butler played a key role in recruiting him to Chicago and will affect his decision when free agency arrives again. “One of the main reasons I’m here is Jimmy,” Wade said. “He’s the one who called me and got me to come here. So that’s a big part of my decision and everything else, is what Jimmy’s doing, what his future looks like and all that. And I’ve made it very clear. So I have no idea from that standpoint. You just have to wait and see and then see what works out.” Butler is signed through the 2019/20 season, but was the subject of multiple trade rumors last offseason.
Horace Grant, who serves as special advisor to president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf, says Chicago doesn’t need any drastic moves to reach the postseason. In a video posted on CSNChicago, the former Bull says the team just needs its key players to stay healthy. “I wouldn’t worry about trading anyone,” Grant said. “I wouldn’t worry about trading Jimmy or anything. I will find a way with the pieces that we have now, which I sincerely think that we’re going to make the playoffs, that we’re going to make a push.”
Rajon Rondo, who has had several run-ins with his coaches, would like to be an NBA head coach when he’s done playing, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

Central Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Korver, Wade

January 6th, 2017 at 10:51pm CST by Austin Kent

The Pistons have known all along that the pending free agency of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be tough to handle, but it would be an easier pill to swallow were they winning at the rate they enjoyed in 2015/16. According to Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois, Caldwell-Pope’s agents could use Allen Crabbe‘s four-year, $72MM deal with the Trail Blazers as a precedent and then ask for considerably more.

In four seasons with Detroit, Caldwell-Pope has established himself as a gritty, lockdown defender who doesn’t take plays off. While his relatively modest 14.4 points per game (14.5 last season) do little to justify his case as a big money player to those who haven’t seen him play, his reputation is what has earned him the trust of head coach Stan Van Gundy.

Caldwell-Pope averaged 36.7 minutes per game last season as the Pistons crept into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Only three players, James Harden, Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler played more for their respective teams.

The Pistons already have four players owed over $10MM next season, including Andre Drummond who will collect $23.8MM, but the team will see Josh Smith‘s $14MM wiped as consolation.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

In light of the Cavaliers‘ recent deal for Kyle Korver, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio explores what could be next for the team. Per Amico, Mario Chalmers and Jarrett Jack are among the names that could be added as a backup point guard.
Former teammate of LeBron James and current Bulls guard, Dwyane Wade spoke with Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago regarding the Korver deal. “You want the politically correct answer, or the other one? The rich getting richer,” said Wade of the Cavaliers.
There are several reasons why the Korver trade could shift the balance of power to the Cavaliers, writes Keith Smart of RealGM in a recap of the deal. Smart expects Korver’s numbers to surge like Channing Frye‘s did when he was acquired late last season.