Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: McRoberts, McGruder, Wade, J. Johnson

November 20th, 2016 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are signs that the Heat have lost confidence in Josh McRoberts, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Instead of turning to McRoberts when backup center Willie Reed suffered a hyper-extended knee recently, coach Erik Spoelstra rushed Hassan Whiteside back into the game. He used James Johnson and Luke Babbitt as reserves instead of McRoberts. Part of the problem is McRoberts’ lack of aggressiveness on offense, as he is averaging just 1.3 points in the three games he has played. He has a player option worth more than $6MM for next season.

There’s more news out of Miami:

The Heat look like they made a wise investment when they signed promising guard Rodney McGruder to a long-term contract, Winderman writes in the same piece. McGruder, who is averaging 4.8 points in 18.0 minutes through the first 11 games, signed a three-year deal in July with a small guarantee for next season and none for 2018-19. Miami will own his Bird Rights when that contract expires.
Former Heat player Antoine Walker thinks the team may suffer long-term damage from letting Dwyane Wade leave in free agency, Winderman writes in another story. “I think the situation with Dwyane Wade rubbed a lot of superstars the wrong way, to let Dwyane Wade walk out the door,” Walker said in a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “I think Dwyane Wade played excellent last year. I think he played good enough where he could have deserved a big-time contract. It was a no-brainer. He was healthy pretty much the whole season.”
The Heat are getting defensive value out of two of their offseason signings, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. James Johnson leads all forwards in the league by holding the players he guards to 27.7% shooting. Dion Waiters is second among starting NBA shooting guards, limiting opponents to 36.4%.

Eastern Notes: Turner, Ferrell, Wade

November 11th, 2016 at 8:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics have struggled to begin the 2016/17 campaign, and one reason given by point guard Isaiah Thomas is the absence of swingman Evan Turner, who signed with Portland as a free agent this offseason, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald relays.

“The wing position is a very important position in this league, and if you’re missing that, then it’s going to be tough for you,” Thomas said after Thursday’s practice. “Especially we don’t have Evan Turner, so it’s like, we’re not just missing Jae Crowder [who is injured], we’re missing Evan, who was a big part of what we’ve done. Now we’ve got a rookie [Jaylen Brown] in his place that things are coming fast for him, so he’s trying to figure out on the fly, as well, and, at the same time, play at a high level. So it’s tough, but we’ve got to just sustain or whatever we need to while Jae’s out, help rook at the things he needs to get better at and go from there. But all the things that we’re getting beat at are not because certain guys are out. It’s because we’re not playing with our heart. We’re not giving it our all for whatever reason.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Yogi Ferrell‘s minimum salary deal with the Nets will run two years, with the second season being a team option, NetsDaily relays (via Twitter). The point guard is also on Brooklyn’s books for $100K from the first time he was waived by the team.
Heat president Pat Riley says he has reached out to former player Dwyane Wade via e-mail, which is the first contact the executive has attempted with the shooting guard since Wade’s departure over the summer, Dave Hyde of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I hope he got it,” Riley said regarding his message. “You know those guys changing phone numbers and e-mails …” Riley also noted that the lack of offseason contact between the pair is nothing new, Hyde adds. “He’d get three letters from me,” Riley said. “One asked if his a– was in shape, one said to get his a– in shape and one said he’d better be in shape.“
The solid play of the Hornets‘ reserves is a major reason for the team’s hot start to the season, as Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer notes. The scribe also points to the team’s acquisition of Marco Belinelli from the Kings in exchange for the No. 22 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft as a move that is paying early dividends for Charlotte.

Southeast Notes: Vogel, Augustin, Wade, Jefferson

November 9th, 2016 at 8:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The revamped Magic have sputtered out of the gate, but new coach Frank Vogel isn’t ready to make lineup changes, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Vogel has used the same starting five in each of Orlando’s games this season, including a blowout loss to the Bulls Monday that had him considering a shakeup. But Vogel decided to be patient with the group he has in place. “I’m not a knee-jerk coach,” Vogel said before tonight’s game. “If it’s needed, we’ll see it. I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic are facing the Timberwolves and new coach/executive Tom Thibodeau tonight, which brings back fond memories for reserve point guard D.J. Augustin, Robbins notes in the same piece. Thibodeau was Augustin’s coach with the Bulls in 2013/14, and was an important influence on his career. “He gave me an opportunity to play and play a lot of big minutes,” Augustin said. “He gave me confidence. And that’s exactly what he’s probably doing with those young guys over there, and you could tell by the way they’re playing.”
Bulls guard Dwyane Wade reiterated to reporters tonight that he hasn’t had any contact with team president Pat Riley since leaving the Heat in free agency, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Wade, who is preparing for his first game back in Miami on Thursday, said he’s not sure if he will try to contact Riley before the contest. “I know who Pat is,” Wade said. “It’s no secret to me. I was there 13 years, I’ve seen a lot of players come and go. I know how he is. If you’re not with him, you’re against him. That’s just the way he is. You got to understand that, man. And I’m cool with it. I’m fine, 100 percent. I was there 13 years so I’ve seen a lot of video tributes, seen a lot of players come in and go out. And I’ve seen the way he’s responded to them. And I know if you’re not with him, you’re against him.”
Center Al Jefferson may be gone from the Hornets, but coach Steve Clifford told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that his 2013 signing is still helping the franchise. Clifford said Jefferson, who joined the Pacers over the summer, gave Charlotte a sense of legitimacy around the league when he came to the city. “This league, in terms of things like that, is important, how you’re perceived by the players,” Clifford said. “The players talk, and the fact that he came here has opened the door” for other signings.

Southeast Notes: Mahinmi, Wizards, Wade, Heat

November 8th, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though they could use his help, the Wizards don’t plan to rush Ian Mahinmi back on the court, writes Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. The 6’11” center is a month removed from surgery to repair a partially torn medial meniscus in his left knee. His recovery time was set at six weeks, and coach Scott Brooks said his return will depend on how the knee responds. Mahinmi was jumping and rebounding today without a brace at today’s practice. “Once you’re able to get on the practice court with the group, it’s going to take some time to gain condition,” Brooks said. “He’s still some time away. Like I said, I hate to put a timetable on it, but I know he’s going to do his job to get back as soon as he can, but we’re not going to push him. We want to make sure he’s fit to play for the remainder of the season.” Washington signed Mahinmi to a four-year $64MM deal over the offseason.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

If Brooks is as unhappy with the team’s 1-5 start as Bradley Beal suggested this weekend, it may result in opportunities for younger players, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Rookies Sheldon McClellan, Danuel House and Daniel Ochefu could see increased minutes if the team doesn’t improve soon.
As Dwyane Wade prepares for his return to Miami on Thursday, he tells Nick Friedell of ESPN.com that he still pays attention to his former team. “I definitely watch when I get an opportunity to watch them play,” Wade said. “One, because it’s a lot of my young guys over there. I want to see them succeed. I want to see Tyler [Johnson] and Justise [Winslow] and all those guys take that next step. I want to see how Hassan [Whiteside] is going to respond to everyone saying this and that about him since he got paid. So I watch that as someone who knows them, then I watch the game as a fan and I watch it as a competitor. I watch it so many different ways.”
Wade also likes the moves the Magic made over the offseason, writes John Denton of NBA.com. Orlando overhauled its roster by adding nine new players, including a trade for Serge Ibaka and the free agent signing of Bismack Biyombo. “I thought they did a great job in Orlando of putting together a competitive team,’’ Wade said. “They did it a little different – like a throwback – where they went and got two bigs. Most people are trying to get smaller, but they went and got two bigs and that’s a throwback. But their bigs spread the floor and shoot the jump shot.”

Dwyane Wade Explains Why He Left Miami

November 8th, 2016 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade and the Heat had different priorities in free agency, which is what led to a messy breakup of their 13-year relationship, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago. When Wade announced in early July that he was accepting a two-year, $47MM offer from the Bulls, it marked the end of a long process in which he felt he didn’t get the respect he had earned for his accomplishments in Miami. Or as Wade puts it, “I found out very quickly that this is a business.”

The Heat set two priorities in free agency — re-signing Hassan Whiteside and reaching out to Kevin Durant. They needed to be able to offer max deals to both players, which limited the amount that was left to offer Wade. “At the end of the day,” Wade said, “I talked to those guys and I told them, ‘It’s free agency. I understand y’all have a job to do, and I have a job to do as well.’ I let it be known I was going to be a free agent and I wasn’t waiting by the phone for them to call me.”

The Heat were able to re-sign Whiteside on the first day of free agency and were one of five finalists for Durant. When he chose the Warriors, many assumed it was a formality to bring back Wade, but too many bridges had already been burned. Privately, the Heat front office was concerned about giving a max deal to a 34-year-old player, even one with Wade’s history. And Wade felt disrespected by being third in line.

“I did my homework because I understand Hassan was a priority, which he should’ve been,” Wade explained. “I understood that they were trying to go out and get KD, because that’s something they wanted to do. But I had to look out for myself and put myself in a situation that I wanted to be in if things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to work out, and they didn’t.”

Wade’s return to Miami in a visiting uniform will take place Thursday night. He insists that he still has a good relationship with the Heat organization and has talked with everyone except team president Pat Riley. But whatever emotions may accompany his homecoming, Wade made it clear that he has already moved on with his basketball life.

“I don’t know how many more years I have left to play this game,” he said. “It’s about doing what I want to do at this moment. Not saying I didn’t do what I wanted, I always did what I wanted, but it’s continuing to have the ability to do that. And I did. I put myself first for once. I didn’t say, hey, I waited on Miami to come to me. At the end of the day, I could’ve come back to Miami and made great money. The contract they offered me was good. By the time it got to me, my heart was somewhere else.”

Central Notes: Wade, Bulls, Pistons, Smith

October 31st, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Bulls‘ home opener last week, a 105-99 win over the Celtics, Dwyane Wade told Shams Charania of The Vertical that he “closed the Miami chapter” of his basketball career. The veteran guard admitted, with a smile, that he still hadn’t received the email that Pat Riley claimed to write to him in the wake of his departure, but added that he isn’t thinking much about the Heat anymore anyway.

“I can’t focus over there anymore,” Wade said after the Bulls’ opener. “I want those guys in Miami to be successful, but I’m motivated by greatness here. I’m motivated by doing what people think I can’t do, for sure. I had to make a decision, and I feel good about the decision I made. … I’m not here because I’m angry at [Riley] or the Heat. There’s no anger. I’m happy because I got the freedom to look elsewhere. I got to look at home.”

Here’s more from around the Central division:

Much has been made over the last few months about the Bulls‘ unusual roster construction, and Wade admits that it’s “not the ‘new traditional’ team” that features several three-point shooters. However, Wade suggests to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com that he expects the club to have success if it plays to its strengths.
With Reggie Jackson ailing, the Pistons have asked Ish Smith and Beno Udrih to carry the load at point guard early, and those players are delivering, writes Aaron McMann of MLive.com. Smith signed with the team this summer and Udrih was just claimed off waivers last week, but the duo has held its own early in the season for Detroit, as McMann details.
Due to a contract stand-off between J.R. Smith and the Cavaliers, the veteran shooting guard missed most of the training camp and preseason. As Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal observes, it has taken some time for Smith to get his legs under him, but he’s starting to round into form.

Heat Notes: Winslow, Weber, Haslem, Wade

October 30th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Justise Winslow‘s ballhandling skills gave Miami the confidence to cut Beno Udrih and Briante Weber, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The second-year forward has been helping Goran Dragic run the offense and allowing coach Erik Spoestra to put another shooter on the floor. Winderman speculates that as Josh McRoberts becomes available, the Heat will play more often without a traditional point guard on the floor.

There’s more news from Miami:

Weber has been promised a full opportunity to display his skills in the D-League, Winderman relays in a separate piece. With the Sioux Falls team last season, Weber shared the point guard role with Tre Kelley and DeAndre Liggins, but now he will be the clear starter. “They did everything right. They made him feel like he’s still very much in their plans,” said Weber’s agent, Bill Neff said. “To me, that was the sole criteria: They made it clear they have plans. They said, ‘He’s the point guard [at Sioux Falls] and we want to see him get better offensively.’ They told him, ‘Even though we cut you, we see real value.'”
Late-season collapses like the one Friday night against Charlotte as to be expected for a team with so much roster turnover, writes Shandel Richardson of The Sun-Sentinel. Veteran forward Udonis Haslem understands the need to be patient with all his new teammates. “You have to learn from the mistakes,” he said following the game. “You can’t come back the next game and continue to make the same mistakes and have the same errors. The key is learning from those things and being able to adjust and make those corrections the next game.”
The absence of Dwyane Wade hung over Friday’s home opener, according to Ethan Skolnick of CBS Sports. Even in the pre-game introductions, where Wade’s name used to be the last one called, fans and players could feel there was something missing. After 13 years with the Heat, Wade signed with the Bulls in July.

Eastern Notes: Pistons Arena, Morris Twins, Wade

October 29th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons are moving closer toward a move to downtown Detroit and the new Little Caesar’s Arena, team owner Tom Gores confirmed on Friday, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. Gores wouldn’t address specifics regarding the potential deal, but did note that it could happen as early as the 2017/18 season, McMann adds. “If we do it, it’s going to be soon,” Gores said. “I’ve always been relatively transparent with you guys, and we’re getting close. We’re getting close. Look, we’re serious. We’re serious about making this move. And I think we should take it in and enjoy the Palace. It’s been an historic arena.”

If the Pistons do make the move, they would share the arena with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. Both sides are researching what it would take to retro-fit the still-under-construction venue for basketball, and Pistons ownership is seeking space downtown for executive offices and a team practice facility, McMann writes. “There’s a lot going on down there,” Gores said of downtown Detroit. “If you look at it, you got the Tigers, the Red Wings, the Lions. There’s a lot going on down there. There’s a lot of activity.”

Here’s more from the East:

Wizards forward Markieff Morris and his twin brother, Marcus Morris, who is a member of the Pistons, are the subjects of a civil lawsuit in Arizona stemming from an alleged assault last year that has also garnered the pair criminal charges, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post reports. The criminal case is ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for November 4th, Buckner notes.
The Bulls intend to juggle Dwyane Wade‘s minutes in an effort to strike a balance between keeping the veteran fresh, while also maximizing his production on a nightly basis, Mark Strotman of CSNChicago.com notes. “(Coach Fred Hoiberg) hasn’t said, ‘You’re going to play 30 minutes exactly,’” Wade said. “A lot of it is just, looking at preseason, I think I’m going to be around 30-32 minutes just by the substitution patterns that [Hoiberg] is thinking about for me. I’m good with it. We haven’t had a [direct] conversation, but we’re both cool with it. I’m not a kind of guy that wants to stay out for 10-12 minutes on the clock because I’m gonna get a little stiff. I’m also not a kind of guy that wants to go for 12 minutes straight, so I think he is learning me, and we stay in constant communication about when I’ve got a little break and I’m ready to go again.”
Despite coming out of college with the reputation as an outside shooter, Nik Stauskas aims to be seen as a well-rounded player, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. When asked to describe himself, the Sixers guard told the scribe, “I consider myself gamer. I don’t think I’m an effective NBA player when I just stand and spot up and shoot threes. That’s really not my game. Although I feel like I can do that, it’s not something that I want to be doing, just standing out there. I feel I can be a lot more effective for this team doing other things.”

NBA GMs Weigh In On 2016/17 Season

October 18th, 2016 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, asking each of the league’s 30 GMs an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. As John Schuhmann of NBA.com details in his piece announcing the results, it comes as little surprise that NBA GMs are just as bullish on the Cavaliers‘ and Warriors‘ chances in 2016/17 as the rest of us are — those are the only two teams GMs predicted to become this season’s NBA champion, with Golden State getting 69% of the vote and Cleveland getting 31%.

While there are many responses in the GM survey worth checking out, we’ll focus on rounding up some of the more interesting ones related to rosters and player movement. Let’s dive in…

LeBron James led the way in votes for 2016/17’s MVP award, but Karl-Anthony Towns was the clear choice for the player most GMs would want to start a franchise with today.
The Warriors were the only team to receive more than two votes for which team made the best offseason moves — Golden State was the runaway winner at 83.3%, largely due to the signing of Kevin Durant. The addition of Durant was easily voted the move most likely to make the biggest impact this season, and it was also viewed as the most surprising move of the summer, just ahead of Dwyane Wade joining the Bulls.
The Jazz‘s trade for George Hill received at least one vote for the move likely to have the biggest impact, and it was the winner for the most underrated player acquisition of the offseason.
Dejounte Murray (Spurs), Kris Dunn (Timberwolves), and Patrick McCaw (Warriors) were considered the biggest steals of the draft by GMs, who voted Milos Teodosic and Sergio Llull as the top international players not currently in the NBA.
NBA general managers view Tom Thibodeau as the new coach most likely to make an immediate positive impact on his new team, and think Chris Paul is the player most likely to become a future NBA head coach.
The rules that GMs wants to see changed or modified include the draft lottery system, the number of timeouts per game, and intentional fouling.

Bulls Notes: Wade, Canaan, Valentine

October 14th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

After spending his first 13 NBA seasons in Miami, Dwyane Wade made the move to Chicago this offseason, signing a two-year deal with the Bulls. However, it certainly wasn’t the first time the 12-time All-Star considered joining his hometown team. As Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com details, Wade admitted this week that he nearly signed with the Bulls in 2010, but ultimately remained in Miami when it became clear that Chicago could only add two players out of the Wade/LeBron James/Chris Bosh trio.

“I mean, this is a place I wanted to play,” Wade said of Chicago. “It was a place LeBron also loved. We loved the city of Chicago. It’s a great market as well. Obviously, the sunny sun of Miami is great too. We had two great choices. It pretty much boiled down to what we felt we could build. … Chicago was very tempting from a standpoint of what they had on the roster when it came to young talent. But when it came to the point Miami was able to get three players, that changed the whole dynamic of the summer.”

With Wade now less than two weeks away from making his regular-season debut as a Bull, let’s check in on a few more notes on the former Finals MVP and his new team…

While his experience in Miami perhaps colors his views on the issue, Wade also said this week that he believes super-teams are “great” for the NBA, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “At the end of the day, whether you dislike the Heat or you loved the Heat, you was tuning in to watch the Heat, right?” Wade said. “Same thing with Golden State.”
Most teams view a championship as the perennial goal, but Wade is being a little more pragmatic about the Bulls’ goals this season, Goodwill writes in another CSNChicago.com piece. “When you’re coming off a season where as an organization you don’t make the playoffs, your goal can’t be winning a championship,” Wade said. “It would be unrealistic to say, ‘Oh, we want to win a championship.’ Of course we do. But it’s so many steps before you get to that.”
Wade and Rajon Rondo were the Bulls’ most notable free agent additions this summer, but they weren’t the only guards signed by the team. K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune takes a closer look at free agent signee Isaiah Canaan, who is trying to adjust his game to better suit the club.
Bulls will incorporate yet another new guard this season, in Denzel Valentine, and Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders says that the first-round rookie is an ideal fit for the team.