Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat’s Riley: ‘Great Regret’ Over Losing Wade

July 16th, 2016 at 12:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

During a news conference today in Miami, Heat president Pat Riley expressed his sorrow over losing free agent Dwyane Wade to the Bulls and said he should have done more to prevent it. “I have great regret I didn’t put myself in the middle of it,” Riley said in a quote relayed by Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).

Wade officially signed with Chicago on Friday after reportedly being unhappy with the offers he was getting out of Miami. Riley says he wishes he had taken a more active role in the negotiations, adding that he should have “gotten in a canoe and paddled to The Mediterranean” if it meant keeping Wade, tweets Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post.

Riley said he had been trying to get “another guy” to pair with Wade since LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014 (Twitter link). He added that he hadn’t spoken to Wade since his decision, but has been putting together a long e-mail for him (Twitter link).

Wade, a 12-time All-Star, had been with the Heat since they drafted him in 2003. He is the franchise’s leader in career points, assists and several other categories.

“It’s not going to be the same without [Wade] but we will forge ahead,” Riley said. “Dwyane is unique. There will always be a key under the mat [for Dwyane], I just hope it doesn’t get too rusty. We will miss him.” (Twitter links).

Riley touched on several other topics during the news conference:

Any decision on Chris Bosh’s future is “on hold” until August or September, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Bosh, who didn’t play after blood clots were discovered in his left calf during the All-Star break, would like to return next season, but the Heat aren’t sure if it’s medically feasible. Riley said the team is considering a restricted travel schedule or limited workload to help Bosh get back on the court (Twitter link). “I know Chris wants to play, and we would be open to that,” Riley said “But this is still fluid. There’s not an answer.” (Twitter link).
Riley believes Justise Winslow is ready to be Miami’s starting small forward after a promising rookie season. “Are we ready for Justise Winslow to start at the 3,” Riley asked. “I am.” (Twitter link). The Heat lost last year’s starter when Luol Deng signed with the Lakers.
The Heat offered a more balanced contract to Tyler Johnson than the deal he signed with the Nets, but Johnson insisted on taking the offer sheet from Brooklyn (Twitter link). That contract, which the Heat matched on Sunday, pays Johnson $5.628MM in the first year and $5,881,260 in the second, followed by $18,858,765 in season three and $19,631,975 in season four.
Kevin Durant, who chose Miami as one of the five teams he met with in free agency, told Riley that he wants to win right away and viewed the Heat as being in a rebuilding phase (Twitter link). “I’ll never not take an offer from a free agent who calls and says we’d like to talk to you,” Riley said. “We had to do it, it didn’t slow us down.” (Twitter links).
Riley is working toward a contract extension with head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff (Twitter link).
The Heat don’t plan to use their $2.9MM room exception this offseason. (Twitter link).

Bulls Sign Dwyane Wade

July 15th, 2016 at 8:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 15, 8:56pm: The Bulls have issued a press release officially announcing their deal with Wade.

“We are thrilled that Dwyane has decided to come to Chicago,” Bulls GM Gar Forman said in a statement. “It’s not often you get the opportunity to add a three-time champion and 12-time All Star to your roster. We are delighted he has decided to become a Bull, as he provides a great veteran perspective on the court and in the locker room. He will be a tremendous fit with our team.”

JULY 6, 9:50pm: The deal includes a player option for the second year, Wojnarowski tweets.

8:30pm: Dwyane Wade has informed the Bulls that he plans to sign with the team, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Wade’s deal will be for $47MM over two seasons. Chicago was the only place Wade could see himself playing outside of Miami, as people close to the shooting guard told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal is pending, as Chicago will need to clear cap space to accommodate a significant contract for the 34-year-old.

The Bulls are working to trade Jose Calderon and Mike Dunleavy in an attempt to clear space. The team has a trade in place for Calderon, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports via Twitter that the Nets could be a potential trade partner. The Bulls remain confident that they will be able to move Dunleavy before the night is over, Johnson adds on Twitter.

Wade felt the team no longer appreciated him and that, coupled with bitterness over contract talks, led to his departure, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Heat were unwilling to offer a third year, which also factored into Wade not re-signing. Wade is a Chicago native who grew up idolizing Michael Jordan, as Wojnarowski writes.

The Bulls believe having Wade on the roster will not only offer a more competitive team during the 2016/17 season, but it will also help them land a marquee free agent next summer, Johnson tweets. Johnson tweeted earlier in the day that Wade could choose the Bulls without a face-to-face meeting since he met with the team twice back in 2010.

The Heat selected Wade with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He led the team to three NBA titles and five Eastern Conference crowns. The 12-time All-Star will head to Chicago and join Jimmy Butler and newly signed point guard Rajon Rondo in the backcourt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Notes: Butler, Chalmers, Westbrook, Weber

July 15th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat president Pat Riley reached out to Caron Butler‘s agent, but the team opted for younger players in its flurry of signings last Sunday, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Riley’s initial call came before Dwyane Wade decided to join the Bulls, Jackson reports, and he hasn’t called since. The Kings waived the 36-year-old Butler last week. He spent one season in Sacramento and appeared in just 17 games.

There’s more news today out of Miami:

Riley also decided not to pursue Mario Chalmers, Jackson writes in the same piece. Chalmers spent seven full seasons with the Heat before being traded to Memphis in November for luxury tax relief. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon in March and was subsequently waived by the Grizzlies. Jackson says the Heat were concerned not only about the injury, but about how Chalmers would respond to reduced playing time as a backup for Goran Dragic.
Miami would be taking a major risk by trying to trade for Russell Westbrook this season, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. There has been speculation that the Thunder point guard might be available because of his looming free agency next summer and the loss of Kevin Durant, but Winderman argues that the assets the Heat would have to give up in such a deal would make it less likely Westbrook would re-sign. The writer says Oklahoma City would want Dragic and Justise Winslow, which would create two big holes in Miami’s roster. Winderman doesn’t think Riley would consider that deal unless he was assured that Westbrook would stay in Miami past the 2016/17 season.
Briante Weber‘s aggressive defense may make him a valuable part of the rotation next season, according to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Weber, who suffered a serious right knee injury as a senior at Virginia Commonwealth, spent most of this season with Miami’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Heat briefly lost Weber in March when the Grizzlies signed him to a 10-day contract, but he returned to the D-League when that expired and joined Miami’s roster just before the playoffs. After playing just one game for the Heat — and seven total — during his rookie season, Weber has been making an impression in Summer League play. “He’s getting better and better at being our floor leader,” said Heat Summer League coach Juwan Howard. “They’re trying to get into him and make him uncomfortable with ball pressure and picking him up full-court, but Bri’s done an excellent job making decisions. At times he’s overly aggressive, but that’s his nature. I trust him.”

Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Ham, Magic, Heat

July 11th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have taken a step backward with their offseason approach and moves, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution opines. Rather than pulling closer toward the top of the Eastern Conference, Atlanta now looks like the sixth- or seventh-best team, Bradley continues. While trading point guard Jeff Teague to open up a starting job for Dennis Schroder was acceptable, Bradley points out that free-agent acquisition Dwight Howard doesn’t fit into coach Mike Budenholzer’s scheme as well as Al Horford, who signed with the Celtics. They also overpaid to keep Kent Bazemore, and the contracts of Howard and Bazemore will be hard to move if they wind up in a rebuild mode, Bradley adds.

In other Southeast Division news:

Darvin Ham has been promoted to Budenholzer’s lead assistant, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Ham replaces Kenny Atkinson, who was named the Nets’ head coach in April. Ham has been on Budenholzer’s staff since 2014.
The Magic did the right thing by bringing in defensive-minded big men rather than standing pat this offseason, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel argues. While Orlando has been criticized in some circles for its offseason moves, the additions of Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green gives new coach Frank Vogel an opportunity to play a more physical style, Bianchi notes. The Magic have floundered for four years with their young core and couldn’t wait any longer for it to blossom on its own, Bianchi adds, pointing out that coach Scott Skiles quit after one season because he didn’t like the roster.
Dwyane Wade admits that the superior contract offer he received from the Bulls forced him to make a hard choice, as he told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and other members of the media. Wade agreed to sign a two-year, $47MM deal with Chicago when the Heat drew the line near the $40MM mark. “Moments like this, it [stinks],” Wade said. “The business side of the sport, sometimes it just [stinks]. That’s what we’re dealing with.”

Northwest Notes: Crabbe, Ezeli, Wade, Thibodeau

July 9th, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Blazers will have until Sunday at 8:59 p.m. Portland time — or 11:59 p.m. Brooklyn time — to decide whether to match the Nets’ offer sheet for Allen Crabbe, tweets Jason Quick of CSNNW. Crabbe, a restricted free agent, signed a four-year, $75MM offer from the Nets on Thursday. League rules give the Blazers three days to decide whether to match, and GM Neil Olshey isn’t offering any clues about his decision. (Twitter link). Crabbe is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 10.3 points in 81 games.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Festus Ezeli‘s deal with the Blazers contained less money than expected because of concerns about his knees, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. The former Warriors center signed a two-year, $16MM contract with Portland on Friday, with a team option for the second season. Ezeli had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in February, and a source told Spears that teams are worried about his durability.
Even though they didn’t land free agent guard Dwyane Wade, the Nuggets came away from the pursuit feeling good about their future, tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Nuggets officials had a meeting with Wade, and the team was considered a serious suitor until the Bulls came in with an offer. “It was enjoyable to hear what he thought about our situation,” said Denver GM Tim Connelly. “It was pretty encouraging.”
The Timberwolves are taking a cautious approach when it comes to free agency, according to John Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link). New Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau addressed the topic during a conference call with media members today. “It’s our first year; it’s important for us to be patient in evaluating the players that we do have,” he said, “but if it’s [necessary] for us to go after people, we will.” Thibodeau also expressed excitement about the addition of free agent Brandon Rush, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The coach likes Rush’s versatility, but says he needs to improve his shooting.

Eastern Rumors: Hawks, Millsap, Wade, Jennings

July 7th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

In an interesting piece on the Hawks, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com explains that Atlanta’s original offseason plan was to re-sign Al Horford to pair him with Dwight Howard, and to move Paul Millsap in exchange for young players and/or draft assets. That plan ultimately fell apart, but before it did, the Hawks spoke to the Nuggets, Suns, Raptors, and Rockets about a Millsap deal, according to Lowe, who adds that Denver had been ready to move a “players-and-picks package” led by Kenneth Faried.

Before the Hawks could move Millsap though, the team needed to be sure it could re-sign Horford, and when the longtime Hawk chose the Celtics instead, Atlanta decided to hang onto Millsap. Per Lowe, there was some debate about how much the Hawks offered and how much Horford demanded, but the gap between the two sides may have only been about $5MM in total.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Hornets general manager Rich Cho confirmed that his team, which officially acquired Marco Belinelli in a trade today, tried to sign the Italian sharpshooter in free agency a year ago (Twitter link via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer).
During Dwyane Wade‘s free agency saga, Heat president Pat Riley never called Wade directly, per Ethan Skolnick of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter), Riley and Wade had a meeting after last season ended, but it was owner Micky Arison who was in touch with the former Finals MVP during this past week’s negotiations.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Brandon Jennings was seeking a one-year contract from the Knicks in the hopes of proving himself and boosting his stock for 2017’s free agent period. New York, which wanted to maintain cap room for ’17, was happy to oblige.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders spoke to Courtney Lee about the veteran shooting guard’s decision to sign with the Knicks, and being recruited by Joakim Noah.

Dwyane Wade Rumors: Wednesday

July 6th, 2016 at 7:52pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of updates on Dwyane Wade‘s situation were reported on Tuesday, including the fact that he has canceled his meeting with the Bucks, scheduled a meeting with the Nuggets, and received a contract offer in the two-years, $50MM range from Denver. Wade is said to be seeking a deal in that neighborhood, or something with a guaranteed third year.

Here are Wednesday’s latest updates and rumors on Wade, one of the top free agents left on the market:

7:52pm:

Wade is pushing for a resolution on his future tonight and it’s likely between Miami, Chicago or Denver, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. The scribe adds via Twitter that Pat Riley would like an answer tonight and if Wade isn’t returning, Riley would move fast on other options.

7:31pm:

Wade is very much open to leaving the Heat after hearing pitches from other teams today, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

6:35pm:

The Bulls feel Wade is serious about joining their team and they have been in contact with other teams in an attempt to unload contracts, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). Jose Calderon and Mike Dunleavy are the two players that Chicago would like to move. Wojnarowski (Twitter link) adds that the team’s canceled meeting has bearing on his status.
The Bucks‘ meeting with Wade went for over an hour and Wade spoke highly of the team’s young roster, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel passes along (Twitter links). Gardner adds that the Bucks still do not have the cap space to accommodate a Wade deal, so he doesn’t expect the 33-year-old to sign with the franchise. However, David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link) hears that the team believes Wade is “very serious” about joining Milwaukee.
Wade’s meeting with the Heat ended without a deal, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com tweets and according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), his status remains up in the air.
Wade will co-host ABC’s Live with Kelly on Thursday morning and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) wonders if the shooting guard will make his announcement then.

1:52pm:

Wade’s meetings with the Nuggets and Bucks are now complete, with the Heat set to finish out the day. The Bulls had been scheduled to meet with Wade today as well, but the team has cancelled the sit-down after its flight kept getting delayed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski adds that if Wade has serious interest in Chicago, the club could travel to meet with him on Thursday.

12:46pm:

The Nuggets were “very happy” with how their Wade meeting went, league sources tell Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Denver is now waiting for the guard to meet with his other suitors and make a decision.
After meeting with the Nuggets, Wade is sitting down with Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, says Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter links), who also confirms that Heat owner Micky Arison will get a sit-down with Wade later in the day.

11:30am:

Wade’s meetings in New York are underway – with the Nuggets going first (Twitter link) – and a decision on his future could happen as soon as Wednesday night, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski adds that the exact amount of Denver’s offer to Wade is $52MM for two years.

Northwest Notes: Diaw, Rush, Hill, Mudiay

July 6th, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz center Rudy Gobert believes “something good is going to happen” in Utah after the trade for Boris Diaw, relays Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs were looking to deal the versatile veteran to create cap room to sign Pau Gasol, and Utah jumped at the opportunity. “He understands the game very well,” Gobert said of his fellow Frenchman. “He’s like a point guard in a big man’s body. It’s like having another coach on the floor. It’s great. I’m very excited.” Diaw, 34, will make $6.5MM next season and a non-guaranteed $7MM for 2017/18.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Several other teams were interested in Warriors swingman Brandon Rush, who agreed to sign with the Timberwolves today, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The Hornets, Knicks and Wizards all wanted to add the 31-year-old free agent, and the Warriors tried to keep him in Golden State.
The Wolves have “kicked the tires” on Pacers big man Jordan Hill, tweets John Krawczynski of The Associated Press. They haven’t reached the serious negotiation phase yet, but that could change now that Rush has been signed.
Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay plans to join the effort to get Dwyane Wade to come to Denver, tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The Nuggets held a meeting with Wade earlier today.

Latest On Dwyane Wade

July 5th, 2016 at 10:03pm CST by Luke Adams

10:03pm: Wade has a meeting scheduled on Wednesday with Nuggets officials that will take place in New York, Wojnarowski tweets.

7:34pm: The Nuggets have offered Wade a contract worth more than $50MM over two years, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Denver is holding out hope that the veteran shooting guard will accept its bid, the scribe adds.

12:37pm: Wade’s representatives have told teams that their client is seeking a two-year, $50MM contract, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, adding that the Nuggets and Bulls continue to stay in touch with Wade, who is also talking to the Heat. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, meanwhile, reports that the veteran star is prioritizing a guaranteed third year in contract talks. Either way, it sounds like a two-year, $40MM offer won’t get it done.

The Bucks currently aren’t involved in the bidding for Wade, and while there have been rumors about the Cavs, there’s no traction between Wade and Cleveland at this point, according to Windhorst. Per Wojnarowski, the Bulls and Wade have talked about setting up a face-to-face meeting but nothing has been scheduled.

As for the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets that they seem to want to hold firm on two years for Wade, even though they may be willing to include a player option and do another two-year deal next summer.

10:58am: Dwyane Wade has canceled a previously-scheduled Wednesday meeting with the Bucks, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Lowe’s report follows up on a tweet from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, which suggests that Wade has canceled more than one free agent meeting. However, it’s not clear what other team(s) had been set to meet with the veteran guard.

Despite the fact that Wade played his college ball at Marquette, it always seemed like a long shot that he’d seriously consider signing with the Bucks this offseason after spending his entire career in Miami. After Kevin Durant opted not to sign with the Heat, Miami reportedly increased its offer to Wade to two years and $40MM, getting a little more serious about negotiations with the former Finals MVP. Although he didn’t accept that offer, Wade’s decision to cancel his meeting with the Bucks may hint that he and the Heat are moving closer to finding common ground.

Outside of Milwaukee and Miami, several teams have been linked to Wade since free agency began, including the Nuggets, Knicks, Bulls, and Mavericks. Of those teams, only Denver still had the cap space to pursue Wade. There has also been speculation that the Cavaliers could have interest in LeBron James‘ former teammate, though those whispers have been unsubstantiated. Even if Cleveland did explore that possibility, the team would have to trade multiple contracts in order to be able to offer Wade a decent salary.

Heat Offer Dwyane Wade Two-Year, $40MM Deal

July 4th, 2016 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

With Kevin Durant no longer in play, the Heat have shifted their focus back to their own veteran star. According to Dan Le Batard (Twitter link), Miami has put a two-year, $40MM offer on the table for Dwyane Wade. The proposal, which has been confirmed by multiple outlets, includes a player option for year two.

Wade has been shopping around for other offers so far this month, unhappy with how initial talks with the Heat had played out. However, Miami has remained the favorite to sign Wade, and now the team appears to be getting a little more serious in negotiations, with Hassan Whiteside locked up and Durant headed to Golden State.

The Bucks, one of Wade’s rival suitors, have a meeting in New York lined up with the veteran guard for Wednesday, according to Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). The Nuggets are also reportedly in the hunt for Wade, but the Heat would probably like to ensure that the former Finals MVP doesn’t take any meetings.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad notes (via Twitter), based on their current projected space, the Heat could offer Wade a deal worth $39MM+ and still match Tyler Johnson‘s offer sheet. If Wade wants more than that, and Miami is willing to oblige, the team would have to renounce, trade, or waive at least one other player. The Heat could also improve their offer to Wade by adding a third year.