Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Bosh, Dragic, Wade, Deng

May 20th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are expecting Chris Bosh to be available next season, according to Dan Le Batard of ESPN. The 13-year veteran hasn’t played since the All-Star break when doctors discovered blood clots in his left calf, but Le Batard said on his radio show that both sides are optimistic. “I just got a text saying that Bosh should be able to play next season,” the host said. “So the Heat expect Bosh to be able to play next season. … What I’m telling you is that Bosh is committed to getting back, and the Heat are hopeful that that can be so.” Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com notes that the text came after Le Batard talked about the possibility of Bosh being forced into retirement, so Feldman speculates it came from someone with inside knowledge of the situation.

There’s more news out of Miami:

The Heat are limited in making deals for draft picks because they have used all their tradable cash for this season, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Not only can they not buy a pick, but Winderman points out that 60 percent of their roster is headed toward free agency, so none of those players can be traded. He says Miami’s best shot is to find a team that is interested in trading a pick for Josh McRoberts and that has the cap space or exception to fit him on its roster. McRoberts will make $5,782,450 next season.
Goran Dragic says Heat players will try to convince free agent center Hassan Whiteside to stay in Miami, tweets Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. “We all want him here,” Dragic said. .. “Hopefully he sees that.”
Dwyane Wade is hoping for a “quick and easy” experience in free agency this summer, Lieser tweets. Wade, who signed a one-year, $20MM deal last offseason, said he wants a “smooth” negotiating process.
With only about $40MM to spend and Whiteside and Wade as top priorities, the Heat may not be able to afford free agent combo forward Luol Deng, writes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. At a little more than $10.15MM, Deng turned out to be a bargain for Miami as he assumed a greater role after Bosh was sidelined. “Going forward obviously I would love to be here,” Deng said. “It’s something that we will sit down and discuss. I can’t really say one bad thing about being here. I enjoyed my time. The one thing that I know about here is that it’s an organization that wants to win and an organization that will support the players and what they do, whether it’s on the court or off the court.”

Pat Riley Addresses Bosh, Heat Free Agents

May 18th, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat president Pat Riley offered insight into the Chris Bosh situation and several other topics during a 46-minute news conference this afternoon, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Among the highlights:

Bosh’s future remains uncertain after being sidelined since the All-Star break when blood clots were reportedly discovered in his left calf. Riley said doctors will work with Bosh over the summer to develop a program with the goal of getting him back on the court. “That’s always been our objective,” Riley said. “We’re in this together. It’s an X factor when it comes to everything we plan on doing this summer.”
Riley called center Hassan Whiteside “our No. 1 priority, period” when it comes to free agency. The 26-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and leading the league with 3.7 blocks per night. Whiteside will be an unrestricted free agent and the Heat don’t own his Bird rights because he signed just a two-year contract in 2014 after being out of the NBA for two seasons. “I don’t think he’s even reached his real ceiling in a couple areas of the game that I think that now he will be more comfortable with once his situation ends,” Riley said. “… He has shown all of us he can be 15 and 15 and four blocked shots and 70% field goal guy. There are other layers to his game I think he can even be better at. He’s very, very, very high on our priority list.” Riley promised the Heat will contact Whiteside at 12:01 a.m. July 1, the official start of free agency.
Another Heat decision will involve whether to again sign Dwyane Wade to a one-year contract or to hammer out a longer agreement. Riley called Wade a “lifer” in Miami and promised to “do the right thing” for the future Hall of Famer. “Compensation to a player is not just a way to get paid and live your life,” Riley said. “Compensation to a player is about recognition and respect.”
Free agent power forward Udonis Haslem may have a future with the Heat even though he’s about to turn 36 next month. Riley likes the way Haslem became a mentor to young players and contributed on the court when needed. “He said he learned more than ever about leadership this year in thinking about what he had to bring to the team that day because he wanted to talk to Hassan or Justise [Winslow] or Gerald [Green] or somebody,” Riley said. “… What he got was a great result.”
Riley said he understands that Goran Dragic had a hectic year that involved a lot more than just his trade from the Suns. But he added that the “unsettled” excuse is in the past, and the organization expects a lot more from Dragic next season. “He’s got to be a player than can create and score when there is no space,” Riley said. “That’s part of the game also, because when teams start to take things away from you and the offense that the coach creates, what are you going to do?”

Southeast Notes: Skiles, Wade, Combine

May 14th, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Scott Skiles has likely damaged his reputation around the league after resigning from his post as head coach of the Magic after one season, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. But even if another NBA team were interested in hiring Skiles, his contract with Orlando included a non-compete agreement that would prevent such a move for approximately two seasons, Schmitz notes. Thunder coach Billy Donovan had a similar arrangement with the team after he backed out of an agreement to coach Orlando in 2007, the scribe adds.

One of the major issues between Skiles and the team was the lack of personnel input the coach had, Schmitz relays. GM Rob Hennigan has a clear plan in mind for the direction of the franchise, one that wasn’t apparently endorsed by the former coach, though the executive notes that communication was solid between the pair, Schmitz writes. “We had good dialogue throughout the course of the season and good dialogue means lots of different things,” Hennigan said. “It means disagreements, arguments, debates and jokes. We certainly had all of that.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Dwyane Wade‘s solid 2015/16 campaign and postseason makes it unlikely once again that he would agree to a discounted annual salary in the range of $12MM, which was the Heat‘s initial offer to the veteran last May, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. Wade, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, ended up inking a one-year, $20MM deal with Miami.
Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis interviewed with the Hawks at the NBA combine in Chicago, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (via Twitter). Also interviewing with Atlanta was California freshman forward Jaylen Brown, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets.
Maryland junior power forward Robert Carter met with representatives from the Wizards at the combine this week and the player noted that one of the team’s focal points was him having a solid character, Daniel Martin of CSNMid-Atlantic relays. “They’ve seen me a lot. They say they’ve seen me play a lot,” Carter said. “Everybody was in there, pretty much everybody. The whole staff, GM, president, everybody was in there and they just talked to me about what type of person I am and I said, ‘Hopefully a good person.’ But they just talked to me about my game and that was pretty much it.“

And-Ones: Wade, Dragic, Grizzlies, Demps, Suns

May 10th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

An “uneasy tension” exists between Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link), but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra today dismissed the notion of any conflict among his backcourt stars, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relays. Windhorst, in the report that he made before Miami’s win Monday, suggested the root of the issue has to do with who controls the offense, but Spoelstra contends they’ve struck the proper balance. “It’s silly. Goran and Dwyane, not only are they playing much better with each other, which takes time — they’re both aggressive ball-dominant players — but they enjoy each other,” Spoelstra said. “They enjoy when the other guy is able to be aggressive. They want each other to be able to play their games. And it’s getting better. Their lockers are right next to each other … .” Wade will hit free agency this summer while Dragic is under contract until at least 2019.

See more from South Beach amid our look around the NBA:

It wouldn’t be surprising if Heat assistant coach David Fizdale snags an interview for the Grizzlies head coaching job, Jackson writes in a separate piece. Fizdale is on the list of candidates Memphis has compiled for its vacancy, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported Monday.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps and other members of the team’s front office are expected to be in attendance at this week’s draft combine in Chicago, notes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a signal that Demps’ job is secure. New Orleans hadn’t formally decided on the executive’s fate as of late last month, when the team postponed a press conference, though all indications are that Demps will stick around, as Brett Dawson and Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate previously reported.
Perhaps no team other than the Celtics is better positioned for the future than the Suns are, The Vertical’s Bobby Marks opines. Phoenix will have three first-round picks this year, assuming Washington doesn’t get lucky in the lottery, and the Heat owe two first-rounders for future seasons as a result of the Dragic trade. The Suns also have draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic, a former first-rounder, as Marks points out.

Heat Notes: Whiteside, Green, Wade, Johnson

May 8th, 2016 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Depending on his recovery time and the Heat’s playoff success, impending free agent Hassan Whiteside may have played his last game with Miami, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Whiteside suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee in the Game 3 loss to the Raptors. He is officially listed as day to day, but the Heat have no idea when Whiteside will be healthy enough to play again. “Where my mind was, where Hassan’s mind was, that’s about the best news we could have,” said coach Erik Spoelstra. “He’s going to be doing treatment, a lot of rest.”

It’s a disappointing development not only for the Heat, but also for the 26-year-old center, who is trying to make the case for a maximum contract this summer. The Raptors will also be without their starting center for the rest of the series, as Jonas Valanciunas has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle.

There’s more playoff news out of Miami:

Veteran small forward Gerald Green, who is also headed for free agency, replaced rookie Justise Winslow in the rotation for Saturday’s game, Jackson writes in the same piece. Green scored eight points in 21 minutes, while Winslow never left the bench. “It’s the coach’s decision,” Winslow said afterward. “He’s going to try to put the best group of guys out there to try to win. Whether I’m out there or not, I’m going to stay positive and stay ready.”
Dwyane Wade is trying to remain philosophical about the misfortune that has cost the Heat two of their top big men and placed a greater scoring burden on him, relays Michael Lee of The Vertical. “We’re without one of the best players to ever play the game in Chris Bosh,” Wade said. “Right now, we don’t know about Hassan, who is a big part of what we do. That doesn’t mean we still don’t have a series to play, and Toronto ain’t going to care. No one cares.”
Tyler Johnson had a hard time sticking to a gradual recovery plan when he was rehabbing from rotator cuff surgery, according to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Johnson, who has returned for the playoffs, snuck into the Heat’s practice facility one night in March for some unauthorized shooting. “We mentioned early on that his greatest strength, in this case, could be his greatest weakness: his relentlessness,” Spoelstra said. “We couldn’t afford to skip a step and then have a setback. That’s the worst thing that could happen. We had to stay on him all the time.”

And-Ones: Bargnani, Jersey Ads, Burton

May 4th, 2016 at 10:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former Nets power forward Andrea Bargnani, who was waived in February as part of a buyout arrangement, took to his personal Facebook page to explain the reason he wanted out of Brooklyn (translation via Orazio Cauchi of Sportando). The veteran claims he was promised more minutes than he was seeing by the team prior to inking his deal, and since he wasn’t receiving the playing time he was promised, it made more sense to part ways with the club than remain unhappy. Bargnani also added that he wanted to sign with a Euroleague club after securing his release from the Nets, but there wasn’t enough time to get a deal done. The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick made 46 appearances for Brooklyn this season, notching averages of 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per outing.

Here’s more from around the league:

As the NBA moves ever closer to the reality of paid advertisements on team uniforms, the league has informed franchises that any ads promoting alcohol, tobacco, gambling, politics, or from media companies and Nike competitors are prohibited, Darren Rovell of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
Cavs forward LeBron James is itching to square off against the Heat and his friend and former teammate Dwyane Wade in the Eastern Conference finals, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal writes. When asked if he wanted to play Miami if the Cavs advance past Atlanta, James responded, “Naturally, of course. That’s since I came back [to Cleveland]. It’d be great to play against those guys in the postseason. Throughout my whole career, I’ve always wanted to go against Wade in a playoff series. We’ve always talked about it even before we became teammates in ’10. It’s not been heavy on my mind, but it’s crossed my mind throughout my whole career.”
Iowa State junior guard Deonte Burton intends to withdraw from the 2016 NBA draft and return to school for his senior campaign, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Burton is the No. 31 ranked junior in his class according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

Heat Notes: Dragic, Wade, Johnson, Stokes

May 1st, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Goran Dragic‘s performance in today’s Game 7 win over the Hornets showed why Miami traded two first-round picks to get him last season, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Dragic scored 25 points and handed out four assists as the Heat easily dispatched Charlotte. It was a welcome performance after an uneven season that had many observers questioning whether Dragic was a good fit alongside Dwyane Wade. Both guards need to control the ball to be effective, and although they were friendly off the court, their styles of play sometimes clashed. But today Dragic was at his best, connecting on 11 of 17 shots from the field while holding Hornets point guard Kemba Walker to just 3 of 16. “That’s the Goran Dragic we all love,” Wade said. “He puts so much pressure on the defense and allows the other guys to chill out, especially me. When he’s playing that way for us, we’re a tough, tough team to beat.”

There’s more on a victorious day in Miami:

After being sidelined since late January, Tyler Johnson was happy to get back on the court today, relays Christy Cabrera Chirinos of The Sun-Sentinel. Johnson scored five points in his first action since having surgery on his left rotator cuff in February. “The last couple games, I’ve been available, but to finally get in there was a blessing,” Johnson said. “It was good to see the ball go in the basket for the first time in a while.”
The Heat not only won their first playoff series since LeBron James left in 2014, they showed they could succeed without Chris Bosh, writes Dave Hyde of The Sun-Sentinel. Bosh has been out of action since the All-Star break when doctors reportedly discovered blood clots in his left calf.
The fate of Jarnell Stokes will help shape the role of the D-League in the future, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Stokes, who played for Miami’s affiliate in Sioux Falls, was the league’s MVP for both the regular season and the championship series, a feat he accomplished despite being part of three organizations during the year. However, Winderman says the D-League’s reputation will take a hit if Stokes can’t turn those awards into a steady NBA job.

Heat Notes: Bosh, Wade, Whiteside

April 23rd, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat lost today’s contest against the Hornets by a score of 96-80 in a game where Charlotte looked sharp and Miami committed 14 turnovers. The Heat just didn’t appear to have their shooting touch, going 34.2% from the field as a team. As the franchise attempts to regroup in advance of Tuesday night’s Game 4, let’s take a look at some notes from the team:

Chris Bosh says he has no plans to retire and expects to play for the Heat next season, as Ethan J. Skolnick and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald pass along. Bosh will make $75.9MM over the next three seasons should he continue to play.
Coach Erik Spoelstra appreciates Bosh’s presence around the team, indicating that the big man is still providing leadership for the Heat off the court, Skolnick and Jackson add in the same piece.
With Bosh out and Udonis Haslem ailing, Dwyane Wade is the only player from the 2013/14 squad that reached the NBA finals who is receiving consistent minutes for the Heat this postseason, writes Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel. Wade acknowledges that he has to take a bigger role in leading this type of team. “This is our first time in the playoffs,” Wade said. “We’ve looked amazing at [times] and at other times not so amazing. The [young guys] are going to look at you to lead in situations, to help them believe, to give them their confidence in moments where you don’t have it. That’s a big responsibility I have.”
Hassan Whiteside should garner a max contract this offseason, and Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel believes the Heat should retain him at any cost. Winderman makes note of all the young players they have under contract at team-friendly prices, including Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, and he sees signing Whiteside, even at the max, as a no-brainer.

Southeast Notes: Wade, Lamb, D-League

April 21st, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Dwyane Wade, who’s poised for free agency in the summer, has been in closer communication than ever with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this year, as Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald details. “I really care about Dwyane,” Spoelstra said. “When you work with somebody that long, you get to see somebody grow, from a young man as a professional, and then as a father. There’s been so much time, he’s seen me grow as a professional, and I’ve seen him grow in all those areas. And it’s just kind of fun. And this year, I’ve just tried to enjoy the relationship, enjoy this journey together, to be pushing and driving in the same direction in a way that’s not quite as player-coach.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Jeremy Lamb‘s role with the Hornets has decreased significantly since the beginning of the season and his future in Charlotte is up in the air despite having three years remaining on his deal, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. The 23-year-old made 66 appearances for the Hornets this season and averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.6 minutes per outing. Lamb is scheduled to earn $6,511,628 in 2016/17.
Given that their 2016 first-round selection is likely to fall outside the top 10, the Magic should strongly consider trading the pick for a player who can contribute immediately, opines Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. With this year’s draft extremely top-heavy in terms of depth, adding another player who’s years away from contributing makes little sense for Orlando, Taylor adds.
Hornets swingman Nicolas Batum will miss the remainder of the team’s first round series against the Heat with an ankle injury, tweets Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. Batum’s X-rays showed no fracture in his injured ankle, Haynes adds. See more about Batum’s impending free agency here.
The Hawks have recalled center Edy Tavares and swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Lin, Beal, Horford, Patterson

April 17th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin says Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson helped lay the groundwork for “Lin-sanity,” relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Atkinson, who will become the Nets’ new head coach once Atlanta’s playoff run is complete, aided in Lin’s development when both were with the Knicks. “I’ll text after a game at midnight, one o’clock when I go home,” Lin recalls, “and I’ll say, ‘Hey, can I look at those turnovers? Can I look at the upcoming team? How they run pick-and-rolls?’ And he’ll have the film ready when I walk into the facility the next morning. When I wasn’t playing much, we were working out before practice, and after practice, he was picking apart my game, teaching me what it’s like to play in Coach [Mike] D’Antoni’s system.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Restricted free agent Bradley Beal said he and backcourt partner John Wall both have to play better for the Wizards to be successful, according to J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The fourth-year shooting guard was limited to a career-low 55 games this season and was placed on a minutes restriction after doctors found “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula” in December. “It’s been a rocky year in terms of injuries, offense changing, getting used to playing with new guys on the team and adjusting to a few things,” Beal said. “We both should’ve had a better year than we had. We should’ve carried the team a little better than what we did. We both can attest to it.”
The Hawks‘ Al Horford stands to more than double his salary in free agency and may change the perception of who deserves a max contract, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Horford is making $12MM this season, but when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing his ninth NBA season, he will be eligible for a contract starting at approximately 30% of the salary cap, or about $26MM. Hamilton says that may seem expensive for a player who has never averaged 20 points per game, but Horford will likely define the market for fellow free agents Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley and Harrison Barnes.
The Hawks sent Lamar Patterson back to the Austin Spurs of the D-League to finish their playoff series, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Journal Constitution. Atlanta recalled Patterson on Friday after Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a groin injury.