Heat Notes: Wade, Odom, Riley, LeBron
Here's a look at the latest out of South Beach..
- A rumored meeting with Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley wooing Lamar Odom this summer didn't happen, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Furthermore, Wade said he removed himself from the team's free agent recruitment this offseason. "I left that all to them," Wade said. "I got away, understanding that we have little that we can do. And Pat Riley is the best at what he does, so he's fine. We all understand the nature of the beast, what we're dealing with."
- Winderman also spoke with NBPA treasurer James Jones about LeBron James' decision not to run for union president and his own aspirations within the union. Jones doesn't sound poised to make a run for president after Chris Paul is done with the job and says that he's happy to put his finance degree to use wit his current role.
- In today's mailbag, one reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the acquisition of Greg Oden is overshadowing Chris Andersen. Winderman explains that Oden is not in Miami to replace Birdman by any means, but rather to serve as a complement to him. Last year, Andersen struggled with certain matchups to the point where he had to be held out of two games against the Spurs and Tim Duncan.
- ESPN's J.A. Adande and Bomani Jones debate the contenders for the 2014 title, with particular focus on the Heat (video link). The Pacers and Rockets are also among the teams covered.
Heat Notes: Wade, Oden, Varnado, Bosh
While Dwyane Wade stressed last week that he expects to remain with the Heat beyond the coming season, it still sounds as if he could exercise his early termination option next summer, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. By opting out, Wade could sign a new deal with the team, potentially for more years or more dollars.
"We’ll see," Wade said of the opt-out. "You have to figure out what’s best for yourself and what’s best for the team and then you come up with that answer."
Here's more on the Heat:
- Greg Oden's deal with the Heat was originally reported as having a second-year player option, but was ultimately revealed to just be a one-year pact. Agent Mike Conley tells Jackson that the two sides agreed to modify the agreement since it helps both the team and the player. Miami obviously assumes less risk and doesn't have to pay Oden's full salary, but it also benefits Oden, according to Conley, because of a league ruling involving injury contingency language in his contract.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel continues to view Jarvis Varnado as a long shot for Miami's regular season roster, due to the $250K he'll be owed if he remains on the roster by opening night. In Winderman's view, it may make more sense for the club to take a flier on another big man on a fully non-guaranteed contract.
- Winderman adds that Varnado could end up on Miami's D-League squad in Sioux Falls if he's cut by the Heat, but notes that it would be far less lucrative for the 25-year-old than a deal overseas.
- Within his mailbag, Winderman also shoots down the idea of a potential trade centered around Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge, rightly pointing out that the Heat aren't about to make huge changes to a roster that has won back-to-back titles.
Eastern Notes: Wade, George, 76ers
Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, like teammate LeBron James, can potentially opt out next summer and become a free agent, but told reporters on Thursday that there really isn't much to make of it right now and made it clear about where he stood: "Everyone knows where I want to be…That's what it's all about to me, is making sure we focus on this season, winning this championship…I want to be in Miami and I have nothing else to talk about. So there won't be (any) exciting news over here" (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel). Wade also touches upon his health and is excited about the addition of center Greg Oden. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Pacers' swingman Paul George is ready to lead Indiana as the team's "No. 1 guy" (Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star).
- Despite the thought that the 76ers could trade Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, or Spencer Hawes if the right deal presents itself, newly hired head coach Brett Brown raved about what each of them can bring to the court for him (Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
- Knicks head coach Mike Woodson specifically mentioned Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler, and Carmelo Anthony when asked about his starting five for next season, but was non-committal when asked if third-year guard Iman Shumpert would be included in that group at shooting guard, notes ESPN New York's Ian Begley. With that being said, Begley suggests that Woodson may look to continue starting Pablo Prigioni alongside Felton while sliding Shumpert to small forward and offers more thoughts on the rest of the team's rotation.
- ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg rounds up a few predictions from the Celtics blogging community on how the 2013-14 season will play out, and the majority appears to imagine a finish anywhere in or between the ninth and twelfth seeds in the Eastern Conference.
- John Schuhmann of NBA.com thinks the Wizards are primed for a playoff run this year.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Knicks, Magic
Following up on the NBA's review of the Dwyane Wade elbow to Lance Stephenson near the end of game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and Pacers, we have a couple tweets with more info:
- Ethan J. Skolnick the Sun-Sentinel says that just because nothing has happened tonight and may not, that doesn't mean the NBA won't take action tomorrow against Wade for the seemingly inadvertant elbow to Stephenson's head (Twitter link).
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida says that because today is a travel day for the Pacers and Heat that might be the cause for the delay in announcements after the NBA's review of the play. (Twitter link).
- Sports Illustrated columnist, Ian Thomsen, discusses the similarities between this season's Eastern Conference Final and last season's Eastern Conference Semifinal. Last year the Heat lost game 2 and home court advantage too, plus they lost game 3 in Indiana to go down 2-1 to the Pacers. They then rebounded to win three-straight to head to the Finals.
Here are some more notes from around the Eastern Conference..
- The Bulls' winning percentage when Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose share the floor is 86% writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. That's probably why the Bulls' general manager Gar Forman will keep Boozer and Deng this offseason.
- Former Bulls coach, and man-about-town for open GM and coaching positions, Phil Jackson, discussed his new book and his future with the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.
- The Magic are a young team looking to rebuild through the draft with smart moves by their young general manager Rob Hennigan. The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi writes that's why Magic fans should root for a Pacers–Spurs matchup in the Finals; their presence would prove that small market teams can be successful without "buying championships."
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com with part 1 of the Knicks' offseason notebook. Zwerling discusses who the Knicks might select with the 24th pick in July's draft and which players they may target in free agency, or through the draft, who could fulfill their need for a fast and explosive backup point guard for Raymond Felton.
- Chris Forsberg at ESPNBoston.com already mentioned the dozen players the Celtics welcomed over the last two days as they continue to decide where they're headed in an uncertain offseason. A. Sherrod Blakely at CSN New England talks with two of those invites: guard, Shane Larkin of Miami, and Pittsburgh's center, Steven Adams.
Heat – Pacers Notes: Wade, Stephenson, Andersen
According to an anonymous source familiar with the situation, USA Today Sports' Jeff Zillgitt reports the NBA is reviewing Dwyane Wade's elbow to Lance Stephenson's face last night in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
With 4:05 left in game 2, Wade turned the ball over to the Pacers. As he was sprinting back on defense, Wade jumped to avoid Stephenson and hit him in the head with his elbow. Stephenson remained in the game.
Zillgitt believes the hit by Wade appears "too nebulus to warrant a suspension," but the office of NBA vice president Stu Jackson is reviewing the specific play in question. Some other notes from the Eastern Conference Final entrants:
- Ethan J. Skolnick with the Palm Beach Post reports that Pacers broadcaster, Mark Boyle, said at the end of game 2 (by way of PageQSports): "These losers are leaving,. They are flocking to the exits with their team down by three. This city does not only not deserve this team, they don’t deserve any team.” The Pacers were 24th in the league in attendance this season, Skolnick adds.
- Chris Reynolds of the Associated Press looks at the impact Chris Andersen has had since joining the Heat on a pair of 10-day contracts mid-way through the year.
- Chris Sheridan at SheridanHoops.com is dreaming of an NBA Finals match-up between the Pacers and Grizzlies just like the joke the New York Post's Marc Berman told on Twitter earlier today.
Pat Riley On Big Three, Andersen, Spoelstra
Heat president Pat Riley held court with the media today for the first time since July, and offered insight on how the 66-win Heat were built, as well as a few hints about his plan to keep the defending champs together. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com all provide detail. We'll round it up here:
- Riley suggested the team may need a new, high-dollar local television contract to absorb the tax hit necessary to keep LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together beyond 2014, when they can all opt out and become free agents. A report last summer suggested the team was in talks with Fox Sports about a deal that would pay them $80MM-$100MM per season, but both the team and Fox denied it.
- Riley thinks keeping the team together is "doable" and said the front office has already begun to craft its plan for doing so, but said it's ultimately up to Micky Arison to decide how much he wants to shell out.
- Coach Erik Spoelstra was the driving force behind the team's midseason acquisition of Chris Andersen. "If I got another text from (Spoelstra) about getting Chris Andersen, I was going to put my hands around his neck," Riley quipped.
- Riley declined comment on Spoelstra's contract, which runs out after next season.
- The team believes Wade can handle point guard duties in case Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole goes down, and that's why they didn't seek more depth at the position this season.
- It doesn't seem as though the Heat will fully embrace analytics anytime soon, as Riley said proponents of advance metrics "make me squeamy a little bit," Haberstroh tweets.
Brigham On Future Contenders
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld has a new column examining which teams have a chance to be title contenders five seasons from now, taking into account possible moves in free agency and the ages of the teams' core players.
- Brigham believes the Thunder still have the brightest future, given that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka will all be under 30 in five seasons.
- LeBron James' free agency will play a major role in determining the next title contender, Brigham writes. The health and effectiveness of Dwyane Wade will determine whether James stays with the Heat, but the Cavaliers and Lakers are also possible destinations.
- On that note, Brigham writes that, although Kyrie Irving is blossoming into a superstar, the Cavs will not be a contender unless James signs in Cleveland.
- The Bulls will still be contenders if Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah stay healthy, Brigham writes. He also notes that Nikola Mirotic will have come over to the NBA by then.
- The trade for Thomas Robinson added another young piece to the James Harden/Jeremy Lin core the Rockets have built, Brigham writes. Additionally, the team is still well under the cap and can add another high-level player via free agency.
- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge give the Blazers a solid core to build around, writes Brigham.
- Brigham writes that there will be uncertainty every year for the next five as to whether Chris Paul will still be with the Clippers.
- Even if Stephen Curry's ankles don't hold up, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes give the Warriors a good young core, Brigham says.
- Brigham writes that the Pacers have excellent cornerstone players in Roy Hibbert and Paul George.
Southeast Links: Heat, Wade, Harkless, Vucevic
While none of the five teams that make up the Southeast division play on Thursday night, that doesn't mean things are quiet. Here are some links from around the division:
- Lost in a dominant two seasons plus has been the relative mediocrity of the Heat on the road, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. While it obviously hasn't significantly hindered their overall success, Miami's players and coaches alike seem to think it is something they need to improve on.
- Couper Moorhead breaks down the anatomy of a Dwyane Wade steal in a lengthy story on Heat.com. While his 1.2 steals-per-game average in 2012-13 is easily the lowest of his NBA career, Wade is normally one of the league's best ball thiefs.
- Two of the pieces the Magic got for Dwight Howard appear to be, in the short term, headed in opposite directions, according to a story from Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Rookie Maurice Harkless is frustrated as his playing time has been slashed with the return of Hedo Turkoglu. Meanwhile, Nik Vucevic is thriving in his second year, particularly from a rebounding standpoint. The USC product had 20 points and 29 rebounds on New Year's Eve against the Heat.
- While we heard earlier that ESPN's Marc Stein thinks DeMarcus Cousins would fit in Dallas, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that Cousins is "the wrong kind of personality" for what the Magic are building in Orlando.
Odds & Ends: Mayo, Lakers, Howard, Hornets
While the defending champs can't kick themselves too much over personnel decisions, the Heat might have benefited if Pat Riley had listened to Dwyane Wade back in 2008, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Miami took Michael Beasley No. 2 overall, but Wade pushed for the team to draft guard O.J. Mayo. Other players passed up by Miami include Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook. Here's the latest from around the league..
- The Lakers are on the hook for about $30MM in luxury tax payments this season, but that's almost nothing compared with what they may pay next season, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. If the Lakers re-sign Dwight Howard and keep most of the existing roster together, they'll be looking at a $103MM payroll. If the tax threshold climbs by 5% to $73.8MM, the Lakers would owe approximately $81.5MM in tax.
- The Hornets signed Dominic McGuire today because coach Monty Williams has not been pleased with the play of his small forwards, tweets John Reid of the Times-Picayune. McGuire was released by the Raptors at the end of November to make room for Mickael Pietrus.
- Bulls rookie Marquis Teague is starting to find his groove as he plays with the starting five, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. However, the guard will head back to the bench soon as Kirk Hinrich is getting ready to return to action.
Odds & Ends: Odom, Allen, Carroll, Mavs, Moultrie
Lamar Odom, preparing to face the Mavericks on Wednesday for the first time since they traded him to the Clippers, called his season in Dallas "a blur," as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times documents. "Sometimes we make pit stops in some places," Odom said. "I remember the people and the city. Basketball just wasn't there for me at that time." Odom added that he has no hard feelings for owner Mark Cuban, and spoke highly of the Mavs to former teammate Derek Fisher after the point guard signed with Dallas last week. If the reunion of Odom and the Mavs along with the rest of tomorrow's slate can live up to the drama of tonight's six-game schedule, we're in for a treat. Here's more from around the Association.
- The Heat have gotten plenty of return on their investment in Ray Allen, as he's fit in seamlessly as a complement at shooting guard to Dwyane Wade, who tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that he was always on board with the signing and never concerned that Allen would take his minutes.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune chronicles the arduous journey DeMarre Carroll took to becoming a valuable part of the Jazz rotation on a minimum-salary deal.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News chatted with readers to discuss the ripple effect of the Fisher signing and the possibility of trades involving the Mavericks.
- Sixers coach Doug Collins and GM Tony DiLeo will meet to determine the best time to send this year's 27th overall pick, Arnett Moultrie, to the D-League, as Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com notes.
- Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney of SI.com delve into several reasons why the Cavs shouldn't trade Anderson Varejao, and offer up some trade ideas that would offer fair value to Cleveland if the team were to pull the trigger.