Miami Heat Blog – Page 45 – NBA Blog

Dan Craig to coach Sioux Falls Skyforce

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting some Heat-related coaching developments:

The Miami Heat coaching staff again will be reshuffled this season, with assistant coach Dan Craig taking over as coach of the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, an NBA source confirmed Sunday to the Sun Sentinel.

Craig, who has guided the Heat’s summer-league teams in recent seasons, takes over for Phil Weber, who guided the Skyforce to the NBDL playoffs last season before joining the New Orleans Pelicans staff of former Heat coach Alvin Gentry.

With the move, Chris Quinn, who served as an assistant coach last season with the Skyforce will move to a permanent role on Erik Spoelstra’s Heat staff.

Many Miami Heat players are in final year of contract

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Miami Heat, who have players that want to win like anyone else but also need to think about themselves and not just the team because many of them are in a contract year. It also presumably means the team could look very different in a year.

When the Miami Heat regroup for training camp in just over a week, a singular goal will be a return to the playoffs. But the question is whether other singular goals will be in play, as well.

For as much work as Pat Riley and his staff put into attempting to prevent a lottery repeat, there also was a forward-thinking approach with the roster, one that provides flexibility for what some expect to be a free-agency free-for-all next July, when the entire league will be flush with cap cash.

As a result, three-fifths of the Heat’s anticipated starting lineup will be playing in the final (or lone) year of their contracts, when counting Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng and Dwyane Wade, with only Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic under contract beyond 2015-16.

Beyond that, prime reserves such as Amar’e Stoudemire, Gerald Green, Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen, and even Udonis Haslem and Tyler Johnson will be in the final seasons of their contracts.

That presents a roster that both wants to win . . . and wants to get paid.

Miami Heat sign Greg Whittington

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed forward Greg Whittington.

Until we hear otherwise, we will assume this is a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Whittington to Heat training camp.

Whittington appeared in nine total games (six starts) with the HEAT during Summer League play in both Orlando and Las Vegas this summer and averaged 9.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.44 steals and 1.33 blocks while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range and a perfect 13-of-13 from the foul line. During Las Vegas Summer League play, he led the team in points (65), rebounds (41), blocks (8) and three-point field goals made (8).

Whittington spent two seasons at Georgetown University appearing in 46 games (13 starts) averaging 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 24.4 minutes while shooting 42.4 percent from the field. He scored a career-high 25 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds against West Carolina on December 15, 2012 and posted three double-figure rebounding games as a sophomore, including a career-high 15-rebound effort against Duquesne on November 11, 2012.

The HEAT’s roster now stands at 18.

LeBron James sells Miami home

In case you just woke up from a year-long coma, LeBron James left the Miami Heat in the summer of 2014 and returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. And now his Miami home reportedly has a new owner. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

LeBron James took his talents to Miami, and now he’s taking his money out of it.

James, who played with the Heat for four seasons before returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, sold his Miami home Tuesday for $13.4 million, a source confirmed to ESPN.com.

James paid $9 million in 2010 for the home, which has six bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms. He sold it to Timo and Nathalia Kipp, who are married Florida real estate investors.

Miami Heat sign Keith Benson

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed center Keith Benson.

Benson has spent the past two seasons playing professionally in Belarus, China, Lithuania and Estonia while previously playing in Italy and the Philippines. He split last season between Neptunas Klaipeda of the Lithuanian Basketball League and BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn of the Estonian Basketball League. He appeared in 26 games (eight starts) for Neptunas, averaging 5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 11.8 minutes while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 80.9 percent from the line. He also appeared in 21 games (all starts) for BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn last season and averaged 15.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.67 blocks and 27.6 minutes while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 72.9 percent from the line where he was named to the All-Estonian Third Team.

Benson has appeared in three NBA games, all with Golden State, totaling three rebounds in nine minutes of action. He also has appeared in 44 NBA Development League games (37 starts) while playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce (2011-12) and Erie BayHawks (2012-13), averaging 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.59 blocks and 26.0 minutes while shooting 48.3 percent from the field. In his 20 games with the Skyforce, he posted seven double-doubles while scoring in double-figures 18 times. Additionally, he has made appearances in the last three NBA Summer Leagues, mostly recently with the Orlando Magic this season, where he helped the team to the championship game after averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.40 blocks and 23.4 minutes in five appearances (two starts). He lead the team blocks (12) and field goals made (24) while placing second in points (64), rebounds (31) and free throws made (16).

Benson was originally drafted in the second round (48th overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

Miami Heat extend single-affiliation partnership with Sioux Falls Skyforce through 2016-17 season

The Miami HEAT announced today they have extended a single affiliation partnership with the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce through the 2016-17 season. The HEAT will continue to be the only NBA team affiliated with the Skyforce and will continue full control over their basketball operations. Miami is one of 18 NBA teams to have a one-on-one partnership with an NBA D-League team, and one of eight to enter into a “hybrid” affiliation, meaning the HEAT will continue to pay for and control the Skyforce’s basketball operations, while existing local ownership maintains primary responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations and community initiatives. When the teams first entered into the new partnership prior to the 2013-14 season, the Skyforce updated their logo to resemble the colors and signature font of the Miami HEAT.

“We have been working with the Skyforce for six years and feel that it is one of the most professional organizations in the NBA Development League,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “We have had a very successful working partnership with them the last two years and have had successful development with current players Tyler Johnson and Hassan Whiteside, and past players Shabazz Napier, Henry Walker, Justin Hamilton and Zoran Dragic.”

The HEAT join the Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws), Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive), Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy), Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks), Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam) and Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns) as NBA teams with “hybrid” NBA D-League affiliations.

Nine other NBA teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge), Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors), Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders), New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks) Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue), Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers), San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs), Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905) and Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede) fully own and operate their D-League teams.

“The HEAT have been an amazing partner for the past two years and we’re happy to be affiliated with such a championship level franchise and first class organization,” said Mike Heineman, Skyforce owner/president.

The Sioux Falls Skyforce joined the NBA D-League in 2006 after serving stints with both the International Basketball League (2000-01) and the Continental Basketball Association (1989-00 & 2001-2006). The Skyforce captured two CBA Championships (1996 & 2005) and three CBA division titles as well as making five postseason berths in the NBA D-League. Since the teams entered the hybrid affiliation for the 2013-14 campaign, the Skyforce have made the playoffs both years, including their first Central Division title in the 2014-15 season.

Heat sign Corey Hawkins

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed guard Corey Hawkins.

Hawkins, who played three seasons at University of California, Davis after transferring from Arizona State University, appeared in 86 games (84 starts) for the Aggies and averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.45 steals while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from three-point range and 80.4 percent from the foul line.

Last season, he became the first UC Davis player to be named Big West Player of the Year, averaging 20.9 points per game and was the conference’s scoring champion for the second time in three seasons. Ranking No. 1 in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (.488) and seventh in points per game, he helped lead the Aggies to its first Big West regular season title. He ranks second on the UC Davis career scoring list with 1,623 points in just three seasons.

A look at Miami Heat ticket price tiers

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on Miami Heat ticket pricing, which takes into account the fact that some teams are bigger draws than others:

With Monday’s release of the Miami Heat’s partial-season ticket plans came the release of pricing tiers for 2015-16 opponents.

When it comes to the top tier of the five pricing ranges, one team stands alone: James’ Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only are the Cavaliers’ two visits to AmericanAirlines Arena listed in the “Inferno” pricing range, but they are the only two 2015-16 home games priced on the plan in that highest-tiered range…

Beyond the Cavaliers’ two visits, the next-highest pricing range is listed as “Blazing,” which includes the Christmas Day game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the New Year’s Day game against the Dallas Mavericks, as well as the lone visit of the season by the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Heat sign Josh Richardson

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed guard Josh Richardson.

Richardson played for the HEAT in both the Orlando Pro Summer League and Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He played a combined 10 games (six starts), and averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.70 steals and 1.6 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He recorded 23 points and four steals in 30:20 minutes in his Summer League finale against the Sacramento Kings.

Richardson, who played four seasons at Tennessee, appeared in 136 career games (110 starts) for the Volunteers and averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.08 steals and 28.2 minutes while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 75.8 percent from the foul line. He finished his career ranking third in school history in games played, ninth in minutes (3,802), ninth in starts, 10th in steals (147), 16th in blocks (88) and 28th in points (1,252). As a senior, he appeared in 32 games (all starts) and averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.09 steals and 36.3 minutes while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from three-point range and 79.8 percent from the foul line. Among the accolades he collected during his senior season, Richardson was named to the Associated Press and Coaches All-SEC First Teams, the SEC All-Defensive Team and the Defensive All-American Team. He was also selected to the SEC Community Service Team.

Richardson was selected in the second round (40th overall) by the HEAT in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Heat waive Henry Walker

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have waived forward Henry Walker.

(Yes, Henry Walker is the player formerly known as Bill Walker.)

Walker appeared in 24 games (13 starts) for the HEAT last season, averaging 7.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.00 steals and 26.1 minutes per game. He led the team in steals six times, in blocks four times, in rebounds twice and in assists once.

He also appeared in 17 games (eight starts) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce last season, averaging 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.00 steals and 27.8 minutes, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.