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Miami Heat sign guard Larry Drew II

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed guard Larry Drew II. We assume it is a non-guaranteed contract that merely brings Drew to training camp, where he would then attempt to try to earn a regular season contract.

Drew, who played one season at UCLA after transferring from the University of North Carolina, appeared in 35 games (all starts) for the Bruins as a senior and averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.40 steals and 35.5 minutes while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from three-point range. He dished out 256 assists, the most during a single-season in school history and the third-most during a single-season in Pac-12 history. He also played 1,243 minutes that season, the fourth-highest mark for a single-season in school history. Drew was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and was selected to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. He led the conference in total assists, assists per game and assist-per-turnover average (2.98).

In his three seasons at UNC, he finished with 378 assists, the 17th-most in school history. He earned the Tar Heel’s Defensive Player of the Game award four times during his junior season and appeared in 38 games as a freshman during the school’s 2009 championship season.

Dwyane Wade tells Jay Leno about celebrity relationships

Dwyane Wade’s appearance on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno early Friday morning offered more insight into his personal life than his professional one.

“I’m going to tell you something personal,” Wade said when Leno asked him about his relationship with actress Gabrielle Union.

“Celebrity relationships is very hard. This was a big year for us in our relationship from the standpoint of she was shooting her show Being Mary Jane. … I was dealing with my injuries, trying to win a championship. We kind of took a step back. We supported each other, but we took a step back for a little while. At the end of the day, we came back together and said, ‘Listen, we want to continue this. We want to try to continue to get better each day.’ She’s been with me and I’ve been with her all summer long. We’re going strong now.”

Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

LeBron James is now a married man

LeBron James

Has rings

To quote San Diego legend and respected newsman Ron Burgundy, when Jay-Z and Beyonce fly in to sing at your wedding, you’re “kind of a big deal.”

A performance by the two pop icons on Saturday night highlighted the wedding celebration of Miami Heat star LeBron James and longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson, who shared vows in San Diego with family and friends.

And, so, Miami’s king now has a queen.

About 200 people attended the ceremony held at San Diego-area resort Grand Del Mar Hotel. The hotel is considered one of the best in the world. Per the property’s website, the Grand Del Mar Hotel is “serenely nestled amidst Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve” and “seamlessly combines the old-world charm of a Mediterranean estate with the modern luxury of an elegant resort.”

The constant hovering of local TV helicopters apparently detracted little from the ceremony’s ambiance, which was hidden from view under large event tents. Guests were ushered into the hotel under umbrellas.

Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Many members of the Heat organization were there, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, managing general partner Micky Arison and coach Erik Spoelstra. Wade and girlfriend Gabrielle Union posted images of themselves dressed for the occasion on social media, as did Bosh and his wife Adrienne. Some of James’ longtime friends were also in attendance, including his manager Maverick Carter.

“What a wonderful evening!!” Adrienne Bosh wrote on Twitter. “Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. James…Thanks for sharing Ur night & love with us”

The ceremony was the obvious highlight of a three-day wedding weekend for the couple, who were high school sweethearts and are the parents of two sons. They were engaged just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2012, when James dropped to a knee and surprised his longtime girlfriend by finally popping the question as many of their close friends were gathered around.

Reported by the Associated Press

Tracy McGrady sounds off on NBA knuckleheads

Michael Beasley

Needs to not be a knucklehead

Once a skinny kid in a purple uniform, McGrady now can sound like a jaded curmudgeon lamenting the state of the next generation.

“You’ve got some guys in the league now who are just knuckleheads,” McGrady said. “What turns me off is guys doing the wrong thing. Just the legal part of it, hanging out, getting these DUIs, marijuana — all that crazy stuff, just doing the wrong thing, setting a bad example for the young guys … I don’t quite understand it. I take a guy like (Michael) Beasley. Had all the potential in the world but he’s not level-headed. He just doesn’t get it. And a very talented player. But where else are you going to make this type of money doing something you love to do every day, take care of your family and play basketball. I mean, are you serious? You get millions of dollars for it and you mess these opportunities up? I don’t get it.”

Reported by Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star

Miami Heat sign Michael Beasley

While a growing number of teams have felt that Michael Beasley’s on and off-court decisions aren’t what they’re looking for, the defending NBA champions apparently feel differently.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed Beasley. According to Yahoo Sports, it’s just a training camp contract, and Beasley must still compete to make the roster to earn his one-year, minimum contract deal of $1 million.

“Michael had the best years of his career with us,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “We feel that he can help us.”

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “Beasley becomes the 17th player on the Heat’s training-camp roster, one of four invited to camp without guaranteed contracts. Teams may carry between 13 and 15 players during the regular season, but up to 20 in training camp. While Beasley will receive the five-year veteran minimum of $1,027,424, the Heat’s actual salary-cap hit will be only $788,872, under the NBA’s minimum-salary policy. In addition, Beasley is still collecting on the final two seasons of his bought-out Suns contract.”

According to the Miami Herald, “Beasley agreed to a one-year, nonguaranteed deal with Miami after recently being released by the Phoenix Suns. He was arrested for possession of marijuana in Scottsdale, Ariz., in August. Beasley, now 24 years old, has been linked to marijuana at every stop in his NBA career and his colorful history with the Heat is well documented. But at such a bargain, the team decided giving the inconsistent forward one more shot couldn’t hurt. With the league’s highly punitive luxury-tax system kicking in after this season, the Heat has gone with reclamation projects to fill out its roster and add depth.”

Beasley, a five-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 354 NBA games (197 starts) and averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 26.4 minutes while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. Last season, he averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.7 minutes of action while shooting 40.5 percent from the field with the Phoenix Suns.

Beasley, who was originally drafted by Miami in the first round (2nd overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft, appeared in 159 games (97 starts) with the HEAT and averaged 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 27.3 minutes while shooting 46.1 percent from the field. In his two seasons in Miami, Beasley helped guide the HEAT to two consecutive postseason berths, appearing in 12 playoff games (four starts) and averaging 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 40.9 percent from the field.

Miami Heat sign Eric Griffin and Justin Hamilton

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed forward Eric Griffin and center Justin Hamilton. We assume these are non-guaranteed deals for training camp, and neither player is assured of making the regular season Heat roster just yet.

Griffin appeared in 10 games (seven starts) for the Heat’s 2013 Summer League team and averaged 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.25 steals and 19.0 minutes while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. He appeared in 28 games with Fileni BPA Jesi of the Italian Lega2 last season and averaged 17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.82 steals, 1.29 blocks, 1.2 assists and 32.0 minutes while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. The Campbell University product finished with the school’s highest career field goal percentage (.559) and ranks third on the school’s all-time blocks list with 134 rejections.

Hamilton, who was drafted in the second round (45th overall) by Philadelphia in the 2012 NBA Draft, was acquired by the Heat on draft night, along with a future first round draft pick, in exchange for Arnett Moultrie (27th overall). He split last season with VEF Riga (Latvia) of the VTB United League and Cibona (Croatia) of the Adriatic League appearing in 30 total games and averaging 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 60.2 percent from the field. Additionally, Hamilton appeared in three 2012 Summer League games with the Heat totaling 27 points and 12 rebounds in 56:43 minutes of action while shooting 8-of-17 from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 from the foul line.

Shane Battier not declaring a retirement date just yet

Shane Battier isn’t sure he’s the retiring type, but considering the Miami Heat forward turned 35 Monday, he appreciates the end could be near.

Last week during a Twitter question-and-answer session, Battier was asked about his inspiration for a potential third consecutive championship. He replied, “Go out on top, if this is it.”

Monday, before a motivational appearance with the students at St. Mark’s Episcopal School, he said with his three-year contract expiring at season’s end, it only makes sense to take stock.

“I’m realistic to where I am at this point in my life,” he said, after playing most of last season as a reserve and seeing limited action for an extended stretch of the playoffs. “I’d like to finish my contract strong with the Miami Heat, and then we’ll see where we go.”

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel

Miami Heat have workouts in the coming days

The Sun Sentinel confirmed Monday through league sources that among those who will work out in coming days for the Heat are free-agent guard Julyan Stone, who played last season for the Denver Nuggets; Vander Blue, a guard out of Marquette who went undrafted this past June; swingman Yakhouba Diawara, a journeyman forward out of France who spent the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons with the Heat; and point guard Larry Drew II, who went undrafted out of UCLA and was sidelined by injury after being scheduled to play for the Heat in summer league.

In addition to the 13 players under guaranteed contract, the Heat now have three players attending camp on non-guaranteed contracts

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel

Justin Hamilton hoping to make Miami Heat

While the Miami Heat’s 2013 second-round acquisition is preparing to spend the coming season in Australia, a 2012 Heat second-round acquisition has moved a step closer to training camp.

Justin Hamilton, the center out of LSU acquired in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, posted Sunday on Twitter that he finally has been cleared to return from the hamstring issue that kept him out of the Heat’s two summer-league appearances.

Hamilton, an outside-shooting 7-footer who had an uneven run in Europe last season, has been working out at AmericanAirlines Arena almost the entire offseason, but had been limited to non-contact work. He then posted Sunday on his Twitter account, “Fully cleared! Going to be a big week to improve!!”

The Heat typically run a variety of prospects through drills in advance of camp, which opens Oct. 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Heat 2013 second-round acquisition James Ennis, the swingman out of Long Beach State who participated with the Heat’s summer league teams in Orlando and Las Vegas, has since signed with the Perth Wildcats, although he has an opt-out to return to the Heat if summoned.

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel

LeBron James hits a Dallas Cowboys game

Miami Heat forward LeBron James made his appointed rounds Sunday at AT&T Stadium, including a visit with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

“Me and The Boss!! #OneOfTheGreatestOwnersOfAllTime #GoCowboys,” James posted with Instagram photo he posted of himself and Jones.

With Dwyane Wade’s Chicago Bears winning earlier in the day, the stakes were high for LeBron.

Jones announced last week that James would be among his guests for the Cowboys’ season opener against the New York Giants.

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel