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Rashard Lewis to meet with Miami Heat

Rashard Lewis to meet with Miami Heat

The Miami Heat had a 10-time All-Star visit Thursday in free-agent guard Ray Allen. This weekend, they will be playing host to a two-time All-Star.

Colin Bryant, one of the agents for Rashard Lewis, confirmed the free-agent forward will be taking a look at the Heat. He said Lewis is intrigued by the possibility of joining them.

“They’re a championship team and a great organization, and I think he’d fit well with them,’’ Bryant said. “It would definitely be a great overall situation.’’

The Heat on Thursday entertained Allen, who has played the last five seasons with Boston. The most they can offer Allen is the $3.09 million taxpayer exception for next season, which is what they’ve done. The total offer is for $9.53 million over three years.

— Reported by Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida

LeBron, CP3 both recruiting Ray Allen

LeBron, CP3 both recruiting Ray Allen

LeBron James and Chris Paul are the closest of friends, but they will be at cross purposes over the next few days. They are recruiting against each other for the services of Ray Allen.

Allen hasn’t ruled out re-signing with the Boston Celtics, who have made him a strong monetary offer, but signs are pointing to Allen choosing between James’ Miami Heat and Paul’s Los Angeles Clippers.

On Thursday, the Heat will host Allen for a visit as they try to persuade him to accept less money and perhaps a lesser role to join their bid to repeat as champions. Friday, Allen is scheduled to visit the Clippers, who have more money to offer and a clear role as the starting shooting guard.

James and Paul, sources said, have been actively recruiting Allen to join their respective teams. Earlier this week, James tweeted a photo of Allen wearing a Heat uniform. Wednesday, Dwyane Wade sent out a tweet describing Thursday as a big day for the franchise.

— Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

No Heat qualifying offer for Terrel Harris

A week ago, on the eve of free agency, Miami Heat President Pat Riley spoke of the hopes his team had for Heat free-agent guard Terrel Harris.

“We like him,” he said. “We like him a lot.”

And then something rather curious happened: nothing.

The Sun Sentinel has learned that the Heat bypassed extending a qualifying offer to the seldom-used rookie guard, leaving him an unrestricted free agent instead of a restricted free agent. As a result, the Heat do not maintain the right to match outside offers.

While Harris is expected to work with the team this summer, several factors in the new collective-bargaining agreement worked against Harris when it came to a qualifying offer.

— Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Ray Allen to meet with Heat on Thursday

Ray Allen to meet with Heat on Thursday

Boston shooting guard Ray Allen, the Heat’s top target in free agency, will meet with Heat officials in Miami on Thursday as he continues to consider offers from the Heat, Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers.

Allen will visit the Clippers on Friday. As of Tuesday afternoon, he had not booked visits with his other suitors, including Memphis and Minnesota.

The Celtics reportedly have offered Allen $12 million over two years. The Heat can offer no more than $3.1 million per season over three years because teams that are above the luxury tax threshold have only a mini-mid level exception. The Clippers, who have a full mid-level exception, can offer $5 million annually over three years.

— Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

Ronny Turiaf opts out of Heat contract

ronny turiaf

The Heat has retained one backup center and lost another. Ronny Turiaf on Saturday opted out of a contract that would have paid him the veteran’s minimum $1.2 million next season. But Miami guaranteed Dexter Pittman’s contract (worth $854,369) by Friday’s deadline.

Turiaf’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said his client always intended to test the market. “He’s worth more than the minimum,” Bartelstein said. “He had a significant hamstring injury” late in the season.

Bartelstein said the Heat has expressed interest in keeping Turiaf and he plans to speak with Heat president Pat Riley. But the Heat very likely would not offer him more than the minimum.

— Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

Chris Bosh not playing for USA Basketball this summer

chris bosh

Olympic gold medalist Chris Bosh (Miami Heat) yesterday informed USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo and USA Basketball Men’s National Team head coach Mike Krzyzewski that because of his strained abdominal muscle he will be unable to play for the USA Basketball National Team this summer.

“I am extremely disappointed to say that due to injury, I cannot represent my country in the 2012 Olympics in London.  The abdominal injury that I suffered in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals is not fully healed. After the Finals, I met with my doctors to determine the best course of action, with the full intent to play in the Olympics. From those meetings, I was advised that rest and additional rehab of my abdominal injury will be necessary in order to avoid the development of a chronic injury,” said Bosh.

“Having enjoyed the honor of representing my country in the 2008 Olympics, when we won the gold medal, I wanted to be part of that experience again.  However, I must follow my doctors’ advice and properly take care of this injury. My thoughts will be with our guys in London in August and I am confident that Coach K and the USA Basketball staff will bring home the gold again to the USA.”

“I got a call this morning from Chris who said the doctor recommended that he not go forward because they were concerned about him re-aggravating the abdominal strain and it could turn out be a chronic situation so he wouldn’t be able to play.” said Colangelo. “He’ll be missed, but we have to move on.  We’ve taken four bullets with the injuries to Rose, (Dwight) Howard, (Dwyane) Wade and now (Chris) Bosh and it will now be a testimony to the infrastructure we put in with the national team roster. I feel very confident about our roster going forward.

“Adversity gives people opportunity, and guess what? It’s going to open up a couple of roster positions,” added Colangelo.

“We’re totally supportive of Chris and hope he recovers fully for his season next year. We’ll miss him; he was really a key player for us in winning the gold in 2008 and we thank him for his service to USA Basketball. I really loved coaching him,” said Krzyzewski.

“It is obvious why we have built a pool of players over the last seven years to take care of situations like these. This opens up opportunities for other players in the pool to show their talents.”

Bosh in the 2008 Olympics averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, while shooting 77.4 percent from the field to help the USA finish 8-0 and win the gold medal.  At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, he recorded 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds as the American team finished 8-1 and in possession of the bronze medal.

Dwyane Wade needs knee surgery, will miss Olympics

dwyane wade

Dwyane Wade needs surgery on his ailing left knee and will not play in next month’s London Olympics.

The Miami Heat guard called USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski on Thursday to break the news, which was not totally unexpected after Wade played through pain in the postseason. He appeared in all 23 Heat playoff games despite the knee problems, averaging 22.6 points during Miami’s five-game win over Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.

”I’ve decided to listen to my doctors and get the procedure I need on my knee,” Wade told The Associated Press on Thursday. ”USA Basketball said I had to what was best for me. They want me to be obviously as healthy as possible so I can continue to play this game at a high level. They were very supportive and told me if I ever want to come around the team, I’m welcome and that I’m part of the family.”

Wade and his doctors are in the process of scheduling the surgery. Wade has been told it will be basically a ”cleanup” procedure and should have him on crutches for only about a day afterward.

If all goes according to plan, Wade will be ready for the start of training camp with the Heat this fall.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Dwyane Wade might need knee surgery, may miss Olympics

dwyane wade

Dwyane Wade played with knee pain throughout the playoffs. He’ll soon know exactly what was causing that problem, and if it could keep him out of the London Olympics.

One day after celebrating his second NBA championship, the Miami Heat guard told The Associated Press on Friday that he will soon have his ailing left knee examined, and acknowledges that surgery may be a possibility. Wade appeared in all 23 postseason games for Miami, averaging 22.8 points, and scored 20 in the title-clinching win for the Heat against Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

“I’ve got to make a decision on what my knee needs and what’s best, because my career and finishing my career strong is what’s important to me,” Wade said. “And I know, yeah, the Olympics are coming up. It’s something I really want to do. But at the same time, if I have to make a big decision, if something has to happen surgery-wise, that will have to be a step I have to take. My loyalty and my commitment to Miami Heat basketball is the No. 1 thing.”

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Heat vs Thunder 2012 NBA Finals was big TV ratings success

Superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant doing battle in the NBA Finals was as popular as expected.

The 2012 NBA Finals – the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to become NBA Champions – generated the most-watched and highest-rated five-game average for The Finals since 2004 and the second most-watched in ABC history, according to Nielsen.

The Finals averaged 16,855,000 viewers (P2+) and 11,584,000 household impressions, up five percent from 16,084,000 viewers and 11,061,000 household impressions in 2011. The series generated a 10.1 household rating, up six percent compared to a 9.6 last year through five games.

Thursday’s Game 5 broadcast delivered a 10.9 HH rating, 18,461,000 viewers and 12,538,000 household impressions, up 1 percent compared to Game 5 last year (10.8 rating, 18,313,000 viewers and 12,472,000 household impressions).

NBA Finals Game 5 was the highest-rated program of the night and helped ABC win the night among all programs on broadcast and cable. This marks the 30th consecutive time the NBA Finals have led ABC to win the night.

2012 NBA Finals – Top 10 local markets: 1.Oklahoma City (43.8); 2.Miami (33.1); 3.Tulsa (26.9); 4.West Palm Beach (20.1); 5.Cleveland (17.4); 6.Memphis (15.9); 7.New Orleans (14.4); 8.Atlanta (14.2); 9.Chicago (14.1) 10.San Antonio (14.0).