NBA Rumors Round-Up
NBA Rumors: Will Miami’s Big Three take a paycut?
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
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“When we sat down and we signed our deals and all of us made sure we had an opt out in that fourth year, that was our option, so the option is there and you would hope that someone wants to be able to use their option as a player,” Wade said.
“As players, you only have so much time and you only have so many moments where you have the ability to control your own fate, so it’s not a bad thing at all if that’s what someone is thinking. I haven’t had that conversation with Chris. I haven’t had that conversation with Bron.”
Wade took a pay cut and took less than a max deal to help the Heat add some depth to their roster in 2010 and it’s possible the Heat could approach him about doing so again this summer.
Wade is due $42 million over the next two years, which would be the most lucrative contract years of his career. But the Heat could try to convince Wade and the others — in the name of more titles — to take another discount.
The only reason this is even a plausible idea is because of how much success the HEAT’s Big Three has experienced as a result of their unselfishness and willingness to take less money. However, it’s never an easy sell to convince someone to take less, let alone three guys who could be potentially coming off of back-to-back-to-back championships by the time contract negotiations roll around. There are going to be other teams trying to lure them away with full max contracts, making the pitch even more difficult.
If they are not interested in taking a pay cut we’re going to find out just how much the HEAT is willing to pay to keep a dynasty together. It’s hard to imagine them not finding a way to do what they need to do, but the repeater tax is stiff. Here’s a chart courtesy of Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ to give you an insight as to just how quickly the HEAT’s tax bill will climb as a repeat offender.
LSU post player and leading scorer Johnny O’Bryant III stayed at LSU one year longer than many expected.
Now he’s ready to turn pro.
O’Bryant, who has been projected as a late first-round or second-round draft pick, announced Tuesday that he will bypass his senior season and make himself eligible for the NBA draft.
“I am a better player now than a year ago,” O’Bryant said. “My mid-range jumper is better. I pass out of the double team better.
Now, I have to get ready for the draft. I have no idea where I’ll be drafted. I have to get in better shape and work hard. That’s it.”
O’Bryant averaged a career-high 15.4 points to go with 7.7 rebounds this season.
Via the Associated Press
O’Bryant is widely regarded as a mid-to-late second round pick, so the next few months are really going to be important for him. He did set a new career high for points this season, but his rebounding numbers decreased from his sophomore season and there are concerns about how he’s going to handle playing against NBA-caliber athletes night in and night out. If he can alleviate those concerns by outperforming some of the players ranked ahead of him while getting himself in peak condition, he could climb as high as the top half of the second round.
Since the All-Star break, Samuel Dalembert has played well enough to exceed the expectations the Dallas Mavericks had of him when they acquired him via free agency last summer.
Dalembert, in fact, has suddenly become one of the best bargains of last summer’s free agency class. At least he is, according to Donnie Nelson, the Mavs’ president of basketball operations, who also said Dalembert will “absolutely” return next season.
Only $1.8 million of the $3.8 million owed to Dalembert is guaranteed next season. Even as a team looking to make a splash in free agency, though, the extra $2 million is a reasonable price to pay with the way Dalembert has performed over the last two months. Since February he’s averaged just over seven points, nearly eight rebounds and a block and a half. The Mavericks are Dalembert’s fourth team in the last four years. Knowing that he’s settling into his home for at least the next season should do nothing but help his recently improved play.
