Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are re-signing center Dewayne Dedmon to a two-year, $9 million contract.

Agents Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier of Steinberg Sports, which represents Dedmon, revealed the news to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Dedmon, who will be 33 when next season begins, averaged 6.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15.9 minutes over 67 games (15 starts) last year.

Dedmon was a key contributor when regular starting center Bam Adebayo was forced to miss time after undergoing thumb surgery.

In 12 games started in December, Dedmon posted 8.5 points on 57.1 percent shooting and 8.2 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game. He also can stretch the floor a bit, as he shot 40.4 percent from three last season.

Dedmon went undrafted out of USC, but he's carved out a solid nine-year NBA career with seven different teams. He's largely been a reserve but started for the majority of his tenure with the Atlanta Hawks (2017-2019).

Dedmon served as a key reserve for the Eastern Conference runner-up Heat, though, and now he'll be back in the mix as Miami looks to improve upon a campaign that fell just one victory short of an NBA Finals appearance.

The Miami Heat and veteran guard Victor Oladipo have agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal that will keep him in South Florida, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Oladipo joined the Heat during the 2020-21 season in a trade from the Houston Rockets. However, he only appeared in four games for the franchise before suffering a quad injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Despite only appearing in four games, Miami re-signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal in August 2021. At the time, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported that he would return to the open market in 2022 in hopes of signing a big contract.

Oladipo then missed most of the 2021-22 season while recovering from surgery on his quadriceps tendon. He didn't make his debut until March 8 and was in and out of the lineup after that.

In eight regular-season games, the Indiana product averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep. He also appeared in 15 playoff games, averaging 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals.

It's no surprise Miami opted to re-sign Oladipo. When healthy, he is one of the most effective guards in the NBA. During the 2017-18 season, his last fully healthy year, he averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from deep in 75 games en route to an All-Star selection.

That said, Oladipo should play a significant role in Miami's rotation during the 2022-23 season. If he can stay healthy, the Heat will again be one of the most feared teams in the Eastern Conference.

Despite rumblings that Jalen Brunson is going to meet with multiple teams, one of the clubs he's been connected to reportedly doesn't have anything scheduled with him when free agency begins.

Per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the Miami Heat aren't planning to meet with Brunson, nor was any such meeting on the books for Thursday.

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported on Wednesday that Brunson is scheduled to meet with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks on the first day of free agency.

Haynes, who cited the Heat as a "darkhorse team in play" for Brunson, noted they have secured a meeting with the 25-year-old, but he didn't specify if that was also going to happen on Thursday.

The Heat would have to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Mavs if that's where Brunson decides he wants to play.

It's widely assumed that Brunson is going to end up signing with the Knicks. They have made a series of trades leading up to the start of free agency in an attempt to clear out enough cap space to add a large salary.

Per The Athletic's Tim Cato, the Mavericks have been "anticipating" Brunson's likely departure for weeks, and "it’s now seen as a certainty" that he will end up in New York when free agency opens.

According to Haynes, the Knicks are prepared to offer Brunson $110 million over four years. ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted the Mavs' cutoff for the Villanova alum is "more than Fred VanVleet money," which is $110 million over five years ($22 million per season).

It's not impossible for the Heat to end up getting a meeting with Brunson, but they also have other big decisions to make this offseason. B/R's Jake Fischer reported Tyler Herro will likely get an extension worth around $25 million per season.

Miami had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season (53-29), but they lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

Brunson is coming off a breakout 2021-22 campaign in Dallas. He set career highs in scoring average (16.3 points per game), assists (4.8) and rebounds (3.9).

Jimmy Butler is reportedly lobbying behind the scenes for P.J. Tucker to re-sign with the Miami Heat when the free-agency period begins.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Wednesday that the Heat haven't "given up hope" Tucker will return on a three-year, $27 million deal. Miami has reportedly balked at the idea of using its full mid-level exception—which would be around $33 million over three years—on Tucker.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been mentioned as the top potential suitor for Tucker and are expected to offer their full mid-level.

Tucker averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season while continuing to display locker room leadership and on-court toughness. Miami teammates raved about his presence.

"I love P.J., man. I'll play with P.J. seven days a week and twice on Sundays," Heat teammate Udonis Haslem told Couper Moorhead of NBA.com in December. "What doesn't he do? He might lead us in offensive rebounds. He comes flying in. Giving us extra possessions. He's taking charges. He switches pick-and-rolls. He accepts every matchup. He never complains about plays. He only complains about bad defense. That's the kind of teammate that I want."

While Tucker brings off-the-charts intangibles, it's fair to wonder whether offering a fully guaranteed three-year contract to a 37-year-old would be prudent. He's not a strong enough shooter or offensive player to justify keeping him on the floor if his defense begins to slip.

There is only so far a non-star can regress before they become a liability. The final year of Tucker's contract—perhaps even two—could get iffy with even a little bit of slippage.

That said, the market has clearly dictated a salary range for Tucker; soon, he can decide where he wants to play.

As a practical matter, the difference between $27 million and $33 million isn't as much as it appears. Pennsylvania's state income tax of 3.1 percent would shave around $1 million from his salary. If Tucker were to live across the bridge in New Jersey, as some players do, that figure would be even higher.

Florida does not have a state income tax. All things essentially being equal, the decision will come down to where Tucker wants to play.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving reportedly had the Miami Heat on a list of teams he'd be open to in a sign-and-trade scenario, but apparently the interest wasn't mutual.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Wednesday that the Heat do not plan to trade point guard Kyle Lowry to acquire Irving.

"The Heat has assured Lowry that it has no intention of trading him for Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving," Jackson wrote.

Jackson noted Lowry is a close friend of Heat star Jimmy Butler. It's expected that Lowry will use the offseason to get into better playing shape after an injury-riddled 2021-22 season.

"He definitely is going to have to address that and it will be addressed," Heat president Pat Riley said recently. "I definitely think he can be in better shape. We'll address it and try to help him."

Jackson reported "Lowry wasn't upset when Riley said publicly that his conditioning must improve."

In his first season with Miami, Lowry averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 63 games. It was his lowest scoring average since 2012-13. The 36-year-old was hindered by a hamstring injury during the postseason, and his production waned, as he averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 10 appearances.

The Heat finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 53-29 but fell in the conference finals to the Boston Celtics in seven games. Butler played at his usual All-Star level during the postseason, but his supporting cast didn't show up. No other player on the team averaged 15 points per game.

When the free-agency negotiating period opens Thursday, Miami can improve its roster significantly. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the Heat are one of three teams to secure a meeting with point guard Jalen Brunson, who is one of the most coveted players on the market.

Free-agent point guard Jalen Brunson is expected to land a massive contract this offseason, and he will reportedly meet with three teams when negotiations open Thursday evening.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Brunson will have discussions with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Miami Heat on the first day of free agency.

Haynes noted that Brunson will host the meetings in New York. The Knicks have been widely regarded as the favorites to sign the 25-year-old. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Tuesday that New York was preparing to offer Brunson "a four-year deal in excess of $100 million." The Knicks have made multiple moves to clear cap space, and Brunson's father, Rick Brunson, was hired as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau's staff.

While it seems like signing with the Knicks is an inevitability for Brunson, it appears that he's interested in exploring the possibility of earning a sweeter deal. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that it was Brunson's camp that requested to meet with both Dallas and Miami.

The Mavericks are reportedly pessimistic at the chance of re-signing Brunson, but they have a certain advantage over his other suitors. Dallas can offer Brunson a maximum five-year, $125 million contract, but it's unlikely that the team wants to commit such a substantial chunk of salary to him. Haynes reported that the Mavs were hoping to come to an agreement on a five-year contract worth $106 million.

The Heat, who are considered a "dark-horse team," might have the longest odds of landing Brunson. Miami would likely need to complete a sign-and-trade for the rising point guard.

The Miami Heat have a number of key role players entering free agency this July, and one of the more interesting ones is veteran guard Victor Oladipo, who potentially could return to the team if a robust market doesn't emerge for his services.

According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, "Oladipo's market is expected to be in the range of the $6.5 million taxpayer midlevel exception."

He added that a "league source said an Oladipo return to the Heat remains a possibility if his market remains in the $4 million to $6 million range, with Bird rights allowing Miami to make that signing without having to use its mid-level exception on him."

The Heat head into the new league year with five unrestricted free agents (Oladipo, Dewayne Dedmon, Udonis Haslem, Markieff Morris and P.J. Tucker) and one restricted free agent (Caleb Martin).

The Heat have full Bird rights on both Oladipo and Haslem and can go over the cap to sign them, while they have early Bird rights on Dedmon and can go over the cap to sign him on a two-year deal for up to $11 million per season, per Chiang.

To re-sign Morris, Tucker and Martin, however, the Heat will have to use an exception to retain them as an over-the-cap team.

It would appear Tucker is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers, with multiple reports linking him to a reunion with James Harden.

Two respected journalists, Keith and @TheSteinLine , continue to report that Tucker is likely or very likely headed to Philadelphia, though any such agreement now would be tampering. If this materializes, finding a new 4 obviously becomes by far the Heat's No. 1 priority. https://t.co/V7pOP52DbQ

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 28, 2022

Dedmon might not be back either, with one league source describing it as "unlikely" to Chiang.

And if Martin can field offers that go above the $10.5 million mid-level exception, he'll be gone as well. That could open the door for the Heat to use their exception on Oladipo, depending on what market surfaces for him.

The 30-year-old is no longer the player who was a two-time All-Star in his prime (2018 and '19) and hasn't played more than 36 games in a season since 2018-19 (including just eight regular-season games this past season). This year he averaged 10.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 15 playoff contests (one start), shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 27.4 percent from three.

Oladipo is a bit of a ball-stopper on offense and he wasn't terribly efficient in his postseason run, but as a burst of instant offense in a reserve role, he still offers value. Wings who can score and defend come at a premium at the NBA, so it would make sense for a contender like the Heat to hold on to him if his market stays within their price range.

Rumors have been swirling around Kyrie Irving for months, but they turned into a full-scale tornado during draft week.

Hours before the fates of 58 prospects were announced on national TV, The Athletic's Shams Charania sounded the alarm:

Sources: Kevin Durant is monitoring the Brooklyn Nets’ situation and considering options with his future.

This now opens the path for Kyrie Irving to proceed on finding a new home via opt-in and trade.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2022

Shortly thereafter, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added to the madness and shared a list of teams "Irving has interest in."

Those are teams who Irving has interest in, but he isn’t necessarily a priority for all of them, sources said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2022

Given Wojnarowski's caveat at the end of that tweet, it's safe to say each of those options is a long shot. In the end, the most realistic outcome of all this might be Kevin Durant and Kyrie remaining with the Brooklyn Nets.

But there's just too much noise to ignore, and with possible destinations narrowed down, it's time to look at two: the most realistic and most desirable.

Most Realistic: Miami Heat

Kyrie's trade value may be diminished by the last several years of drama, unavailability and aging (he turned 30 in March), but that doesn't mean Brooklyn is just going to give him away.

If he's healthy and engaged (big ifs, to be sure), he's the kind of talent who can lift you to a championship-caliber offense, which is why the Miami Heat should perk up at the thought of Kyrie being available.

Miami was the top seed in the East this postseason, but it finished in the bottom half of playoff offenses and looked stuck in neutral against the Boston Celtics.

That certainly had a lot to do with Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro only sharing the floor for seven minutes in that series (thanks to injuries), but it was hard to come away from that matchup without thinking there's too much offensive responsibility on Butler's shoulders.

Having a locked-in Irving in the rotation would certainly alleviate that. And of the teams listed above, the Heat likely have the most attractive trade package it could send Brooklyn's way.

The Deal: Kyrie Irving for Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick

If the Nets lose Irving, they're pretty much resigning themselves to the loss of Durant and, ultimately, a rebuild. Any packages for either player should probably have young players, draft consideration or both. And that's exactly what Miami is offering here.

Herro isn't Irving, but he's 6'5", 22 years old and just averaged 20.7 points in his third season. He has No. 1-option upside at the age of plenty of this year's draft prospects. Most of the other teams in Wojnarowski's list can't (or in the Knicks' case, shouldn't) offer that.

And while those picks don't figure to be high in the draft, you never know what can happen in the future. And again, Irving's value is a bit diminished right now. Teams on track for top-three picks aren't lining up to surrender them for Kyrie.

Finally, a rebuilding team probably wouldn't be stoked to have Lowry's contract on the books through 2024, but rules are rules. Brooklyn has to take some money back to satisfy the CBA.

For Miami, a lineup with Irving, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo offers terrifying offensive upside and two of the league's best defenders. Filling out the rest of the rotation with reliable role players might push the Heat back to the Celtics' level.

Most Desirable: Los Angeles Clippers

The idea of a reunion with LeBron James in L.A. is intriguing, but he's 37 years old. Recapturing the magic of 2016 is far from a given. And it's hard to imagine Brooklyn wanting anything to do with Russell Westbrook's contract unless it can reel a third team into a deal to take that on.

Playing at Madison Square Garden would be fun, but what would be left of that team after a Kyrie trade? Would the New York Knicks even want to give up RJ Barrett for the possible headache that Irving might bring?

Joining Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks could create a pair with an offensive dynamic similar to the one Kyrie and LeBron had in Cleveland, but it might also lead to similar tension.

Then there's the Philadelphia 76ers, who figure to have James Harden on the roster. And, well, those two have been down that road before.

That leaves the Los Angeles Clippers. They, too, have ball-dominant wings in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, but they may be past the individual prove-it phases of their careers that Luka is closer to. And the idea of Kyrie being surrounded by switchable, rangy defenders is intriguing.

The Deal: Kyrie Irving for Luke Kennard, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, a 2027 first-round pick swap and a 2028 first-round pick

This return is far from on par with Miami's (hence, not being in the "most realistic" slot). Kennard is four years older than Herro. Mann isn't quite the prospect Miami's Sixth Man of the Year is. And the salary filler (Powell) is on the books for two years longer than Lowry is.

This package does give Brooklyn some draft consideration, though. And it might be enough to get it done if every other team in the league is too scared to send any picks back. Brooklyn may just cut its losses and hope for more of a haul with a Durant deal.

For L.A., presumably getting Leonard and George back and plugging Kyrie into Reggie Jackson's role would make the Clippers one of the scariest teams in the West.

The 2022 NBA draft is done, but the roster changes are just getting started this offseason.

Few teams could be in for a bigger overhaul than the Utah Jazz, which already lost head coach Quin Snyder after he stepped down earlier this month following eight seasons.

That left the future of star player Donovan Mitchell in question as well, considering ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the guard was "surprised and disappointed" about the departure of Snyder.

Wojnarowski also described Mitchell as "unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise's future."

Simply running things back with the core of Mitchell and Rudy Gobert probably wouldn't mean a championship in that future. After all, the Jazz did not advance past the second round of the playoffs despite making the postseason in each of Snyder's last six seasons. That includes a second-round loss in 2020-21 when they finished with the best record in the NBA at 52-20.

In addition to the clear ceiling in place, there have been multiple reports of tension between the two star players and no shortage of rumors about whether one or both will be traded.

Sean O'Connell of SiriusXM reported in May that Gobert reached a "him or me" point with Mitchell, while Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported in June that Utah has "been one of the more active teams during early offseason trade conversations."

Fischer noted many of those discussions were about Gobert since "Utah has not entertained rival teams' overtures to steal away All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell."

The big man seems the more likely trade candidate than Mitchell, who is still just 25 years old and a franchise cornerstone under contract through 2024-25 with a player option for 2025-26. He has the offensive skill set to be a go-to option for years to come, while the defensive-minded Gobert is limited on that end of the floor and someone who is ideally surrounded by other elite talent.

That means teams with impressive offensive guards who need help on the defensive side should be seen as the most likely landing spots for Gobert.

Enter the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls.

Fischer mentioned both Eastern Conference squads as teams that were interested in the 29-year-old, and it's not difficult to see why. Chicago has a two-time All-Star big man in Nikola Vucevic it could include in the deal and would immediately bolster the interior defense.

If the Bulls do end up bringing back Zach LaVine, they will need a rim-protector like Gobert since DeMar DeRozan and LaVine are not exactly renowned for their shutdown defense on the wings.

Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are better known for their defense, but they both dealt with health issues last season and may not be on the floor together as often given the importance of LaVine and DeRozan to the offensive attack.

Chicago also went perimeter with its only pick of Thursday's NBA draft when it selected Arizona's Dalen Terry at No. 18 overall.

Atlanta also has an All-Star on the perimeter who isn't an all-world defender in the shape of Trae Young.

While the 23-year-old can carry the team to victory on any given night with his outside shooting and overall offensive game, the Hawks would be much better with someone like Gobert to help cover for his defensive mistakes.

Like the Bulls, the Hawks didn't load up down low in Thursday's draft either and went with a wing in Duke's AJ Griffin (No. 16).

Atlanta and Chicago are also looking to take another step into the discussion of serious Eastern Conference contenders and could be in "buy" mode with the chance to land a three-time Defensive Player of the Year down low.

As for Mitchell, a pair of Eastern Conference teams also stand out as potential destinations even if the Jazz reportedly aren't interested in trading him.

It was clear throughout the Eastern Conference Finals that Jimmy Butler could use some offensive help if the Miami Heat are going to take the next step and win a championship.

Kyle Lowry is past his prime, and Mitchell would give the Heat a third All-Star-caliber player alongside Butler and Bam Adebayo in the Eastern Conference race.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks are further from a championship than Miami but could use a star player in a major market desperate for a contender. They also landed multiple picks in draft-day trades that may be used in future moves.

New York has won one playoff series since the 1999-2000 season and took a step back in 2021-22 after reaching the postseason the prior campaign. Mitchell would give the team its best player since Carmelo Anthony and someone who could actually lead it deeper into the playoffs.

Kyrie Irving's future with the Brooklyn Nets is uncertain, and it's possible the Miami Heat could be a dark-horse suitor for his services if he's ultimately made available in a trade.

NBA insider Marc Stein laid out the latest on the Heat's interest in his newsletter on Wednesday:

"The overwhelming expectation among rival teams is that establishing the Lakers, Clippers and Knicks as potential Irving suitors earlier this week was aimed at trying to goad the Nets into offering Irving a more lucrative long-term deal. Yet we should also file this away for potential down-the-road relevance: Miami is believed to have some level of interest in joining the chase for Irving — should the Nets reach the point of actively trying to trade him — and would figure to be a more legitimate landing spot than the teams initially mentioned given the Heat's various trade assets."

Miami's interest in Irving should come as little surprise, as the team came up short in the 2022 NBA playoffs, falling to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and is looking to make improvements this offseason.

The Heat already have Kyle Lowry at point guard, but Irving would represent an upgrade over the 36-year-old Lowry, who averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists during the 2021-22 campaign. His 13.4 points per game was his lowest scoring output since he averaged just 11.6 points during the 2012-13 season.

Even though Irving appeared in just 29 games last season, he averaged an impressive 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists. It was his sixth straight season averaging at least 23 points per game.

The 30-year-old would be an interesting fit in a Miami lineup that also boasts Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. That said, the Heat roster would likely get some sort of shake-up in a sign-and-trade for Irving.

It's possible the franchise would offer up a combination of Lowry, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro in a potential deal for Irving. Lowry would almost certainly be going the other way, as Miami wouldn't want to pay him his $28.3 million salary for the 2022-23 season to sit on the bench.

It's unclear if Miami would be interested in trading Robinson, but the franchise could stand to unload him and the remainder of his five-year, $90 million contract after he regressed during the 2021-22 campaign.

As for Herro, it's hard to imagine the Heat being interested in moving him. The 22-year-old has been a significant piece off the bench in Miami since being drafted, and he played a key role in the Heat reaching the conference finals this past season.

But while Miami would be interested in Irving, it's unclear if the feeling is mutual. Stein also reported that "there are credible rumblings in circulation" that Irving has had contact with Lakers star and former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James "to presumably discuss a potential reunion in Hollywood."

However, Stein did add that "it would be a stretch, though, to suggest that the Lakers are currently pursuing Irving."

With rumors circulating, there's no telling where he could end up. That said, everything hinges on his $36.5 million player option for 2022-23 and whether he decides to opt out.

At this point, it's probably not worth the speculation, especially considering the situation between Irving and the Nets remains fluid, according to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.