Could Sacramento Kings be a landing spot for Heat’s Tyler Johnson?

Miami’s Tyler Johnson reacts during a game against Washington on March 6. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – With Sacramento looking to add a shooting guard and losing out on their first choice, could the Kings be a landing spot for the Heat’s Tyler Johnson?

The Kings gave restricted free agent Zach LaVine a four-year, $78 million contract offer that the Bulls matched, leaving Sacramento with about $19.5 million in cap space and still looking for an additional shooting guard. Reports then surfaced Sacramento was preparing to pursue Celtics free agent guard Marcus Smart, but that was shot down and no offer has come so far.

The Kings apparently are not giving up, and Tyler Johnson could be a backup plan if nothing else materializes.

Johnson, whose contract is about to spike to $19.25 million in 2017-18 and has two years remaining, would be cheaper than LaVine seeing the annual payout would be about the same but Johnson would have two fewer years on his deal. Johnson grew up about 120 miles south of Sacramento, in the Bay area, and attended college at Fresno State.

Although the Heat have been dormant since July 1, that doesn’t mean Pat Riley isn’t on the phone. The main objective is to clear cap space, which still would benefit Miami this late in the game with free agents Wayne Ellington, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem still unsigned and reports surfacing the Heat have met with Carmelo Anthony, who will sever ties with Oklahoma City either through a trade, the NBA’s stretch provision or a buyout.

Freeing up $19 million would put the Heat about $1 million below the salary cap but more importantly about $23 million away from the luxury tax threshold, allowing Riley and the Heat more flexibility to bring back their free agents along with having the option to offer minimum or exception money, depending on what they pay Wade, to other players.

Additionally, Miami would fall about $11 million under the 2019-20 projected salary cap of $109 million. The 2019 free agency class is one of the richest in recent history and although $11 million won’t buy a superstar, it does put the Heat closer in case it can move more money or, at the very least, it allows them to add a solid player.

The other benefit to trading Johnson is it helps alleviate the logjam at shooting guard that could include Dion Waiters, Ellington, Wade, Josh Richardson and Rodney McGruder. Richardson, who played shooting guard for most of 2017-18, is expected to start at small forward this season.

The Kings are loaded with youth in the backcourt with three of their top four guards – point guards De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason III and shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovich – having just one-year in the NBA. Shooting guard Buddy Hield has been in the league two years. Bogdanovich was Sacramento’s second leading scorer last season with 11.8 points per game.

Johnson, who also can fill in at point guard, has played four seasons with the Heat. His scoring slipped to 11.7 point per game last year after averaging 13.7 in 2016-17, when he came off the bench in all 73 games he played.

[Heat coach Eric Glass says Derrick Walton Jr. still contributing despite shooting woes]

[Erik Spoelstra says he, center Hassan Whiteside are in constant contact; adds relationship ‘isn’t what it seems on the outside’]

[What do you need to know about new Heat two-way contract player Duncan Robinson? He’s not just a shooter]

[Heat GM Andy Elisburg had advice for Cavaliers GM after losing LeBron: ‘It ends, and you have to start again’]

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Heat withdraw qualifying offer to Derrick Walton Jr. Here’s what it means

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra talks with guard Derrick Walton Jr. during a game last season.
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI — The Heat have withdrawn their qualifying offer to guard Derrick Walton Jr., which makes him an unrestricted free agent.

The Heat had until Friday to make this decision or else the two-way contract offer would have remained on the table until Walton decided if he wanted to take it or not. The qualifying offer included a $50,000 guarantee for next season. Continue reading “Heat withdraw qualifying offer to Derrick Walton Jr. Here’s what it means”

Heat coach Eric Glass says Derrick Walton Jr. still contributing despite shooting woes

Bam Adebayo, shown here during a summer league game last week against Sacramento, led the Heat’s victory over Utah on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

LAS VEGAS – The Miami Heat move onto tournament play in the Las Vegas summer league Thursday, but it is unknown if their two best players will be on the court.

Forward Derrick Jones Jr. has not played since spraining his right ankle Sunday and coach Eric Glass said Jones remains day-to-day. But since Jones did not practice Wednesday it is highly unlikely he will play when the Heat face the Pelicans at 4 p.m. at the Cox Pavilion.

“He couldn’t do anything,” Glass said after Wednesday’s practice at The Clark High School in Las Vegas. “We will see how (Thursday) goes. It’s not as bad as we thought it was.”

Bam Adebayo, who had 24 points and nine rebounds in the Heat’s 98-90 victory over Utah on Tuesday, could also sit. Adebayo has played in all but one of the Heat’s six summer league games, missing their second game in Las Vegas.

The Heat’s coaches will decide if they want to shut down Adebayo.

Miami will face the Pelicans for a second time in four games, having lost 110-84 Saturday.

If the Heat defeat New Orleans they advance in tournament play on Saturday. If they lose, their final game of summer league is Friday.

The Heat are 3-3 in summer league games, 2-1 in Sacramento, 1-2 in Las Vegas.

“I looked at it like there’s 29 other teams, we got to play the same team again?” Glass said. “But on the positive side we have some film against these guys. There are things they really hurt us on, a shooter that really hurt us. Let’s correct what we can do. It’s a good challenge.”

Trevon Bluiett, an undrafted rookie out of Xavier, scored 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-10 on threes.

One player who needs more time on the court to get his shot back on track is Derrick Walton Jr., the point guard who spent last season on a Heat two-way contract. Walton has struggled mightily, making just 12-of-49 from the floor (24.5 percent) and 3-of-27 on threes (11.1 percent). He is averaging 7.2 points.

“It’s really hard in this game, especially when you’re a shooter when your shot’s not going to find a way to impact the game,” Glass said. “He’s done that. He’s never put his head down. He’s never turned down an open shot. He’s focused on giving to his teammates and competing on the defensive end of the floor and that’s all you can ask for.”

[Erik Spoelstra says he, center Hassan Whiteside are in constant contact; adds relationship ‘isn’t what it seems on the outside’]

[What do you need to know about new Heat two-way contract player Duncan Robinson? He’s not just a shooter]

[Heat GM Andy Elisburg had advice for Cavaliers GM after losing LeBron: ‘It ends, and you have to start again’]

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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says he, center Hassan Whiteside are in constant contact; adds relationship ‘isn’t what it seems on the outside’

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and center Hassan Whiteside. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – Perhaps it wasn’t quite an intervention as Pat Riley suggested, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his embattled player, center Hassan Whiteside, have been in communication all summer.

And Spoelstra says that relationship is not what it appears to be.

“I have absolutely been in touch with Hassan,” Spoelstra said following the Heat’s summer league practice Wednesday at The Clark High School in Las Vegas.

“We’ve gotten together for lunch, in constant contact on the phone and in texts. Like many things in this league, it’s not what it seems on the outside. It’s pretty normal NBA life. I’m looking forward to the start of the season with a healthy Hassan. I know he’s looking forward to that. And we still have a good part of the summer to get better.”

Following the season, after Whiteside spoke out several times about his frustration over lack of playing time, including one profanity-laced outburst that cost him an undisclosed fine from the organization, Riley said Spoelstra and Whiteside needed an “intervention.”

Said Riley: “The disconnect between he and Spo that’s going to take a discussion between them and it’s going to take thought on the part of coach and also Hassan.”

Whiteside is the Heat’s highest paid player, signing a four-year, $98.4 million contract two summers ago. He still is owed $52.5 million the final two seasons of the contract.

Spoelstra was much easier on Whiteside during his season-ending news conference, saying he thought the narrative and story lines about Whiteside were “unfair,” adding “I love working with Hassan.”

Whiteside’s numbers declined during the regular season to 14.0 points and 11.4 rebounds while playing 25.3 minutes per game, a dip of more than seven minutes per game from the previous year when he led the league in rebounding.

Then he was a total non-factor in the postseason, averaging 5.2 points and 6.0 rebounds while playing just 15.4 minutes per game as the Heat were eliminated by Philadelphia in five games.

Now, Spoelstra believes the difference will be a healthy Whiteside. The 7-foot center missed 28 games last season, including 18 because of separate left knee bruises. He sat for nine games in March after injuring his left hip.

“I think Hassan having an opportunity to start off the season healthy will be a really big boost for us,” Spoelstra said.

But it isn’t just a healthy Whiteside that has Spoelstra looking forward to this season despite the fact the Heat have yet to make a move with the exception of signing Derrick Jones Jr. to a standard contract. Riley continues to explore trade options but nothing has materialized.

Spoelstra cited the return of guard Dion Waiters, who played 30 games before having ankle surgery; swingman Rodney McGruder, who played 18 after undergoing surgery in October to repair a stress fracture in his leg; and James Johnson, who had surgery to repair a sports hernia surgery following the season, as optimism that the team will be better.

Miami finished last season 44-38 and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

“I look at all those guys that had some injuries that they were dealing with last year as opportunities,” Spoelstra said. “In my mind, you’re almost adding a new player, adding a Derrick Jones, adding a Rodney McGruder, adding a Dion Waiters, adding a healthy Hassan Whiteside. Having a fully healthy James Johnson. These are new players you’re adding into the mix of already a playoff team. That’s something that’s exciting to me.”

Spoelstra also pointed to the improvement made this summer by center Bam Adebayo and Jones.

“We feel really good about our roster,” he said. “We love the internal growth we’ve had. Guys have had tremendous summers already. You’ve seen the improvement that Bam has made in terms of his skill level and running an offense through him. Being a little bit more offensive minded.

“We have great opportunities for internal growth. We have a lot of the guys returning. … we think the continuity and the corporate knowledge we bring from one season to another can really help. What we’re seeing is a lot of turnover every single offseason with a lot of teams. That’s not the easiest thing to manage. We bring some familiarity which we think can be a help.”

[What do you need to know about new Heat two-way contract player Duncan Robinson? He’s not just a shooter]

[Where has Heat second-year center Bam Adebayo shown the most improvement this summer?]

[Heat GM Andy Elisburg had advice for Cavaliers GM after losing LeBron: ‘It ends, and you have to start again’]

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What do you need to know about new Heat two-way contract player Duncan Robinson? He’s not just a shooter

Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson, left, drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings guard Allerik Freeman during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Thursday, July 5, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

MIAMI — Duncan Robinson went undrafted last month, but it didn’t take long for him to find an NBA home.

The 6-foot-8 sweet-shooting forward out of Michigan signed a two-way contract with the Heat on Tuesday in the middle of an impressive summer-league audition. Robinson has started all six Heat summer-league games so far, averaging 12.3 points on 54.3 percent shooting (25-of-46), including 58.8 percent (20-of-34) on threes.

Playing under a two-way contract means that Robinson is expected to spend most of the season with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Two-way contracts were introduced in the collective-bargaining agreement that took effect last offseason. These players don’t count against the salary cap and can’t be poached by another team, as they can spend up to 45 days with their NBA teams and the rest of the time must be spent with the NBA team’s developmental affiliate.

Here are five things to know about Robinson … Continue reading “What do you need to know about new Heat two-way contract player Duncan Robinson? He’s not just a shooter”

Where has Heat second-year center Bam Adebayo shown the most improvement this summer

Miami’s Bam Adebayo drives against Lakers’ center Moritz Wagner during a summer league game July 3 in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

LAS VEGAS – Bam Adebayo called it the “UD” role, trying to emulate Heat captain Udonis Haslem as the most experienced player on the team’s summer league roster.

While Adebayo has spent the last two weeks working on the tangible parts of his game – rebounding, defense, ball handling, outside shooting – it’s that intangible of growing into a leader that he first pointed to when asked what has stood out for him while in Sacramento and Las Vegas.

And when it comes to leadership and acting like a coach on the court in the Heat organization, the first name everyone thinks of is Haslem, the 16-year veteran who has played on three championship teams.

“I’m gaining more off the court than on the court, just because I’m trying to be a team captain and trying to get everybody together, trying to get everybody in their spot,” Adebayo said. “I’m gaining a lot of confidence in myself in being a leader.”

Heat coach Eric Glass has put Adebayo in that position; asking him to be more vocal, to mentor those players who are getting their first taste of being a professional.

“We want to see him be like another coach out there, putting all the other four guys in their spots,” Glass said. “Bam’s our (first round) pick from last year. He’s the face of our team right now in summer league. It’s not always about his individual performance.”

Adebayo, who turns 21 on July 18, has been a little bit uneven on the court. The Heat challenged him to grab every rebound possible. He has played in five games, sitting out the Heat’s second game in Las Vegas, and is averaging 9.2 rebounds.

“I can definitely do better, keeping guys off the glass,” he said. “I’ve got to go out and fight harder for rebounds.”

The Heat have not announced whether Adebayo will play Thursday when they begin play in the tournament round. Miami plays New Orleans at 4 p.m. If they win, they play Saturday. Lose and their final game of summer league is Friday.

The Pelicans defeated the Heat, 110-84, on Saturday.

While Adebayo has been aggressive around the rim, especially in Miami’s victory over Utah on Tuesday when he had 24 points, nine rebounds and went to the free throw line 16 times, making 14, he also has worked on his perimeter game, more so during the three games in Sacramento when he had the ball in his hands at half court and the three-point circle  little more more than he has in Las Vegas and showed several times he has a Euro step.

But Adebayo has not been efficient offensively, shooting just 36.3 percent (20 of 55). Adebayo said it was “a little bit frustrating” that he’s missed so many shots.

“I put in a lot of work into it,” he said. “I spent hours and hours getting the reps, but I know it will fall. I’m not too worried about it. I just got to keep going out there and being a team player and helping us win.”

Several of those were jump shots, which is a priority for Adebayo to work on during the summer. Adebayo averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 69 games as a rookie. Of his 174 field goals, 91 were dunks, which placed him 25th in the league. Of his 340 field goal attempts, 300 were from within 10 feet and just 21 shots were from beyond 15 feet.

Adebayo has attempted two 3-pointers during summer league, missing both.

“The rhythm, the shot, is all good,” Adebayo said. “It’s just I got to get those bounces. You’ve got to live with the result.

“They want me to shoot it. I’ve got to be in the right position to shoot it and when I get my chance I’ve got to keep making it and build from there.”

As for a go-to move, Adebayo still appears to be working on one. His offensive game remains built on power. Most of his baskets still come from dunks but he’s working to develop a shot from around the basket.

“He’s got a couple of things he can go to,” Glass said. “I don’t know if I would say there’s a go-to move. I think it’s better to have a reactive to what the defense is doing and have multiple moves.”

Adebayo has now gone through two summer camps, the first as a wide-eyed rookie just days removed from being the 14th overall pick in the draft and this year, as a summer league veteran.

For him, the game has slowed down noticeably.

“First year, I was in a real high pace running around and I couldn’t pace myself.” He said. “Now it’s kind of calm and the game has slowed down for me.”

Something he hopes happens when the Heat next reconvene, which will be for training camp in late September.

[Heat GM Andy Elisburg had advice for Cavaliers GM after losing LeBron: ‘It ends, and you have to start again’]

[Report: Carmelo Anthony meets with Heat as his time with Thunder set to come to an end]

[Summer league about developing players, whether for the Heat or other organizations]

[Why have the Heat been so quiet since start of free agency? An explanation of what’s handcuffing them]

[Want more Heat news sent directly to your Facebook feed? Make sure to like our Heat Facebook page]

 

 

 

Heat GM Andy Elisburg had advice for Cavaliers GM after losing LeBron: ‘It ends, and you have to start again’

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on while playing the Chicago Bulls during a pre season game at Quicken Loans Arena on October 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

MIAMI — It’s been exactly four years since LeBron James announced he was leaving the Heat to return to his hometown Cavaliers on July 11, 2014.

Heat general manager Andy Elisburg still remembers that day well, especially the feelings he felt immediately after learning of James’ decision to head to Cleveland. In a ESPN story written by Ramona Shelburne that chronicled James’ latest decision to sign with the Lakers, Elisburg revealed that he called Cleveland general manager Koby Altman the morning after news broke that James was leaving the Cavaliers to move to Los Angeles earlier this month. Continue reading “Heat GM Andy Elisburg had advice for Cavaliers GM after losing LeBron: ‘It ends, and you have to start again’”

Three takeaways: Bam Adebayo returns to lead Heat to first victory in Las Vegas

Bam Adebayo, shown here during a summer league game last week against Sacramento, led the Heat’s victory over Utah on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

LAS VEGAS – The Miami Heat will not leave Las Vegas winless.

The Heat defeated Utah, 98-90, Tuesday for their first victory in three games in Las Vegas. Miami is 3-3 in summer league, including two wins in Sacramento.

Miami now will move onto tournament play. Every team qualifies and is guaranteed at least two more games. The Heat face the Pelicans at 4 p.m. Friday. If they win they play at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. If they lose they play at 4:30 p.m. Friday and are done. Miami lost to New Orleans, 110-84, on Saturday.

Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 24 points including going 14-of-16 from the free throw line. Adebayo, who was given off Sunday, played 24 minutes. He had nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.

The Heat were without summer league leading scorer Derrick Jones Jr., who sprained his right ankle in Sunday’s loss to Charlotte.

First-round draft pick Grayson Allen of Duke scored 17 points for the Jazz.

Here are our three takeaways:

Bam is back: Adebayo was given off Sunday, a 94-90 loss to Charlotte, and returned well rested for Tuesday. Adebayo had his highest scoring game of summer league. He was active around the rim and aggressive going to the basket as his 16 free throws showed.  Adebayo was 5-of-13 from the floor. The Heat would not say if they are shutting down Adebayo for their final two games.

“With my offseason work, that was something I had to get better at,” Adebayo said about drawing fouls. “The coaching staff helped me with that throughout the whole offseason, so y’ll are getting to see it all now.”

Miami, Sioux falls now Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood: Duncan Robinson became the newest member of the Heat organization when he signed his two-way contract Tuesday. Robinson’s strength is his 3-point shooting and he made his first attempt Tuesday before finishing 3-of-7 on threes.  The 6-foot-8 forward joined the Heat summer league team after going undrafted out of Michigan. He has started all six Heat summer league games.

“I’m just excited, incredibly fortunate, unbelievable organization,” Robinson said. “Words can’t quite put it into perspective. It’s an incredible blessing.”

Heat find their touch: After scoring just 18 points in the first quarter, the Heat scored 29 and 30 points in the middle two quarters, shooting 7-of-17 on threes. Daryl Macon made both of his threes in the second and third quarters and Rashad Vaughn had two threes, including a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter that gave the Heat an 11-point lead.

“We finally put a game together offensively,” coach Eric Glass said . “When the ball’s moving everybody feels like they’re in rhythm. The shots are easier, they’re going through more of a flow. I just thought as a team we really moved the ball around. And we hit the boards when we were missing, so it was a full-package game again today.”

[Report: Carmelo Anthony meets with Heat as his time with Thunder set to come to an end]

[Summer league about developing players, whether for the Heat or other organizations]

[Why have the Heat been so quiet since start of free agency? An explanation of what’s handcuffing them]

[Without LeBron in East, Josh Richardson believes Heat can go much further in playoffs]

[Want more Heat news sent directly to your Facebook feed? Make sure to like our Heat Facebook page]

Report: Carmelo Anthony meets with Heat as his time with Thunder set to come to an end

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Carmelo Anthony (7) celebrates a 3-point basket against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee/TNS)

MIAMI — It’s been a quiet offseason for the Heat … so far.

The only moves Miami has made since free agency began on July 1 have been signing Derrick Jones Jr. to a standard NBA contract and reaching an agreement with Duncan Robinson on a two-way deal. But things could get busy soon, especially with a 10-time All-Star on the Heat’s radar. Continue reading “Report: Carmelo Anthony meets with Heat as his time with Thunder set to come to an end”

UPDATED: Miami Heat sign former Michigan star Duncan Robinson to a two-way contract

Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson drives against Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeffrey Carroll during Tuesday’s summer league game in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

LAS VEGAS – Duncan Robinson still is trying to get a grasp on everything that has happened for him since leaving the University of Michigan.

“This whole process ever since I finished up at Michigan has been a little bit of a whirlwind,” Robinson said. “I’ve just tried to enjoy it as much as possible, make the most of everyday. I feel like in doing so I put myself in good position.”

Good enough for the Heat to offer Robinson a two-way contract, which he signed Tuesday, a reward for his impressive summer-league play.

Robinson, 6-foot-8 forward, agreed to play for the Heat’s summer league team after going undrafted last month. He has started all six Heat games, including Tuesday’s 98-90 victory over Utah in which he scored 12 points. Robinson is averaging 12.3 points on 54.3 percent shooting (25 of 46), including 58.3 percent (10 of 34) on threes.

“He’s really put in a lot of work,” Heat summer league coach Eric Glass said. “He’s earned that contract. Everyone in the organization is really happy and we’re excited about it.”

The Heat now have 12 players under contract for their preseason training camp, which starts in late September.

With each NBA team allowed to have up to two players under two-way contracts, teams can carry up to 17 players on its roster during the regular season and up to 20 players before and during training camp and the preseason. The two-way contract does not count against the 15-man regular season roster.

Robinson showed his outside shooting prowess at Michigan, finishing his career with the fourth-most 3-pointers in Wolverines history. He hopes to get to Miami soon after summer league end and said the next step is to improve his defense.

“Really improving my body, getting in really good shape, that way I can really defend at this level,” Robinson said. “I feel like I’m far from finished in that regard. I’m excited to put in the work.”

Heat center Bam Adebayo described playing with Robinson like playing with Wayne Ellington, the Heat free agent guard who established a franchise record last season with 227 made 3-pointers.

“He’s been developing this mentality where it’s like no pump fakes, just let it go,” Adebayo said about Robinson. “He’s benefiting from (that). So every time I go to duck inside, I expect him to shoot it every time. Every time I hand it off, ‘just shoot it, Duncan.’ Just playing with him, he reminds me of Wayne so much, just in a different body.”

The reached out to Robinson immediately after the June 21 draft ended.

“We liked him a lot,” said Chet Kammerer, the Heat’s vice president of player personnel. “His ability to shoot. We talked to (Erik) Spoelstra. He talked about the one quality he likes the most or wants the most is shooters. To me he’s an elite shooter and he’s proven that so far here.”

Kammerer has been impressed with more than just Robinson’s shot. Robinson has said he felt like he “was labeled” at Michigan and is hoping to show he is more than a jump shooter.

“I think he’s done a little bit more than we anticipated,” Kammerer said. “He’s had two dunks now off the dribble in the half court, which were kind of unexpected. And (Saturday) he had six rebounds in 20 minutes. Those are big factors.

“You look for other things. The more diverse his game is, is helpful for him. Still the key is for him to make shots. That’s why he is valued as a player is his ability to stroke the ball and the fact that he’s not 6-3. You like guys who are a little longer and you like that.”

Two-way contracts were added under the new collective-bargaining agreement that took effect last July, which allow for NBA teams to keep the rights to two players on their G League squads on top of the NBA’s standard 15-player roster limit. Players under two-way contracts can’t be poached by another team, as these players can spend up to 45 days with their NBA teams and the rest of the time must be spent with the NBA team’s G-League affiliate — Miami’s developmental affiliate is the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Derrick Jones Jr., who was on a two way contract with the Heat last year after signing in late December, was rewarded with a two-year standard contract this summer. Derrick Walton Jr., also on the Heat’s summer league roster, spent the entire 2017-18 season on a two-way contract.

[Why have the Heat been so quiet since start of free agency? An explanation of what’s handcuffing them]

[Without LeBron in East, Josh Richardson believes Heat can go much further in playoffs]

[Mailbag: Why is it taking so long for the Heat to re-sign Wayne Ellington?]

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