The Heat continue to fill out their preseason roster, announcing that they have signed unrestricted free agent forward Stefan Jankovic. The length and terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is more than likely a minimum salary arrangement.
Jankovic went undrafted out of the University of Hawaii this year and is currently playing on Miami’s Summer League squad in Las Vegas where he has appeared in two games, notching a total of eight points, three assists and two rebounds in 26 minutes of action.
The 22-year-old was named the Big West Player of the Year this past season after averaging 15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 1.2 assists in 24.7 minutes of action over 33 games. Jankovic shot 54.3% from the floor overall, 39.3 % from three-point range and 77.2% from the foul line.
Another tweener PF/SF. They need to improve their backcourt if they have any hope of competing. Unless there is drastic improvement Dragic, Johnson, Ellington, and Richardson just isn’t going to cut it. Weber and McGruder are basically DLeaguers
they need help on the wing, more than at the guard spots right now…Also, Jankovic is more of a 4/5.
The Heat seem to have targeted versatility, length, athleticism, defensive intensity, and 3 point shooting in the guys they’ve brought in for summer league, which could be looked at for training camp/D-League. That makes sense b/c they have a need on the wing, as do most teams, and that position has become more and more important in today’s NBA. They did something similar last year, though not entirely to that extent, and their D-League team ended up having the best record in that league’s history, winning a championship (not that it matters, but they did run a mirror image system down there)
This is one of the names I was hoping they’d bring in for training camp. Victor Rudd, Greg Whittington (from last year), David Walker, Damion Lee, Kenny Gabriel, Okaro White, Michael Carrera, and former NBA player DeAndre Liggins are all more than interesting, seem like Miami Heat culture type players, and could fit what they’re looking for/need. Obviously, thats about 9 names, including Jankovic, and there are only 4 spots left. Personally, I’d have considered at least one of these guys over a couple of the recent signess/trade acquisition, namely Luke Babbit