The Heat have decided to guarantee Haywood Highsmith‘s $1.9MM contract for the upcoming season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team faced a July 15 deadline to determine whether to keep Highsmith’s salary on its books.
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The 26-year-old forward earned a standard contract with Miami after signing three 10-day deals during the 2021/22 season. He appeared in 54 games last season, making 11 starts and averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per night. Highsmith also saw action in 18 playoff games and posted a career-high 18 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Highsmith signed a two-way contract with the Sixers after going undrafted out of Wheeling University in 2018. He got into just five games with Philadelphia, spending most of his time in the G League, and then played two years in Germany before getting an opportunity with Miami.
Haywood will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension after he becomes eligible in March. Miami now has 12 guaranteed contracts, plus a partially guaranteed deal for Orlando Robinson, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
Good move. Nice player on cheap money.
Should have been the main starter at the 4 all season, interchangeable with Strus depending on matchup, but kept getting benched for some reason. Played well every time he was used right, especially game 7 against Boston
Curious to see how he is used moving forward, with the roster changes, and also depending on who else they get for that spot. Right now, I would assume Cain gets it, but there are still possibilities
Not a consistent enough shooter on an already offensively challenged team, but you’re not entirely off.
He is good in the corner, which is all that matters for his role, and also, the other starter I would have had in there is Duncan, instead of Herro, so that covers that issue
He has become a decent player
Next Heat discovery that blossoms greatly?