As we outlined on Saturday, the Heat are one of four NBA teams currently carrying fewer than 14 players on standard contracts, meaning they could end up promoting one of their Exhibit 10 camp invitees or two-way players to the regular season roster.
So which of those players has made the strongest impression in training camp? When posed that question, Heat star Bam Adebayo singled out forward Cole Swider, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“Cole is really, really showing he can really shoot the ball,” Adebayo said. “He can play on different types of teams. He can play with the young fellas, he also can play with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love and be under control and learn how to flow in the offense.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra also mentioned Swider as a camp invitee who has impressed. Dru Smith and R.J. Hampton, who are both on two-way deals, have been among the camp standouts too, according to Spoelstra.
Justin Champagnie, Drew Peterson, Alondes Williams, and Cheick Diallo are also on Exhibit 10 contracts, while Jamal Cain is Miami’s other two-way player.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- In breaking down the potential regular season roster scenarios for the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel points out that carrying a 15th man would push team salary above the second tax apron. As such, the Heat are likely to open the season with just 14 players on standard contracts, but as long as they leave a 15-man spot open, they won’t be able to maximize their games for players on two-way contracts, Winderman notes. As we explain in our glossary entry, a team that isn’t carrying a full 15-man roster is limited to 90 total games for two-way players instead of 150 (50 per player).
- Heat forward Caleb Martin doesn’t mind if he ends up as a starter or a reserve, though he admitted that he finds it easier to get into a rhythm if he has a set role rather than toggling back and forth, according to Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “The more I knew what I was going [to do role-wise going] into each game, that helped me a lot,” Martin said of how he was used last year.
- Spoelstra was pleased with how the Heat’s training camp went this week, telling reporters that the team “got a lot accomplished” and that he likes the mix of returning players and newcomers on the roster, Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Spoelstra added that he feels good about the roster despite the offseason departures of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent. “I think we have, it just feels like we have more depth,” he said. “And it might be because it’s more functional positional depth, at specific positions.”
Hampton and Swider will be better than Strus and Vincent but the end of the season
More insanity … they are both significant downgrades. You’re delusional.
Haha, you forget what Strus and Vincent were before Miami. But yea I’m the delusional one, hahahahaha
Who you having Swider guard the 4 or 3 ?
GL with either
Had a feeling that Swider (maybe Peterson) would show out in camp …… the past few HEAT camps, a rotation-worthy shooter always turns out.
I really like Peterson as a potential Strus replacement. Swider is more of a spacing 4 that doesn’t do anything else, and is a below adequate defender. He can fit, depending on the lineups, but I just prefer others
Swider might have a top 5 shot in the league but he might also be a bottom 5 defender in the entire league as well
They all are horrible defenders. Maybe only 5 players play defense in the whole league
Wished my lakers kept swiderman. sigh
I would hope to keep everyone besides Diallo, Alondes Williams, and Hampton. Really want to keep Dru Smith and Champagnie specifically, so if they need to leave the 1 spot open, it’s between who they think they can get away with hiding with the skyforce between Peterson and Swider. Really like Peterson as a potential Strus replacement once they get his body right, so I wouldn’t want to lose him, and he is a significantly better defender than Swider, and can play multiple positions
Richardson makes Herro as a starter actually work
Start Herro, Richardson, Duncan, Jimmy, Bam
Or Herro, Richardson, Jimmy, Highsmith/Cain/one of the spacers/Jacquez/Jovic, Bam
Would rather have Williams than Smith
I would have rather had Chase Audige than either Williams or Hampton, and Dru Smith is an absolute must. I thought he would replace Vincent over a year ago, and liked him in summer league a couple of years ago. He has improved a lot sonce then too. He also provides some depth for Caleb Martin and Josh Richardson, and even Lowry