Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Javonte Smart Signs Two-Way Deal With Heat

February 15th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Heat have signed free agent rookie guard Javonte Smart to fill their open two-way player slot, per a team press release.

Third-year combo guard Kyle Guy is Miami’s other two-way player. Former two-way player Caleb Martin was just elevated to the Heat’s main 15-man roster earlier today in order to make him playoff-eligible.

The Smart announcement marks the club’s second new player signing this week. Miami also added wing Haywood Highsmith via a 10-day contract.

After going undrafted out of LSU last summer, Smart played for the Heat during the 2021 NBA Summer League, and subsequently kicked off the 2021/22 preseason with a training camp contract on the Heat. He was ultimately released prior to the start of the year.

Smart later linked up with the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate club, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Across 12 regular season contests with the Skyforce (including tonight), Smart is averaging 23.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He is connecting on 43.4% of his field goal looks, including 34.7% of his long-range attempts. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes that Smart scored 40 points while shooting 11-of-18 from the floor tonight in a victory against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The 6’4″ 22-year-old had a brief stint this season with the Bucks as a two-way player, suiting up for 13 contests with the reigning champs before being waived last month. In 12.3 MPG, Smart averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.5 RPG for Milwaukee.

Heat Notes: Roster, Offseason Plans, Herro, Martin, Highsmith

February 15th, 2022 at 7:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In opting to limit their trade deadline activity to shipping out power forward KZ Okpala for a future draft pick, the Heat seemed to express confidence in the current makeup of their roster. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes that the Heat’s success hasn’t quite been predicated the super-team model used by clubs like the Nets and Sixers, or Miami’s prior title-contending incarnation.

This Heat team, currently boasting a 37-20 record, was built through some key free agency additions in All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler, point guard Kyle Lowry and power forward P.J. Tucker, along with the internal development of players like center Bam Adebayo, and guards Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.

There’s more out of South Beach:

The Heat were unable to trade a first-round draft selection before 2028, until they changed the terms of the first-round draft pick they owe the Thunder in the Okpala deal, pushing it back from 2023 to 2025. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald considers how Miami’s newfound ability to now move its 2022 or 2023 first-round pick could impact its team-building plans during the 2022 offseason.
Heat sixth man Tyler Herro continues to sit with a knee contusion, but Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter link) that an MRI revealed that the third-year guard has not suffered any structural damage in the knee.
The Heat made some adjustments along the fringes of their roster today, promoting reserve guard Caleb Martin to their 15-man roster and adding forward Haywood Highsmith via a 10-day deal. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald examines what those choices mean for Miami going forward. “It has been a joy to watch him work and commit to the process and then produce winning basketball,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Martin, who has significantly outplayed the initial two-way deal he signed with the Heat ahead of the 2021/22 season, emerging as a solid shooter and impressive defender.

Heat Promote Caleb Martin To 15-Man Roster

February 15th, 2022 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

1:08pm: Martin’s new deal is official, the Heat confirmed in a press release.

11:23am: The Heat are signing forward Caleb Martin to a standard contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Martin had spent the 2021/22 season up until this point on a two-way deal, but wouldn’t be playoff-eligible without a promotion to the 15-man roster.

Charania says the Heat are signing the 26-year-old for “the remainder of the season,” suggesting there will be no additional years tacked onto his new contract, and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) it’s a rest-of-season, minimum-salary deal. That means Martin will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.

Martin, who spent his first two NBA seasons in Charlotte, signed a two-way deal with the Heat in September and has emerged as a reliable rotation player for the club. In 44 games (22.9 MPG), he has averaged 9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.0 SPG on .506/.379/.739 shooting.

It has been a foregone conclusion for much of the season that Martin would eventually be promoted to the standard roster, but Miami’s proximity to the luxury tax line has delayed the move. After trading KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City last week, the Heat have more breathing room below the tax threshold, creating a path for Martin’s promotion.

Once Martin’s new deal is official, the Heat will have a full 15-man roster, at least for the time being. The team entered the week with two 15-man roster openings, but signed Haywood Highsmith to a 10-day contract. Martin’s promotion will open up a two-way contract slot for Miami.

Heat Sign Haywood Highsmith To 10-Day Deal

February 15th, 2022 at 11:12am CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 15: Highsmith’s 10-day contract is now official, the Heat announced in a press release.

Highsmith’s contract will actually cover 11 days due to the All-Star break. Standard 10-day deals are required to cover either 10 days or three games, whichever comes later. Miami has two more games before the All-Star break, then doesn’t play again until February 25 — Highsmith would be eligible to play in that game before his deal expires.

FEBRUARY 14: The Heat are signing swingman Haywood Highsmith to a 10-day contract, agent Jerry Dianis told our JD Shaw (Twitter link)

Highsmith had a 10-day stint with Miami under the hardship exception in late December and early January. He appeared in four games, averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 10.5 MPG. The Heat view him as a strong fit for the team’s culture.

As we noted earlier on Monday, Miami had two open roster spots after last week’s trade deadline and needed to fill at least one of them within two weeks. Highsmith’s versatility allows him to play shooting guard, small forward and power forward, something that could help Miami since the team traded KZ Okpala and still hasn’t cleared Markieff Morris.

Highsmith had a brief stint with the Sixers in 2018/19, appearing in five games for the club on a two-way contract. The 25-year-old also spent the 2020/21 season in Germany, but has otherwise played mostly for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, since going pro in ’18. He has appeared in 17 games with the Blue Coats this season, averaging 13.6 PPG on 39% shooting from three-point range.

The 6’7” Highsmith also played on USA Basketball’s 2023 World Cup qualifying team in November.

Spurs Buy Out Goran Dragic

February 15th, 2022 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

9:53am: The Spurs have officially waived Dragic (Twitter link via Paul Garcia of Project Spurs). As noted below, he’ll clear waivers and become a free agent on Thursday.

8:30am: The Spurs and point guard Goran Dragic have reached a buyout agreement, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Assuming Dragic is officially released today and clears waivers – which is a near-certainty due to his $19.4MM cap hit – he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday. At that point, he’d be free to sign with any team except the Raptors — NBA rules prohibit a team from re-signing a player it traded earlier in the league year if that player is cut by his new team.

Charania doesn’t identify any specific suitors for Dragic, but says “a slew” of teams are expected to pursue the playoff-tested veteran.

Previously, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski named the Bucks, Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Bulls, and Nets as clubs expected to show interest in Dragic. Wojnarowski later said that Milwaukee, in particular, is expected to aggressively pursue the 35-year-old.

The Mavericks were viewed at one point as a potential frontrunner for Dragic, but acquired Spencer Dinwiddie at the trade deadline and are no longer believed to be in the market for a point guard. General manager Nico Harrison said last week that he thinks Dallas’ roster is “set.”

The Heat, meanwhile, are no longer ineligible to reacquire Dragic, since he was traded for a second time after Miami moved him in August. The guard has been working out in Miami for much of the season and the Heat have two open roster spots, so a reunion seems plausible, even though the club wasn’t mentioned by Wojnarowski over the weekend as a likely suitor.

Dragic averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.4 RPG on .432/.373/.828 shooting in 50 games (26.7 MPG) for the Heat in 2020/21. However, he appeared in just five games for the Raptors this season after being sent to Toronto as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade.

Dragic hasn’t played since November, having taken a personal leave of absence from the Raptors up until he was traded to San Antonio at last week’s deadline.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 14th, 2022 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Several NBA teams typically end up with newly-opened roster spots following the trade deadline. This happens for a variety of reasons. Some teams make two-for-one or three-for-one trades; some acquire players in cap-related deals and immediately cut them; others buy out or release players they weren’t able to move at the deadline.

Whatever the reason may be, there are plenty of available roster spots around the NBA, and it’s a good bet that most of them will be filled before the end of the regular season. Contending teams will want to fortify their depth for the playoffs, while lottery-bound clubs will take fliers on prospects willing to accept multiyear deals that aren’t fully guaranteed beyond this season.

Here, with the help of our roster counts page, is a look at the teams that have open roster spots as of February 14:

Teams with open 15-man roster spots:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics (3)
Charlotte Hornets
Denver Nuggets *
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Miami Heat (2)
Milwaukee Bucks (3) *
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

* The Nuggets (DeMarcus Cousins) and Bucks (Greg Monroe) each have a player on a 10-day contract. We’re counting those roster spots as “open” because Cousins’ and Monroe’s deals will expire this week.

If we count the Nuggets, exactly half of the NBA’s 30 teams have at least one 15-man roster spot available. Twelve of those clubs have a single open roster spot, while the Celtics, Heat, and Bucks have multiple openings.

Since teams are only permitted to dip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time, Boston, Miami, and Milwaukee will all have to get back to that league-mandated minimum before the end of the month.

The other teams on this list aren’t under immediate pressure to add a 15th man, and some may hold off for a little while for financial reasons — or just to wait to see who else becomes available on the buyout market in the next couple weeks.

Some of these clubs – including the Heat with Caleb Martin, the Pelicans with Jose Alvarado, and the Raptors with Justin Champagnie – might use their open roster spot to promote a player on a two-way contract who has earned regular minutes.

Teams with open two-way spots:

Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz

The Celtics (Sam Hauser) and Thunder (Aaron Wiggins) have each promoted a two-way player to the 15-man roster since the trade deadline. The other three teams on this list released a two-way player in January, creating an opening.

In the past, teams haven’t been able to sign players to two-way contracts after January 15, but that restriction doesn’t exist this season, so I expect we’ll see some – if not all – of these teams fill their open two-way slots sooner or later.

Heat Content With Standing Pat At Trade Deadline

February 13th, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by JD Shaw

The Heat were content with standing pat at the trade deadline, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The team did clear a roster spot by trading KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City, but Victor Oladipo‘s looming return should serve as a valuable upgrade. “I thought everyone was pretty safe this year on our team,” Tyler Herro said. “In past years, we’ve made pretty significant moves and people didn’t really know what move we were going to make. But I felt like this trade deadline was a little bit more clear. We’re first in the East. We feel like we made all our moves in the offseason and I think this roster is good enough to compete with anybody. I think that’s why we didn’t make any moves.”

Trade Rumors: Barnes, Lakers, P. Washington, Bulls

February 9th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As Thursday’s trade deadline nears, the Kings have been sending signals that they plan to hang onto forward Harrison Barnes, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Barnes has been a frequent subject of recent trade rumors, with one report earlier today stating that the Kings were still very much open to discussing him. A follow-up report said Sacramento only wanted win-now pieces in any deal involving the veteran forward, since the team still has playoff aspirations.

It seems safe to assume that most teams with interest in Barnes are other contenders or playoff hopefuls — those clubs would likely be more inclined to give up draft picks and young prospects than players who can contribute right away, so it makes sense that the Kings are having a tough time finding a deal they like.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Lakers have been “very reluctant” to give up a future first-round pick in any deadline trade, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said today (video link). According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, prior to Tuesday, it seemed the front office’s preference was to wait until the offseason to do anything major, since the team’s 2029 first-round pick will become eligible to be traded at that time — L.A. could theoretically package its ’27 and ’29 first-rounders in the summer. Tuesday’s loss reportedly helped create a greater sense of urgency in the Lakers’ locker room to make a deadline move, so it will be interesting to see how the front office responds.
The Hornets aren’t shopping forward P.J. Washington, but they’ve been willing to listen to calls about him, according to Jordan Schultz, who reports (via Twitter) that the Heat, Raptors, and Rockets are among the teams with interest in Washington.
Bulls guard Coby White has been mentioned off and on this season as a possible trade candidate, but he doesn’t sound too concerned about what will happen at the deadline, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago relays. “I think I’ll be here past the deadline,” White said. “I haven’t really been worried about it.”
According to Johnson, there’s not much buzz right now about the Bulls making a major splash at the deadline. League sources tell Johnson that Chicago seems more interested in a frontcourt addition than acquiring a player like Dennis Schröder. Two of Johnson’s sources said the team’s reported interest in Schröder has been overstated.

Heat Trade KZ Okpala To Thunder

February 9th, 2022 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

2:05pm: As part of the deal, the Heat have amended their future draft obligations to the Thunder, the Heat announced in a full press release and the Thunder confirmed in a release of their own.

Instead of owing Oklahoma City their top-14 protected first-round pick in 2023, the Heat will now owe OKC their 2025 first-rounder (also top-14 protected).

That ’23 first-rounder would have been top-14 protected for three straight seasons before becoming unprotected in 2026. Now, the Heat’s ’25 first-rounder will be lottery-protected for just one year before becoming unprotected in ’26.

Essentially, the Thunder improved their odds of gaining a higher first-rounder by pushing the pick a couple years into the future (when the Heat could theoretically be less assured of having a playoff-caliber roster) and ensuring it has just one year of protection. Miami could also now trade its 2022 or 2023 first-round pick without running afoul of the Stepien rule.

The 2026 second-rounder the Heat acquired in the trade will be the least favorable of the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, and Sixers’ second-rounders that year, according to the Heat’s announcement.

Oklahoma City ended Mamadi Diakite‘s 10-day contract a day early in order to complete the trade, per the team. It’s not yet clear if the Thunder plan to hang onto Okpala, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

1:50pm: The Heat have traded forward KZ Okpala to the Thunder in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, Miami announced today (via Twitter).

While the Thunder, who have a massive collection of future draft picks, can certainly afford to give up a ’26 second-rounder, we’ll have to wait for their official announcement to see if there are protections on the pick or if the Heat are sending out any cash in the deal, since Okpala’s trade value is presumably limited.

The 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Stanford, Okpala has appeared in just 63 games across three seasons for Miami. In 2021/22, he has averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 21 contests (11.6 MPG). Okapala hasn’t played since December due to a wrist injury. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.

By moving Okpala, the Heat, who had been right up against the luxury tax line, open a second spot on their 15-man roster and now should be in a comfortable position to promote Caleb Martin from his two-way contract.

Miami may wait until after Thursday’s trade deadline to make that move in order to maximize its roster and financial flexibility. But it’s a safe bet Martin will be added to the 15-man roster sooner or later. If they don’t make any other trades, the Heat could go shopping on the buyout market with their other roster opening.

Heat Notes: Martin, Spoelstra, Adebayo, Trade Deadline

February 6th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat swingman Caleb Martin and Hornets swingman Cody Martin are flourishing on their own this season, Mark Schindler of BasketballNews.com writes. The brothers, who are playing on separate teams for the first time, met on Saturday night when their clubs faced each other in Charlotte.

“The Heat gave [Caleb] an opportunity and I don’t think he’s looked back since… his mindset, what he brings to them and the dynamic he brings to them, and just how hard he works. That’s the culture there. So, I think he’s fitting right in.” Cody said.

Caleb (two-way contract) has averaged 9.3 points per game on 50% shooting. His brother, in turn, is playing a career-high 27.2 minutes per game this season in Charlotte, averaging eight points on 41% from deep.

Here are some other notes from out of Miami:

Head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game this year, as relayed by the club’s social media team (Twitter link). The Bulls lost to the Sixers on Sunday, giving Miami the best record in the East. According to the All-Star rules, the team with the best conference record on February 6 gets the coaching nod for their respective side.
Bam Adebayo fought through his difficulties and continued to shoot on Saturday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Adebayo often becomes passive when he struggles to make shots, but he changed his approach and stayed aggressive throughout the game. “That has been one of the biggest downfalls in my career, [where] I’ll stop shooting,” he explained. “It was one of those games where shots were short and looked like it going in and it doesn’t. I had a lot of in and outs. [But] teammates kept finding me.” Adebayo attempted 21 shots in the game, the most since March of 2021.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether the team can afford to sit through the trade deadline. As we relayed, the playing status of veteran forward Markieff Morris (neck) is now uncertain, so the Heat could explore the trade market for another power forward.