Haywood Highsmith Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Durant, Highsmith, Jovic, Summer League

July 2nd, 2022 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat could try to improve their bargaining power in a potential Kevin Durant trade by negotiating with the Thunder to remove protections on the 2025 first-round pick owed to OKC, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

If Oklahoma City agrees to accept the pick with no lottery protection, Miami will be free to offer Brooklyn first-rounders in 2023, 2027 and 2029 without violating the Stepien rule. Teams aren’t permitted to trade draft picks that are more than seven years away, but the Heat could also include pick swaps in 2024, 2026 and 2028.

Chiang says the Heat are in a “holding pattern” as they wait for the next step in the Durant drama. They haven’t made any moves since reaching agreements to re-sign Dewayne Dedmon and Victor Oladipo shortly after free agency began Thursday afternoon.

The Nets can’t acquire Bam Adebayo as long as Ben Simmons is on the roster and the Heat would prefer to keep Jimmy Butler, so any trade offer would have to be built around Tyler Herro. Chiang notes that Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry are sufficient to match salary, while inexpensive players such as Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven could be added to sweeten the offer. It’s unlikely that would be enough to interest the Nets, who reportedly have received interest in Durant from more than half the league.

League rules prevent Miami from trading Dedmon or Oladipo until December 15, while first-round pick Nikola Jovic, who signed his rookie contract today, can’t be included in a trade for 30 days.

There’s more from Miami:

Haywood Highsmith received a $50K guarantee on his 2022/23 salary by remaining on the roster past Friday’s deadline, Chiang adds. The second-year small forward joined the Heat in late December on the first of three 10-day contracts, then was given a standard deal in March.
Highsmith has an opportunity for a larger role next season after P.J. Tucker‘s departure to Philadelphia, Chiang notes in a separate story. Highsmith, who scored 11 points in today’s Summer League opener, is working to model himself after Tucker as a three-and-D player.
Jovic is still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game and that was evident in today’s debut, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. He made just 1 of 6 shots and grabbed three rebounds in 21 minutes of action. “I know he wanted to play better,” said Summer League coach Malik Allen. “I just think it was moving really fast. I told him just to keep his head up. He was frustrated. That learning curve is going to continue to be there for him.”

Southeast Notes: Magic, Hornets, “Shadow Heat,” Bam

May 29th, 2022 at 3:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Magic, owners of the top pick as well as the Nos. 32 and 35 selections in the 2022 draft, interviewed a variety of players at the pre-draft combine, have hosted several prospects for pre-draft workouts, and are expected to host several others as they do their due diligence with an eye towards the future.

Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel lists all the players the Magic are doing their homework on, including Duke guard Trevor Keels, Iowa forward Keegan Murray, Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr., and more.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hornets, who possess the Nos. 13 and 15 picks in the upcoming draft, are hosting UT-Arlington forward Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton, LSU forward Tari Eason, North Carolina State guard Terquavion Smith, SMU forward Marcus Weathers, and Connecticut forward Isaiah Whaley for a pre-draft workout today, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The Heat‘s young deep-bench players, a.k.a. the “Shadow Heat,” are gearing up for a summer of development, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman notes that the Miami front office brain trust of Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg, and Adam Simon have made it a habit to add intriguing youngsters near the end of the regular season, letting them work out with the team during the end of the year and the postseason ahead of hopeful Summer League success. The Heat have hit on solid role players this way in the past, and hope to do so again with Haywood Highsmith and two-way players Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart. That trio has been traveling with the club as it continues its playoff run. “I think that gives you invaluable experience, any time you can be a part of a playoff run,” said Heat reserve center Omer Yurtseven, who underwent a similar late-season development process last year.
Though Heat All-Defensive Team center Bam Adebayo has had a relatively modest offensive output in the team’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Celtics thus far, the team assesses his production beyond just the box score, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Adebayo is averaging just 13.3 PPG in the series.

Eastern Notes: Cunningham, Harden, Highsmith, Holiday

March 9th, 2022 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons head coach Dwane Casey doesn’t have a vote for Rookie of the Year, but if he did, he thinks it would be an easy choice to select Cade Cunningham.

“He’s Rookie of the Year,” Casey said of his point guard on Monday (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “It’s not even close as far as talent evaluation. I’ve seen a lot of players. The only thing they can hold against us is record.”

Casey is, of course, a little biased, but Cunningham has certainly played his way into the Rookie of the Year conversation after an up-and-down start to the season, leading all rookies with 16.5 points per game. Still, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays (via Twitter), winning that award isn’t the No. 1 pick’s primary goal.

“I’m not really too worried about that race, as much as getting the building blocks and getting a foundation right for next year for the Pistons,” Cunningham said. “I’m going to keep working, and I think I deserve the award, but at the end of the day, it’s a trophy. I think building something good with my team would mean a lot more.”

Here’s more from around the East:

Ben Simmons‘ return to Philadelphia has been the focus of Thursday’s Sixers/Nets matchup, but it’ll also be the first time James Harden plays his old team since asking to be traded. As Nick Friedell of ESPN writes, Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving say they aren’t holding any grudges against their former teammate for the way things played out. “When you look at it from his perspective,” Durant said. “And you look up and Ky’s not playing and then I’m injured, he hasn’t won a championship before, so he’s looking at — he’s 32 years old, I guess, he’s looking at himself, wanting to make a decision to get on a team that can kind of get into that contending, being one of the last teams standing. … You can’t really control how somebody feels when they’re thinking like that. Hopefully he stays healthy and their team stays healthy, we stay healthy, we have a great year, they have a great year, and we just move on from this.”
Haywood Highsmith‘s new three-year, minimum-salary deal with the Heat includes a series of three trigger dates for 2022/23, starting with a $50K partial guarantee if he’s on the roster through July 1, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That partial guarantee would increase to $400K if Highsmith is on Miami’s opening-night roster and to $700K if he’s still under contract through December 1, Hoops Rumors has learned.
After trying to “blend in” during his first year in Milwaukee in 2020/21, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has gotten more comfortable and taken on more of a leadership role this season, says Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The more the more we hear his voice, the better,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said of Holiday.

Heat Sign Haywood Highsmith To Three-Year Deal

March 8th, 2022 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 8: Highsmith’s signing is official, the Heat announced in a press release. The team used part of its mid-level exception for the minimum-salary contract, and the second and third seasons are non-guaranteed, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

MARCH 7: Haywood Highsmith‘s third 10-day contract with the Heat will expire on Monday night, but the team doesn’t intend to let the forward get away. Highsmith and Miami have agreed to a three-year deal, agent Jerry Dianis tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Highsmith, 25, has signed a pair of standard 10-day pacts with the Heat after initially receiving a 10-day hardship contract. He has appeared in nine games for the club, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 10.0 MPG.

While Highsmith’s numbers in a small sample size at the NBA level are underwhelming, he played well in the G League earlier this season, averaging 13.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG on .494/.393/.625 shooting in 17 games (29.8 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s NBAGL affiliate.

The Heat will use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Highsmith to a deal that covers three seasons — the rest of 2021/22, plus two more years. According to Wojnarowski, the contract will include “team options,” which suggests that it’s not guaranteed beyond this season.

Miami has an impressive track record when it comes to signing developmental players to low-risk multiyear deals near the end of a season. During the last week of the 2018/19 campaign, the club signed Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson to three-year contracts that became two of the most team-friendly deals in the league when Nunn and Robinson emerged as reliable rotation players.

Once they officially finalize their agreement with Highsmith, the Heat will have a full 15-man roster.

Southeast Notes: Hayward, McDaniels, Collins, Highsmith, Young

March 7th, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, who has been out since February 7 with sprained ligaments in his left ankle, is making steady progress though there’s still no timetable for his return, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports.

Hayward has shed his walking boot and coach James Borrego is hopeful by the end of the week that Hayward will make “serious progress.”

“He’s pushing it, he’s headed in the right direction,” Borrego said. “Where that leaves us, I don’t know yet. But what I can say is he’s making positive progress and hopefully we’ll have a better update here soon.”

Jalen McDaniels, who has been out since January 21 due to a sprained left ankle, is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Nets.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hawks forward John Collins returned to action over the weekend after missing seven games due to a right foot strain. That doesn’t mean the injury has completed healed, according to Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I definitely feel like it’s going to be a process to get back to 100% as it is with anything, but I’m just trying to do my best to maintain and damage control, if you will, to just make sure I’m healthy and ready to go enough to do well for my team,” Collins said.
The Heat have opted to retain Haywood Highsmith on a three-year contract. They’d like to see him develop into a P.J. Tucker-type forward, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The team has Highsmith focusing on “defense and shooting threes” to resemble “a little bit of P.J. Tucker,” Highsmith told Chiang.
Though the Hawks are struggling to reach the .500 mark, Trae Young believes they can make another deep and surprising run in the postseason, as he told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “I feel like we can beat anybody if you put us in a seven-game series and give us a chance to look at you,” Young said. “We have talent and smart-enough guys to make some noise. I feel confident.”

Haywood Highsmith Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Heat

February 26th, 2022 at 3:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 26: The Heat have officially signed Highsmith to a second 10-day contract, the team announced (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 25: Forward Haywood Highsmith will sign another 10-day contract with the Heat, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Highsmith signed his first standard 10-day contract on February 15. That contract was extended by one day due to the All-Star break and will expire after tonight’s game against the Knicks.

The Heat will not be able to offer Highsmith another 10-day after the next one expires.

Highsmith had an earlier 10-day stint with Miami under the hardship exception in late December and early January. Prior to Friday’s game, he had appeared in six games with Miami this season, averaging 3.7 PPG in 11.8 MPG.

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.

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 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.

Heat Sign Haywood Highsmith To 10-Day Contract

December 30th, 2021 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 30: Highsmith has officially signed his 10-day contract, the Heat announced in a press release. Miami also formally finalized their deals with Guy and Holman today.

DECEMBER 29: The Heat intend to sign forward Haywood Highsmith to a 10-day deal, agent Jerry Dianis tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link). The deal will be completed using a hardship exception.

Miami has been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19 as of late, resulting in a postponement of the team’s game in San Antonio on Wednesday. The Heat, who have already reportedly reached deals with Kyle Guy and Aric Holman, may need to continue adding replacement players to avoid risking any additional postponements.

Highsmith, who turned 25 earlier this month, had a brief stint with the Sixers in 2018/19, appearing in five games for the club on a two-way contract. He 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.

In 12 games (27.8 MPG) for Delaware this season, Highsmith averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.1 SPG with a shooting line of .472/.391/.737. He also played on USA Basketball’s 2023 World Cup qualifying team in November.

And-Ones: Highsmith, Johnson, USA Basketball, Parsons

November 20th, 2021 at 12:43pm CST by JD Shaw

USA Basketball has added former Sixers two-way player Haywood Highsmith to its initial qualifying team for the 2023 World Cup, agent Jerry Dianis confirmed. Highsmith will join the team in time for group training, which is set to take place from Nov. 20-25.

Highsmith signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Philadelphia this past fall, later joining the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware. In four games with the club, he’s averaging 16 points, six rebounds and two steals, while shooting 57% from the floor and 50% from deep.

USA Basketball also recently added former NBA players Isaiah Thomas and Justin Anderson to its roster. The team’s first game is against Cuba on Nov. 28, playing in a bubble format in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Speaking of USA Basketball, former No. 8 pick Stanley Johnson received interest to play with the team for the first window of the World Cup qualifiers, according to Marc Stein of Substack. Johnson decided not to play with the group, choosing to join the Lakers’ G League affiliate in South Bay instead. Johnson is working to fast-track a return to the NBA, according to Stein. The 25-year-old holds 371 games of NBA experience and played with Toronto last year.
Former NBA player Chandler Parsons is still recovering from the serious injuries he sustained during a car crash in 2020, he told TMZ Sports. Parsons, who suffered a brain injury, disc herniation and torn labrum, was allegedly hit by a drunk driver in the collision. “We’ll see,” Parsons said about a potential NBA comeback. “Working out, staying in shape, but trying to still recover from the car crash last year, so we’ll see.” Parsons last played with the Hawks during the 2019/20 season.