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Heat Notes: Yurtseven, Herro, Haslem, Oladipo, O. Robinson

November 15th, 2022 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Heat center Omer Yurtseven underwent surgery on his left ankle Tuesday. The team announced in a press release that the procedure, which was completed in Miami, addressed an impingement, bone spur, and stress reaction in Yurtseven’s ankle.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets, Yurtseven said on Monday that a recovery timeline had yet to be established. That still appears to be the case — all the Heat said in today’s statement was that the big man will be reevaluated “at a later date.”

A report on Sunday indicated that Yurtseven would likely be out for at least three months or so, suggesting there’s still hope that he’ll be able to return this season, perhaps by March.

Here are a few more notes on the Heat:

  • The Heat have a four-game road trip on tap that begins on Wednesday in Toronto and concludes on Monday in Minnesota. According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Tyler Herro (ankle) and Udonis Haslem (personal reasons) aren’t traveling with the team to Toronto, but Victor Oladipo (knee) is. It’s possible Herro and Haslem will join the Heat later on the trip. As for Oladipo, he’s still not ready to return, but it may be a positive soon that he’s traveling with the club across the border.
  • Head coach Erik Spoelstra said that Herro’s ankle sprain, which has cost him four games and counting, isn’t any more serious than the Heat initially believed, per David Wilson of The Miami Herald. “You just never know with ankle sprains,” Spoelstra said. “They’re never on necessarily your timeline, so he just doesn’t have the mobility yet, but he’s getting better. He’s making progress.”
  • Signing a two-way contract doesn’t guarantee he’ll become part of the Heat’s rotation, but Orlando Robinson recognizes that he has a potential path to frontcourt minutes with Yurtseven unavailable, Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. “After I analyzed the fact that I’m here and I looked at the roster and everything, I saw I have the potential to actually play a little bit,” Robinson said. “Just knowing that, I’m going to just be ready when my time is called just like everybody else and make the most of my opportunity.”
  • As Chiang notes, Robinson is eligible to play in 43 regular season games instead of the usual 50 for a two-way player. That amount is prorated based on the fact that Robinson’s contract covers 148 regular season days instead of all 174.
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Heat Waive Dru Smith, Sign Orlando Robinson To Two-Way Deal

November 13th, 2022 at 5:53pm CST by Luke Adams

5:53pm: Both moves are official, according to a team press release.

10:44am: The Heat are making a minor change to their roster, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will waive two-way player Dru Smith and sign Orlando Robinson to a two-way contract to fill the newly opened spot.

Both Smith and Robinson were in training camp with the Heat this fall. Smith earned a two-way spot at the end of the preseason, while Robinson was waived and eventually became an affiliate player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League team.

However, with center Omer Yurtseven expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2022/23 season due to ankle surgery, the Heat have a greater need in the frontcourt than on the wing. Robinson is a center; Smith is a shooting guard.

Miami does have an open spot on its 15-man standard roster and could sign a more experienced center to fill that opening, but doing so would put team salary above the luxury tax threshold for the season. Two-way contracts don’t count against the cap or tax.

Robinson, 22, went undrafted out of Fresno State earlier this year. The big man averaged 19.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 2.9 APG on .484/.352/.716 shooting in 36 games (33.2 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22. He has gotten off to a strong start for the Skyforce this season, putting up 20.0 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG in four starts (31.3 MPG).

Smith, who went undrafted in 2021 and played for Sioux Falls as a rookie, made his NBA debut last month, logging six minutes of garbage time during a blowout win over Portland on October 26. It was the only game he played in for the Heat.

Jamal Cain occupies Miami’s other two-way slot and should be unaffected by the Heat’s roster moves.

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Dru Smith Earns Two-Way Contract With Heat

October 13th, 2022 at 2:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 13: The Heat have officially waived Garrett, Mulder, Robinson, and Bouyea, while converting Smith’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

OCTOBER 12: The Heat will convert Dru Smith to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Miami plans to waive Marcus Garrett, Mychal Mulder, Orlando Robinson and Jamaree Bouyea, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Mulder, Robinson and Bouyea are expected to join the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls after they clear waivers. Garrett, who suffered a fractured right wrist, will stay in Miami to rehab the injury.

A 24-year-old shooting guard, Smith signed with Miami last year after going undrafted out of Missouri. He spent the season in Sioux Falls and was part of the Heat’s Summer League team.

After signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat this offseason, Smith won the competition for a two-way deal with a strong preseason, including a 15-point performance Monday against the Rockets. In four games, he averaged 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.3 minute per night.

Miami filled its other two-way slot on Sunday by converting Jamal Cain‘s Exhibit 10 contract. The Heat currently have 13 players on their roster with fully guaranteed contracts, plus Haywood Highsmith, who has a partially guaranteed deal.

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Heat Notes: Robinson, Highsmith, Cain, Mulder

October 10th, 2022 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Duncan Robinson is in the second year of a five-year, $90MM contract. The first year of the deal didn’t go well for the Heat swingman, as he lost his starting job late in the season and was the subject of numerous trade rumors.

Robinson is ready to hit the reset button, as shown by his 29-point outing against the Grizzlies on Friday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

“Just based off of how last year went — lots to learn from, lots to grow from,” he said. “So just to be very discerning over what it is I want to take with me, what I want to take from the experience and how I can actually be resourceful and use it to better myself, better the team, better myself as a player.”

Robinson has worked on improving defensively and becoming a more diverse offensive player.

We have more on the Heat:

  • Haywood Highsmith only has a partial guarantee on his contract this season but he’s impressed coach Erik Spoelstra in the preseason, according to Nekias Duncan of Basketball News. “I don’t view him as a young player,” Spoelstra said. “I understand he doesn’t have an extensive NBA experience — but he’s played some very good basketball in the G League. He has had to grind and earn everything and every opportunity that he’s been given. He just continues to get better each year.”
  • Rookie forward Jamal Cain earned a two-way contract with his performances during camp and preseason games, according to Spoelstra. as Chiang relays. “Over the course of the last several weeks, we’ve been able to see his work ethic and how much he’s improved because of his approach and work ethic,” he said. “Then he had several good moments in training camp and the last two preseason games.” Miami is expected to keep a roster spot open and waive its players currently on Exhibit 10 deals — Mychal Mulder, Jamaree Bouyea, Orlando Robinson and Dru Smith — then have them join its G League team.
  • Mulder is in his third stint with the organization and Spoelstra compares him to former swingman Rodney McGruder due to his “perseverance and grit,” Chiang writes in another story. “You might not be the 20-year-old prospect, but you’re still a prospect in our eyes,” Spoelstra said of Mulder. “We value Mychal’s makeup. His game certainly fits. His ability to catch and shoot off the ball, but his makeup, how he carries himself, his progression, these are the kind of things that we want to go out of our way to try to help him. It might be here, it might be somewhere else.”
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Heat Notes: Adebayo, Haslem, Mitchell, O. Robinson

July 15th, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat center Bam Adebayo plans to be more aggressive in looking for shots next season, according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Responding to a recent call from team president Pat Riley to take a greater role in the offense, Adebayo appeared on a radio broadcast during a Summer League game and said he’s ready for that challenge.

“They call me ‘No Ceiling’ for a reason,” Adebayo said. “Just being a more efficient scorer. I feel like my shot attempts are going to go up. The guys want the ball in my hands. They want me to score more. My job is really easy this summer.”

Adebayo averaged career highs with 19.1 points and 13 shots per game last season while finishing fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, but Riley believes there’s another level he can reach. The long-time executive wants him to become more consistent in creating his own shots, and Chiang and Jackson note that Adebayo’s shot totals fluctuated wildly during the Eastern Conference Finals.

Adebayo also discussed the Heat’s offseason moves, saying that keeping continuity on the roster will provide the best chance to chase another title.

“It’s mandatory to get back to where we were and have a different result,” Adebayo said. “It haunts you. Because you get that close to something, one shot away and you look at the game, there were so many moments where we could have taken advantage of the game.”

There’s more on the Heat:

  • Udonis Haslem lashed out at critics who say he doesn’t deserve a roster spot, Chiang and Jackson add in the same story. Haslem, 41, hasn’t played much during the past six seasons, but he claims his work with young players makes it worthwhile to keep him on the team. “People don’t know we have the most undrafted people in the NBA in our team,” Haslem said on Duncan Robinson‘s podcast. “There is something going on here people, but you dumb [expletives] can’t understand. You are so focused on my age and why I’m here. There’s a reason why I’m [expletive] here. Look at Caleb Martin. Caleb Martin just got paid.”
  • Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune confirms that Miami made an offer for Donovan Mitchell that the Jazz considered “insufficient.” The Heat don’t have the draft assets to compete with the Knicks, Larsen notes, with only their 2023, 2027 and 2029 first-rounders available, plus pick swaps in other years. The Jazz and Heat agreed that a third team would likely be needed to get a deal done, according to Larsen.
  • Orlando Robinson was disappointed to be passed over on draft night, but he’s grateful for the opportunity he’s getting with Miami on an Exhibit 10 contract, Chiang writes in a separate story.
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Southeast Notes: Smart, Mulder, Herro, Banchero, Wizards

July 12th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat guards Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder are working to expand their games in Summer League as they try to hang on to their two-way contracts, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Smart, a natural scorer who averaged 21.1 PPG in G League competition last season, is focused on becoming a better play-maker. Mulder is a three-point specialist who is attempting to become more well-rounded.

“You’re always looking at how guys may develop into something,” Summer League head coach Malik Allen said. “But you got to be able to do the little things because in order to play with Bam [Adebayo], Jimmy [Butler] and Kyle [Lowry], you got to be able to contribute in those ways. And those guys are going to hold your feet to the fire if you do get that opportunity. If the opportunity does come in December or January.

Marcus Garrett, who held a two-way contract with Miami before undergoing wrist surgery in January, is among the threats to Smart and Mulder. Garrett returned to action over the weekend, playing for the first time in more than six months. Chiang mentions rookie center Orlando Robinson as another two-way candidate.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Tyler Herro isn’t bothered by Heat president Pat Riley‘s stance that he needs to earn his way into the starting lineup, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Riley’s comments came in response to Herro saying he wants to be a starter after winning Sixth Man of the Year honors. “He continues to give me advice,” Herro said when asked about Riley. “Every time I talk to him, he always gives me a new book to read.”
  • After two strong showings, Magic forward Paolo Banchero will be shut down for the rest of Summer League, according to ESPN. The No. 1 pick averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, leading Orlando to a pair of victories. In an interview with ESPN (video link), Banchero said his goal for his rookie season is to “affect the Magic in a winning way.”
  • David Aldridge of The Athletic examines the Wizards‘ chances of building a contending team around Bradley Beal now that he has a five-year max contract.
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Heat Notes: Oladipo, Roster, Tax, Two-Way Slots

July 8th, 2022 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

After re-signing with the Heat this week, Victor Oladipo told reporters, including Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, that he felt during free agency as if teams were hesitant to pursue him too aggressively due to his injury history.

“It kind of seemed like a lot of people were kind of shying away from me,” Oladipo said.

Oladipo didn’t look quite like his old All-Star self following his return to the court near the end of the 2021/22 season, but he showed flashes of that form — and, as Winderman relays, the 30-year-old thinks that was just the beginning.

“I truly believe that I can be better than I was,” Oladipo said. “That may sound crazy to everyone, but I’d rather have that mentality and I can live with the results after that, because I’m going to push myself to be that.

“I think the biggest goal for me is just to show everyone that I’m healthy and I can play a whole year and also to show everyone that I’m one of the best players in this league. So everything else will take care of itself, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • After restructuring Oladipo’s new contract agreement, the Heat will be able to sign a 14th player to a minimum-salary contract while remaining about $200K below the luxury tax line, Winderman writes in a separate story for The Sun Sentinel. While the team has some options with that 14th roster spot, it could be as simple as re-signing Udonis Haslem, if the veteran big man wants to continue his playing career.
  • With limited roster and cap flexibility remaining, the Heat appear content, at least for the time being, to run it back in 2022/23, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang notes, besides replacing free agent forward P.J. Tucker with first-round pick Nikola Jovic, Miami’s roster remains essentially unchanged from the end of last season.
  • While Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder currently hold the Heat’s two-way contracts, the team would be open to making a change if one of its camp invitees makes a strong impression, according to Chiang. Undrafted Fresno State big man Orlando Robinson was the first player to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami this offseason, but he likely won’t be the last.
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Orlando Robinson Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Heat

June 25th, 2022 at 11:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 7: The Heat have officially signed Robinson, according to a press release from the team.

JUNE 25: Undrafted rookie Orlando Robinson is joining the Heat‘s summer league team, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. He’s also receiving an Exhibit 10 contract, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

The Fresno State center averaged 19.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 2.9 APG on .484/.352/.716 shooting in 36 games (33.2 MPG) as a junior last season.

Exhibit 10 deals, which are non-guaranteed, can be converted into two-way contracts before the regular season begins and also make a player eligible for a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

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Los Angeles Notes: Ott, Westbrook, Brogdon, Swider, Clippers’ Targets

June 21st, 2022 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Darvin Ham‘s Lakers staff is starting to take shape. Nets assistant Jordan Ott will join him on the West Coast and move into a more prominent role in front of the Lakers’ bench, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Ott has been with Brooklyn since 2016. He served as Steve Nash’s offensive coordinator this past season.

We have more from the Los Angeles teams:

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Southeast Notes: Ellis, Bamba, Hornets, Hawks

June 14th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Alabama guard Keon Ellis worked out for the Heat on Monday, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com (Twitter link). It was previously reported that Ellis is working out for Florida’s other pro club, the Magic, today.

The 6’6″ shooting guard played his first two seasons of college ball at Florida SouthWestern, from 2018–20, before transferring to Alabama. During his second season with the Crimson Tide in 2021/22, Ellis was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. In 33 games, he averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.9 SPG and 1.8 APG with a shooting line of .439/.366/.881.

Ellis is ranked as the No. 66 prospect on ESPN’s big board. The Heat only possess the No. 27 pick this year. Miami lost its 2022 second-round draft pick for a free agency tampering violation. Of course, it’s worth noting that the Heat have had plenty of luck in recent years when it comes to developing undrafted free agent rookies, should Ellis become available that way.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Magic center Mohamed Bamba is a restricted free agent this summer and could be the odd man out in the frontcourt. Orlando is set to add another big man prospect with the top pick in the 2022 draft this summer to complement forward Franz Wagner and big man Wendell Carter Jr., who was extended last summer. With that in mind, Ethan Fuller of Basketball News considers potential landing spots for Bamba. During a breakout fourth NBA season, the 24-year-old showed off his abilities as a high-level finisher and elite rim protector. Fuller considers clubs like the Nets, Heat and Mavericks as possible destinations. Should Bamba remain in Orlando, Fuller projects him to move to the bench to accommodate whichever player the Magic decide to draft.
  • Hornets ownership agreed to extend its lease for the team’s Charlotte home arena, Spectrum Center, through 2045, according to a team press release. “Hornets Sports & Entertainment truly values the public-private partnership that we share with the City of Charlotte, including our agreement to manage Spectrum Center, which is a city-owned building,” the statement read in part. “We look forward to continuing to serve as stewards of Spectrum Center to make it the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Carolinas.”
  • The Hawks are looking at five prospects tomorrow, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta will work out Houston big man Josh Carlton, Providence forward Justin Minaya, St. John’s wing Julian Champagnie, VCU forward Vince Williams Jr., and Fresno State forward Orlando Robinson. The Hawks have the No. 16 and No. 44 picks in the 2022 draft at their disposal.
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