The Miami Heat yesterday signed guard Delon Wright.
Wright, a nine-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 494 career NBA games (84 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.22 steals and 20.8 minutes while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 80.5 percent from the foul line.
Per the South Florida Sun Sentinel, by “adding Delon Wright the Heat get needed depth at point guard, with Rozier dealing with a knee sprain and Richardson with a dislocated shoulder, with both to be out beyond the Heat’s Feb. 23 return from their eight-day All-Star break. Wright first needs to clear the NBA 48-hour waiver period after agreeing to a buyout from the lottery-bound Washington Wizards. It is the second consecutive year the Heat have bolstered at the All-Star break, last year adding Kevin Love and Cody Zeller in the same timeframe.”
The former first round draft pick (20th overall) in 2015 has totaled 337 steals off the bench since 2018-19, the second-most in the NBA by any reserve over that span. He finished last season averaging 1.84 steals per game, the second-most in the NBA and just ahead of third-place finisher Jimmy Butler (1.83). His 18 games with at least three steals last season ranked as the fourth-most in the league. Wright has recorded nine multi-steal games this season, including a season-high five takeaways on January 5 at Cleveland. He recorded his 600th career steal on February 7 vs. Cleveland and dished out his 1,500th career assist on January 15 vs. Detroit.
Additionally, Wright’s older brother Dorell was drafted by the HEAT in the first round (19th overall) in the 2004 Draft and was a member of Miami’s 2006 NBA Championship team.
Wright will wear number 4.
