Category: Miami Heat Blog

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Miami Heat sign Delon Wright

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.

Heat sign Alondes Williams to two-way contact, waive RJ Hampton

The Miami Heat have signed guard Alondes Williams to a two-way contact and waived RJ Hampton.

Williams, a 2024 G League All-Star and NBA Rising Stars Game selection, has appeared in 32 games with the HEAT’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this season and averaged 20.3 points, 6.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.25 steals and 37.0 minutes while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent from the foul line. He scored a Skyforce franchise-record 55 points on January 7 in a comeback win against the Salt Lake City Stars, shooting 70 percent (21-of-30) from the field, the third-highest shooting efficiency in G League history by a player with at least 55 points. Williams earned G League Player of the Week twice (January 2-7 & January 8-13), becoming the first ever Skyforce player to earn the honor in consecutive weeks. He has posted six double-doubles this season and scored at least 20 points in seven-straight games from January 7 through January 21. Additionally, Williams has scored 361 total points this season, the fourth-most in the G League.

Hampton, who was signed to a Two-Way Contract by the HEAT on September 27, appeared in nine total games with the Skyforce this season, including seven regular season contests (one start) averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.14 steals and 25.8 minutes. He also appeared in eight games (two starts) with the HEAT, averaging 1.3 points and 1.0 assists in 9.5 minutes of action.

Heat trade Kyle Lowry, draft pick to Hornets for Terry Rozier

The Miami Heat have acquired guard Terry Rozier in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Kyle Lowry and a protected 2027 first round pick.

Rozier has appeared in 30 games (all starts) with the Hornets this season averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.07 steals and 35.5 minutes while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 84.5 percent from the foul line. He is averaging career highs this season in scoring average, assists per game, field goal percentage, field goals made per game and free throws made per game. He has scored in double-figures in every game this season, except one, posting 29 double-digit scoring games, including 21 20-point games, six 30-point contests and one 40-point performance, recording a season-high 42 points and eight assists on December 29 at Phoenix, including eight three-point field goals in the game, becoming just the third player in NBA history to reach each of those minimums while not registering a single turnover. He recorded five 40-point games as a member of the Hornets, the fifth-most in team history and finished with 20 25-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist games, the fourth-most in team history. Rozier led the team in assists a team-high 20 times this season, in points a team-best 13 times, in steals seven times, blocks on four occasions and rebounds once. He has dished out a career-high 13 assists three separate times and currently ranks fifth in fourth quarter scoring average among all players this season.

On January 8 vs. Chicago, he posted 39 points and eight assists, connecting on seven three-point field goals and a career-high 12 free throws to become the first player in NBA history to reach each of those minimums without recording a single turnover. Earlier this season, he averaged 28.0 points and 10.6 assists while shooting 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the foul line during a five-game stretch from November 30 through December 11, becoming the first player with at least those averages over any five-game mark in franchise history. Rozier started the season scoring at least 20 points in six-straight games, his longest such streak to begin a season in his career and the second-longest 20-point streak to start a season in Hornets history. Additionally, prior to joining the Hornets, Rozier played four years in Boston, making the postseason each season, including two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lowry played two and a half seasons in Miami, helping the HEAT to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2023, appearing in 155 regular season games (142 starts) averaging 11.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.05 steals.

On Kevin Love and his role on the Heat

Per the Sun Sentinel:

Kevin Love arrived prepped for the assignment. Such was an unintended consequence of previously slowly being shuffled out of the mix with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even before arriving to the Miami Heat at last season’s buyout deadline, the veteran big man already had begun the transition from championship starter to mid-career reserve.

Now, after being utilized in a variety of roles by the Heat, Love appears to have found his sweet spot with Erik Spoelstra’s second unit, as Bam Adebayo’s backup.

For 11 seasons, after his first two with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love played all but one game as a starter, including during the Cavaliers’ four runs to the NBA Finals. Then the Cavaliers transitioned in their post-LeBron James era to something new, something young to something that had Love almost solely as a reserve in 2021-22.

FULL ARTICLE

Several Heat rotation players on the mend

Per the Miami Herald:

The Miami Heat’s depth continues to be tested.

Already without three rotation players, the Heat lost a fourth rotation player early in Monday’s 119-113 Christmas win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Kaseya Center when Caleb Martin sprained his right ankle in the first quarter of the victory.

With Jimmy Butler (strained left calf), Haywood Highsmith (non-COVID illness) and Josh Richardson (low back discomfort) already out, Martin played the first 8:43 of the game before exiting late in the first quarter and heading back to the Heat’s locker room. He was then ruled out for the rest of the night.

FULL ARTICLE

Miami Heat will retire Udonis Haslem No. 40 jersey in January 19 ceremony

The Miami Heat will retire Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey in a ceremony on January 19 during halftime of their Friday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. Haslem will become the sixth HEAT player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

“It’s about a great legacy, a Thank You moment that has been earned over 20 years of being an incredible championship player and most importantly, the best leader,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He’s going to have his day and I can’t wait to see his jersey hang in the rafters.”

Haslem retired last season after spending his entire 20-year NBA career with the HEAT, accumulating three NBA Championships, seven Eastern Conference Championships, 12 Divisional Titles, 16 postseason appearances, having never missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons, and was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection. He is one of only three players in NBA history to play at least 20 years with one franchise, joining only Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki. Haslem was a 16-time HEAT captain, the most in team history, and finished as the franchise’s all-time leader in offensive, defensive and total rebounds, becoming the only undrafted player in NBA history to become their team’s all-time rebound leader. His 5,791 boards are the fourth-most among undrafted players in the Modern Draft Era (1966), trailing only Moses Malone, Ben Wallace and Brad Miller. In addition to being Miami’s all-time rebounding leader, Haslem ranks second in games played, second in starts, second in minutes, fifth in field goals made, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in points, ninth in field goal percentage, 10th in blocks and 11th in steals. Among the HEAT’s all-time postseason leaders, he ranks first in offensive rebounds, second in total rebounds, second in games played, third in defensive rebounds, third in starts, third in minutes, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in field goals made, seventh in free throws made, eighth in points, eighth in blocks and tied for ninth in double-figure scoring games. Additionally, Haslem’s 147 postseason appearances are the most by an undrafted player in league history.

Heat eliminated from first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament

Per the Miami Herald:

Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 131-124 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in its final group play game of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament on Tuesday night to open a homestand at Kaseya Center. The Heat continues the homestand, which will last at least three games, on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers:

It was a well-played competitive game, but the short-handed Heat couldn’t overcome the absence of three starters and is now eliminated from the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

Adebayo missed the Heat’s first matchup of the season against the Bucks, but he made quite the impact in the teams’ second meeting.

The hope is that Butler and Highsmith will be back soon, while Herro’s return seems to be a few games away.

With so many key players out because of injuries, the Heat’s rotation looked different on Tuesday.

And per the Sun Sentinel:

And so there were the Heat, eliminated from the Tournament by results around the league earlier in the night, going toe to toe with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard despite playing in the injury absences of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith.

Down three starters, the Heat still had enough for that fight to the finish.

They just didn’t have enough at the finish, falling 131-124 to the Bucks at Kaseya Center for their third consecutive loss.

Adebayo led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds, with Kyle Lowry adding 21 points and Josh Richardson 20.

The Bucks got 33 points and 10 rebounds from Antetokounmpo and 32 points and nine assists from Lillard.

The game opened a homestand for the Heat that continues with games against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Miami Heat guard Dru Smith out for season with knee injury

Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a Third Degree ACL Sprain in his right knee during Miami’s win at Cleveland on November 22.

Smith will miss the remainder of the season.

Smith has appeared in nine games with the HEAT this season averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.00 steals and 14.5 minutes while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three-point range and a perfect 2-of-2 from the foul line.

Heat guard Tyler Herro out with ankle injury

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro suffered a Grade 2 right ankle sprain in Wednesday’s game in Memphis.

Herro will be in a walking boot for 10 days and re-evaluated in two weeks.

Herro has started in all eight games this season, averaging a team-leading 22.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.38 steals and 34.0 minutes while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 41 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the foul line. He entered last night’s game having connected on multiple three-point field goals in all previous seven games, tying for the third-longest streak to start a season in team history. Additionally, entering last night, Herro had totaled 177 points to start the season, marking the fifth-most points through the first seven games of a season in franchise history.

Udonis Haslem named Vice President of Basketball Development for the Miami Heat

The Miami Heat announced yesterday that three-time NBA Champion and 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem has joined the front office as Vice President, Basketball Development. Haslem’s responsibilities include being a resource to the coaching staff, mentoring both HEAT and Skyforce players as well as representing the organization in the community and in business endeavors.

“Born and raised in Miami, UD has been an integral part of the success of the HEAT for 20 years,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “It’s great that he has chosen to continue to build on his incredible legacy here in Miami, where he belongs.”

Haslem recently retired last season after spending his entire 20-year NBA career with the HEAT, accumulating three NBA Championships, seven Eastern Conference Championships, 12 Divisional Titles and 16 postseason appearances, having never missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. He is one of only three players in NBA history to play at least 20 years with one franchise, joining only Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki. Haslem was a 16-time HEAT captain, and most in team history, and finished as the franchise’s all-time leader in offensive, defensive and total rebounds, becoming the only undrafted player in NBA history to become their team’s all-time rebound leader. His 5,791 boards are the fourth-most among undrafted players in the Modern Draft Era (1966), trailing only Moses Malone, Ben Wallace and Brad Miller. In addition to being Miami’s all-time rebounding leader, Haslem ranks second in games played, second in starts, second in minutes, fifth in field goals made, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in points, ninth in field goal percentage, 10th in blocks and 11th in steals. Among the HEAT’s all-time postseason leaders, he ranks first in offensive rebounds, second in total rebounds, second in games played, third in defensive rebounds, third in starts, third in minutes, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in field goals made, seventh in free throws made, eighth in points, eighth in blocks and tied for ninth in double-figure scoring games. Additionally, Haslem’s 147 postseason appearances are the most by an undrafted player in league history.