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Miami Heat 2024-25 preseason game schedule

The Miami HEAT 2024-25 preseason schedule includes three games being played inside the Kaseya Center.

The five-game schedule will open in Charlotte against the Hornets on October 8 (7PM) before returning to Miami for three straight home games: First vs. the Atlanta Hawks on October 10 (7:30PM), followed by additional home games on October 13 vs. the New Orleans Pelicans (3:30PM) and October 15 vs. the San Antonio Spurs (7:30PM).

The HEAT will conclude the preseason in Memphis against the Grizzlies on October 18 (8PM).

Heat sign Zyon Pullin

The Miami Heat have signed guard Zyon Pullin.

Pullin recently appeared in all nine Summer League games (two starts) with the HEAT, including three during the California Classic in San Francisco and six while helping Miami capture the championship in the NBA2K25 in Las Vegas. He averaged 5.9 points, 1.9 assists and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 75 percent from three-point range. He scored in double-figures twice and shot perfect from the field two times, including perfect from three-point range on three occasions.

Pullin, named to the All-SEC First Team, appeared in 33 games (27 starts) as a graduate transfer at Florida last season and averaged 15.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 33.5 minutes while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 44.9 percent from three-point range and 84.7 percent from the foul line.

Miami Heat sign rookie Pelle Larsson

The Miami Heat recently signed 2024 second round draft pick Pelle Larsson (44th overall), who they acquired in a draft night trade.

Larsson, who finished his collegiate career as the only player in the nation to record at least 1,200 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals while also shooting at least 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range over the last four seasons, started all 37 games as a senior with Arizona last season and averaged 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 30.2 minutes while shooting 52.6 percent from the field, 42.7 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the foul line. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team and earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors once. He scored in double-figures 27 times, including four 20-point games. Larsson connected on multiple three-point field goals on 14 occasions and shot at least 50 percent from downtown 17 times, including five perfect games. Additionally, he posted career highs last season in scoring average, assists, steals, field goal percentage and three-point field goals made while also leading the team with a +412 plus/minus.

Miami Heat sign Keshad Johnson to two-way contract

The Miami Heat recently signed forward Keshad Johnson to a two-way contract.

Johnson, who was a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honorable mention and a semifinalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, started all 36 games for Arizona during his senior season and averaged 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.00 steals and 27.6 minutes while shooting 53 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three-point range and 71 percent from the foul line. He set single season career highs in every major category and finished his collegiate career with a 119-30 (.799) record in games he played in. He scored in double-figures 24 times, including three 20-point performances. Johnson recorded 10 multi-steal games and registered multi-blocks on seven occasions. He finished second on the team in rebounds and blocks, third in minutes and fourth in points, steals, field goals made, three-point field goals made and free throws made.

Miami Heat sign Dru Smith to two-way contract

The Miami Heat recently signed guard Dru Smith to a two-way contract.

Smith, who was previously signed to a Two-Way Contract by the HEAT before being converted to a Standard Contract on October 21, appeared in nine games with the HEAT last season, averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.00 steals and 14.5 minutes before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Smith split the prior season between the HEAT, the Brooklyn Nets and the G League in 2022-23. He appeared in 15 total games with the HEAT’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and averaged 17.7 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.07 steals while shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 74.3 percent from the foul line. He totaled a +76 plus/minus, recorded six 20-point games and posted three double-doubles, helping the Skyforce to a 10-5 record over that span. Smith also appeared in 14 G League games with the Long Island Nets and averaged 14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.93 steals and 29.8 minutes while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 44.6 percent from three-point range. He appeared in two postseason games with Long Island and totaled 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and four steals while shooting 56 percent from the field. Additionally, Smith appeared in 15 NBA games with the HEAT and Nets, averaging 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 10.5 minutes of action while shooting 40 percent from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the foul line, scoring a season-high 17 points as a member of the Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 9 while also recording five assists, three rebounds and a block.

Miami Heat sign Zyon Pullin to Two-Way contract

The Miami Heat recently signed guard Zyon Pullin to a Two-Way contract.

Pullin, named to the All-SEC First Team, appeared in 33 games (27 starts) as a graduate transfer at Florida last season and averaged 15.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 33.5 minutes while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 44.9 percent from three-point range and 84.7 percent from the foul line. He set a single season school record 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio and began the campaign scoring in double-figures in 23-straight games, the longest streak to begin a Gator career in school history. He finished the season with 512 points, becoming part of the first trio in Florida history to each score at least 500 points in a single season, joining teammates Walter Clayton Jr. and Tyrese Samuel. Pullin recorded at least 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in consecutive games on January 27th and 30th, becoming one of only two Gator players to accomplish the feat multiple times in the same season since 1996. Additionally, he led the team in assists and free throws made and finished second in points and minutes and third in field goals made and three-point field goals made.

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.

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