After landing a new contract with the Heat over the weekend, the next challenge for Dru Smith is to be ready to participate without restrictions when training camp opens September 30, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Smith is recovering from an Achilles tear that ended his season prematurely in December. He tells Chiang that he has already been involved in some contact work and hopes to be cleared soon for five-on-five scrimmages.
“Honestly, it’s all been going really well,” Smith said. “I feel like I’ve been on a great trajectory as far as the rehab stuff goes. I’ve started to do some contact stuff now. I haven’t jumped fully back into five on five. I would say probably here in the next few weeks or so. I think it’s all just basically going to be how I respond to the more and more live sessions that I get in. I think the goal, obviously, is to be ready by camp. And I think that as of right now, with no setback, that’s kind of what we’re looking at.”
Smith had established himself as an important part of Miami’s rotation before the injury and appeared to be on the verge of being promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract. The 27-year-old guard averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 14 games last season, and coach Erik Spoelstra was regularly using him as part of his closing lineup.
The Heat kept Smith on the roster following the injury, even though it wouldn’t have affected the team’s salary cap to replace him with a healthy player. He became a restricted free agent when Miami extended a qualifying offer in late June and continued to work out with the team throughout the summer. A roster opening emerged last Friday when Haywood Highsmith was traded to Brooklyn.
“It was obviously a little stressful and things like that,” Smith said. “I think any time, whenever you have nothing signed and nothing set in stone, I think it’s just a little worrisome. But overall I think we love this organization and we’re just excited to be able to be back and be a part of this.”
Smith’s relationship with the Heat dates back to 2021, when he signed a training camp contract. He got his first two-way deal the following year and has spent at least part of every season with the team despite injury setbacks and other obstacles. Miami has waived Smith four times, but he keeps being brought back.
“I’m extremely appreciative of an organization that believes in me the way that they have up to this point,” he said. “But also I think, obviously, this hasn’t been easy. There have been a lot of days where I’ve questioned whether this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I have amazing people around me.”
After playing 38 combined games in his first three seasons — 10 of them with Brooklyn — Smith is hoping to remain healthy enough to finally prove himself as a full-time NBA player. Offseason moves have left Miami with a crowded backcourt, but Smith is eager to seize the opportunity after recovering from two serious injuries.
“Honestly, the biggest challenge from this rehab specifically was just the mental part of it,” he said. “Just really having to lean in on my faith and things like that and just understand for whatever reason, this is where my story was supposed to go. So just continuing to attack with a positive attitude. I think that was probably the toughest part because there are definitely days in there where it just seems like I’ve been rehabbing for two years at this point.”