The Miami Heat have participated in the Play-In Tournament for three straight years, In 2023, they defied the odds and ended up reaching the NBA Finals. The last two seasons though have seen Miami easily dispatched of in the opening round. Some Heat fans had wishes of adding Kevin Durant via trade to help prop them up as a contender again, but instead it was the Houston Rockets who acquired him. The Heat made a less-heralded move on Tuesday, as they picked up the team option on Keshad Johnson.
Heat Pick Up Club Option On Forward For 2025-26
Keshad Johnson Has Option Picked Up By Heat For Next Season
Johnson received a slightly belated birthday gift in being ensured of a guaranteed contract next season. Turning 24 years old on Monday, the Heat decided to pick up his club option for next season worth $1,955,377. This puts Johnson in line to be a restricted free agent in the 2026 offseason.
Undrafted in 2024, the 6-foot-6 forward agreed on a two-way contract with the Heat last July. Johnson joined Miami for the 2024 Summer League. The Heat defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in the finals to be crowned Summer League champions. Unfortunately, an ankle injury sidelined him for that championship game, but he did average 10 points in the three appearances he did make.
Beginning the 2024-25 season in the G League, Johnson appeared in 19 contests for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. With them, he posted averages of 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 35.3 minutes. The California native shot 49.3% from the field, 24.2% from beyond the arc, and 59.6% from the free-throw line.
On December 2, with the Heat facing the Boston Celtics, Johnson made his NBA debut. He played seven minutes and scored two points. The small forward would appear in two more games with Miami before the Heat converted Johnson’s contract to a standard deal. It was a two-year deal that was given to Johnson with a team option for the second.
Johnson would get into 16 games for the Heat in 2024-25, averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds. In his brief NBA time, he made 18 of his 26 field goal attempts. He reached a new career-high in the regular season finale by dropping 17 points against the Washington Wizards. Johnson saw action in two playoff games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring two points and grabbing a rebound.
Played 5 Years Of College Basketball Before Going Undrafted
Prior to going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, Johnson spent five seasons playing collegiately. After playing four years for San Diego State, he transferred to Arizona. Johnson was given an extra season of college due to the COVID-19 year.
During his one year (2023-24) with the Wildcats, Arizona was crowned Pac-12 champions. They reached the Sweet 16, but their run stopped there as they fell to Clemson. In 36 outings that year, Johnson averaged 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals. His shooting percentage splits were 53.0/38.7/71.0.
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