The Heat will have another new two-way player heading into the 2022-23 season!
The final roster cuts are in. But wait, there’s more!
The Miami Heat signed guard Dru Smith to their final two-way contract Wednesday night, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
In subsequent transactions, the Heat have waived Marcus Garrett — who previously held their final two-way spot, but fractured his right wrist that will cause him to miss at least a month — along with Jamaree Bouyea, Orlando Robinson and Mychal Mulder, where all are expected ot join Miami’s G-League affiliate Sioux Falls SkyForce. The AP’s Tim Reynolds was first with the news of the other transactions.
Garrett is expected to remain around the team to rehab from injury.
The Miami Heat are signing guard Dru Smith to a two-way NBA contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Smith, in his second season in the Heat system, had a 15-point preseason performance on Monday and makes the team’s roster out of camp.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 13, 2022
Heat are waiving Marcus Garrett, Mychal Mulder, Orlando Robinson and Jamaree Bouyea, and converting Dru Smith to a two-way.
Heat expect Mulder, Robinson and Bouyea to join Sioux Falls.
Garrett will remain in Miami rehabbing (wrist).
(sorry, had Garrett here twice in 1st tweet)
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 13, 2022
Smith averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 15.1 minutes per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep in five preseason games with the Heat. He had 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, adding three boards, two assists and one steal Monday night against the Rockets.
As an undrafted rookie, Smith played with Sioux Falls last season, averaging 8.0 points on 40.5 percent shooting and 29.7 percent shooting from disatnace, adding 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals a contest. We’ve seen players within the Heat organization get chances with Miami after playing at least a season with a G-League organization — such as Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven.
Smith, a 24-year-old lead guard out of Missouri, now gets his opportunity. Among those waived, Bouyea got the most run in the preseason. He played 17.2 minutes per game, averaging 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on 60.9 percent shooting — knocking down five of his 10 triples.
He will now join Jamal Cain — who had a spectacular preseason — as Miami’s pair of two-way players. Here is the Heat’s 14-man roster (with its two additional two-ways) heading into the new season:
- Kyle Lowry
- Tyler Herro
- Jimmy Butler
- Caleb Martin
- Bam Adebayo
- Max Strus
- Victor Oladipo
- Dewayne Dedmon
- Duncan Robinson
- Gabe Vincent
- Nikola Jovic
- Omer Yurtseven
- Haywood Highsmith
- Udonis Haslem
- Jamal Cain (two-way)
- Dru Smith (two-way)