Isaiah Stevens Signs Two-Way Contract With Heat
9:49am: Stevens’ two-way deal is official, the Heat confirmed in a press release.
8:43am: The Heat will fill a two-way opening by signing Isaiah Stevens from their Sioux Falls affiliate in the G League, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move, which had been expected along with the promotion of Keshad Johnson to the 15-man roster, was confirmed to Charania by Stevens’ agent, Matt Bollero of ProMondo Sports.
Stevens, a 24-year-old point guard, was in training camp with Miami, but was waived before the start of the season. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract in July after going undrafted following four years at Colorado State.
He will be eligible to appear in 31 games with the Heat for the remainder the season, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). That’s a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.
Stevens is averaging 13.3 points and 10.9 assists in 17 games for the Skyforce, with a shooting line of .500/.317/.931. A three-time All-Mountain West selection, he was outstanding during Summer League as the Heat captured the championship in Las Vegas.
Miami has a December 29 deadline to add a 14th player to its roster — two weeks after trading Thomas Bryant to Indiana — so the moves with Johnson and Stevens will have to be finalized soon. Two-way player Dru Smith appeared to be in line for a promotion, but he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday.
Heat Promote Keshad Johnson To Standard Roster
DECEMBER 26: Johnson’s promotion is official, the Heat announced in a press release.
DECEMBER 24, 3:20pm: Johnson’s salary for the rest of the 2024/25 season will be fully guaranteed, according to Chiang, who reports (via Twitter) that the signing is expected to become official on Thursday. Stevens is expected to fill the newly opened two-way slot, Chiang confirms.
Assuming Johnson signs a minimum-salary contract, he’ll earn a rest-of-season salary of $724,883, which will also be Miami’s cap hit. However, because Johnson joined the team as a free agent, for the purposes of tax and apron calculations, the deal would count for $1,307,699 (the same as a veteran minimum contract).
DECEMBER 24, 2:57pm: The Heat intend to promote Keshad Johnson to their standard 15-man roster, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson, who is currently on a two-way contract, will be converted to a two-year standard deal, according to Charania. The second year will be a team option, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Johnson signed a two-way contract with Miami after going undrafted out of Arizona this summer. He has only logged 14 total minutes across three appearances for the Heat, but has been a standout for the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
In 13 games with the Skyforce, the 6’7″ forward has averaged 21.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 34.9 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .549/.396/.795.
The Heat dropped to 13 players on standard contracts when they traded Thomas Bryant to the Pacers on December 15. Since teams are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard deals for up to two weeks at a time, the club needs to re-add a 14th man by Dec. 29.
The expectation had been that another two-way player, Dru Smith, would fill that spot, but he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday, scuttling that plan. Another two-way player will get the promotion instead.
The fact that Johnson is getting a two-year contract suggests the team likely isn’t adding him to the roster as a placeholder, but it’s worth noting that the Heat could give him a non-guaranteed deal and then waive him before the league-wide guarantee date of January 7 if they want to take advantage of their full-season allotment of 28 days below 14 players for financial reasons. Miami’s team salary is currently about $3.7MM below the second tax apron.
While I’d expect Johnson to get a minimum-salary contract, Miami could use the taxpayer mid-level exception to give him more than the rookie minimum. If it’s a prorated minimum contract, his cap hit will depend on when the deal is officially completed.
Johnson’s promotion will open up a two-way slot for the Heat. G League standout Isaiah Stevens is among the top candidates for that opening, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Updates On Butler, Who Is Doubtful To Play Thursday
- Star forward Jimmy Butler, who prefers a trade out of Miami but hasn’t formally requested to be dealt, is doubtful for Thursday’s contest in Orlando with what the Heat are calling “return to competition; reconditioning,” tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. A person with knowledge of the situation insisted to Jackson that Butler has been “genuinely sick” of late, causing him to miss most of the past three games, and that his absences have nothing to do with a potential trade. According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Butler didn’t travel with the Heat to Orlando, but there’s still a chance he could make the short flight north if he’s feeling better.
- Although Shams Charania of ESPN reported that multiple teams have been in touch with the Heat to express interest in Butler, it’s unclear if Miami has actually received a formal trade offer, according to Jackson and Chiang. Neither the Heat nor Butler’s camp have denied that he’s unhappy, but he’s also not “simmering with rage” about the situation, as Jackson puts it (Twitter link).
Jimmy Butler Prefers Trade Out Of Miami
Heat forward Jimmy Butler would prefer to be traded ahead of the February 6 deadline rather than sticking with Miami for the full season, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Charania clarifies that Butler has not formally asked the Heat to trade him, but he’s “believed to be ready for his exit” from the franchise.
Butler has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, with Charania first reporting on December 10 that the Heat were open to listening to offers on the six-time All-Star.
Charania stated at the time that the Mavericks, Rockets, and Warriors were a few of the teams that would appeal to Butler in the event of a trade, then added the Suns to that list the following day. Phoenix and Golden State are believed to be his top choices from among that group, Charania said today on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).
Multiple teams have been in touch with the Heat within the past couple weeks to express interest in Butler, but Miami isn’t showing urgency in those discussions, sources tell ESPN.
Reporting in the wake of Miami’s elimination from the 2024 playoffs indicated that Butler would be seeking a maximum-salary extension during the offseason. Asked about that possibility during his end-of-season press conference in the spring, president of basketball operations Pat Riley expressed reluctance to make that sort of financial investment in a player “unless you have someone who is going to be available every night,” a reference to Butler’s injury issues in recent seasons.
Butler subsequently decided to remain with the Heat without an extension rather than pushing for an offseason trade. However, he has been unhappy about not being extended, according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Following the publication of today’s ESPN report, reporters in Miami – including Chiang and Jackson – have cited sources who confirm Butler hasn’t demanded a trade. According to The Herald, Butler would play out the season with Miami if that’s what the team decides, but would be fine with a change of scenery as well.
The 35-year-old is earning $48.8MM this season and holds a $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season. Multiple reports have indicated he intends to turn down that option to become a free agent, whether or not he’s traded this season. Butler doesn’t have to make a decision on that option until late June though, so it’s possible he’ll use that stance for leverage purposes and opt in or sign an extension later in the season if he ends up in a situation he likes.
Marc Stein and others have reported that the Heat believe they’d be in a good position with Butler next summer, since the rebuilding Nets are the only team projected to have maximum-salary cap room. Chiang and Jackson reiterated that point today, writing that Miami is “not at all concerned” about losing the former Marquette standout for nothing in free agency. Still, Charania says both the Heat and Butler seem willing to move on from one another.
Butler’s relationship with the Heat has become “somewhat strained,” per Chiang and Jackson, who hear from a source that the 14-year veteran was disappointed the team didn’t publicly deny Charania’s Dec. 10 report that Miami was open to moving him. Butler was also the only Heat player not to attend a Christmas party at Riley’s house, though he has missed the party in the past, so that’s not necessarily meaningful, according to Chiang and Jackson (Twitter link).
The Herald duo hears from a source that Butler was “caught off guard” when Riley scolded him at his spring press conference for Butler’s claim that the Celtics and Knicks would “be at home” if he had been able to play in the postseason.
“If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams,” Riley said at the time.
While the relationship between player and team isn’t as strong as it once was, Butler hasn’t been disruptive at all this season like he was in 2018 when he requested a trade out of Minnesota, according to The Herald.
Butler is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 31.4 minutes per game across 20 outings so far this season, with a .552/.357/.782 shooting line. His season-long averages have been hurt to some extent by the fact that he was only able to play seven minutes in a pair of games that he left due to injuries.
Butler’s $48.8MM salary will complicate some teams’ ability to acquire him via trade. The Mavericks and Suns fall into that group and appear not to have enough assets to entice Miami, per Chiang and Jackson. The Rockets, meanwhile, have told people they’re not interested in pursuing Butler, a source tells The Herald.
Suns Looking To Move Jusuf Nurkic
The Suns are shopping starting center Jusuf Nurkic, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.
Phoenix’s front office is seeking another big man in return, with the Wizards‘ Jonas Valanciunas and Bulls‘ Nikola Vucevic among the players mentioned in trade talks.
There still are conversations about a deal with the Heat involving Jimmy Butler, Rankin adds, confirming a Marc Stein report. Bradley Beal would be a natural fit salary-wise in a Butler deal but he’d have to waive a no-trade clause — and the Heat would have to be willing to take on his multiyear, maximum-salary contract.
The Suns, with three star players in their lineup, are floundering at the .500 mark. Their desire to move Nurkic indicates they’re looking for ways to shake things up, though second apron restrictions limit what they can do.
Nurkic is averaging 9.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 24.5 minutes per game during his second season with the Suns. Nurkic played just 15 minutes against Denver on Monday. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 4.0 APG last season.
Phoenix acquired him in the three-team blockbuster in which Damian Lillard was dealt to Milwaukee and former Suns center Deandre Ayton was sent to the Trail Blazers.
Nurkic is signed through next season. He’s making $18.125MM this season and will bring in $19.375MM next season.
Valanciunas is making $9.9MM this season, so there would need to be additional players in a transaction involving the Wizards. Vucevic, also signed through next season, is pulling in $20MM this season.
Dru Smith Diagnosed With Torn Achilles Tendon
Heat guard Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the injury will end Smith’s season.
Smith exited Monday’s game due to a lower left leg injury that was immediately feared to be significant. His wife joined him as he headed off the court to the locker room, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Smith, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, spent his first professional season in the G League, then made his NBA debut with the Heat on a two-way contract in 2022/23. He appeared in 24 total games with Miami and Brooklyn over the next two seasons, but saw his ’23/24 campaign come to an early end last November when he sustained a torn right ACL.
After being waived by the Heat in March, Smith earned another shot with the club this season, signing a two-way deal in July and claiming a rotation spot in recent weeks upon fully recovering from his ACL tear, impressing the team with his defense.
In his eight most recent games prior to Monday’s contest, the 6’2″ guard had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.
Tearing an Achilles one year after tearing an ACL would be a brutal turn of events for any professional athlete, but the timing is especially awful for Smith, who appeared to be on the verge of being promoted from his two-way deal to Miami’s standard roster. The Heat, who traded Thomas Bryant to the Pacers on December 15, have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th man to their roster, since NBA rules only permit teams to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
With Smith on the shelf, Miami could opt to promote one of its other two-way players (Keshad Johnson or Josh Christopher), call up a player from its G League affiliate (such as Isaiah Stevens), or sign a veteran free agent.
The league-wide salary guarantee date isn’t until January 7, so the Heat could give their new 14th man a non-guaranteed contract and cut him at that time, essentially giving that player a de facto 10-day contract while they continue to consider their options. Teams can carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to 28 total days in a season, so Miami would be able to dip down to 13 for another two weeks at any time after re-adding a 14th man on Dec. 29.
Since Smith was on a two-way contract, the Heat won’t be eligible to apply for a disabled player exception.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Miller, Smith, Christopher, Risacher
After getting off to a decent 4-5 start this season, the Hornets have plummeted down the standings over the past month-and-a-half. Monday’s loss to Houston, Charlotte’s 13th in its last 14 games, dropped the team to 7-22 on the season and inspired a players-only closed-door meeting after the game, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“I feel like we established ourselves in the first 10 games as a team that plays physical,” forward Miles Bridges said. “At one point we were leading the league in offensive rebounding. We’ve just got to get back to that. We had a great conversation. Taj (Gibson) really got us together in the locker room — players only — and he talked to us. I talked to the team, Taj talked to us a lot. I feel like that really got to us, so I feel like these next couple games we’re going to see who really wants to play.”
Bridges is the longest-tenured Hornet, having been with the organization since 2018. Gibson is a newcomer, but he was brought in to be a “meaningful voice in the locker room,” Boone writes. The veteran big man played that role in Monday’s meeting.
“I think them talking to us, I think they both said what everybody is thinking,” center Mark Williams said. “I think it just starts with us. We’ve got to be tougher, got to play harder. Just do all the things it takes to win. Just got to have some pride out there. I think we just lacked that tonight.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller has missed the past three games due to a sprained ankle, but he was initially listed as questionable for Monday’s game before being downgraded to out and appears to be on the verge of a return, per Boone. “The last couple days he’s rejoined some group activities that we’ve had. I think he’s really making good progress,” head coach Charles Lee said. “After (Monday’s) game, we’ll continue to evaluate him and see where he is maybe after Christmas.”
- According to both Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Heat had been planning to promote guard Dru Smith from his two-way contract to a standard deal in the coming days in order to get back to the required 14-man minimum. That plan is now up in the air after Smith exited Monday’s game with a lower left leg injury. He’s undergoing an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, as Chiang relays. “Obviously, the air went out of the building seeing him fall like that,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It wasn’t a contact injury. I don’t know the extent fully right now. I don’t want to pontificate until we get the MRI. But, yeah, we were all messed up for a while.”
- Heat two-way guard Josh Christopher was the best player John Hollinger of The Athletic saw at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando. As Hollinger writes, Christopher has improved his shooting and decision-making and is no longer simply getting by on his athleticism. While it remains to be seen whether or not there will be NBA minutes available going forward for the former No. 24 overall pick in the wake of Smith’s injury, Christopher did make his Heat regular season debut on Monday, logging a couple garbage-time minutes in a win over Brooklyn.
- Hawks rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher didn’t get to play for the French national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but this year’s No. 1 overall pick hopes to represent his home country in future international tournaments, starting next summer, as he tells Benjamin Moubeche of BasketSession (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “The French national team is a childhood dream,” Risacher said. “It’s always something special. Every competitor wants to win medals for their country, and for me, it would be an immense honor to represent France at the (2025) EuroBasket.”
Heat’s Dru Smith Exits With Lower Left Leg Injury
Heat guard Dru Smith experienced a lower left leg injury in Monday’s contest vs. Brooklyn and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter).
While the severity of the injury has yet to be determined, it didn’t look good in real time, according to a couple of local reporters (Twitter links via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald).
Smith went straight back to the locker room after the injury, with his wife joining him, per Winderman and Chiang. For what it’s worth, several fans replying in the comments seem to think Smith may have suffered an Achilles injury.
As Chiang observes (via Twitter), the third-year guard is on a two-way contract and he appeared to be the frontrunner to be promoted to a standard deal, with the Heat having to fill their 14th standard spot by Dec. 29 after trading Thomas Bryant. A major injury would be a devastating outcome for both parties, but especially for Smith, who missed most of last season with a torn right ACL.
Smith, who turns 27 years old next week, has been a rotation fixture for Miami of late, partly due to his impressive defense. Over the past eight games, he had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.
Injury Notes: Doncic, R. Williams, Leonard, Jones, Heat, Wade
After missing the past two games with a left heel contusion, Luka Doncic was upgraded to available for Monday’s contest vs. Portland, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). The perennial All-NBA guard had previously been listed as questionable.
For the same game, big man Robert Williams was ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, per the Trail Blazers (Twitter link). Williams was questionable this afternoon, so his latest injury doesn’t appear to be anything significant.
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- A Clippers source tells Law Murray of The Athletic that Kawhi Leonard (right knee) will not suit up for Friday’s contest vs. Golden State (Twitter link). Murray predicted last week that Leonard, who has been going through contact practices and recently traveled on a three-game road trip, would play on Friday, but his season debut will be delayed by at least one more game.
- Although they won’t have Leonard back yet, the Clippers did receive some good injury news last week, as Derrick Jones returned early from a right hamstring strain, Murray writes for The Athletic. The 27-year-old forward made an immediate impact against his former team, helping Los Angeles defeat Dallas on Thursday. “Derrick was a big part of our success last year,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. “He was the last to sign with us … he made us a little bit more athletic. He could guard one through five. He shot the three well for us. And he’s a pro. He comes to work every day to do his job. We’re happy for his new contract. Unfortunately, he’s on the other side. But the Clippers got a pro.”
- The Heat were shorthanded on Monday vs. Brooklyn, with Jimmy Butler (stomach illness) missing his second straight game and Josh Richardson (right heel inflammation) missing his fifth, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. Terry Rozier was a late addition to Monday’s injury report after experiencing left knee inflammation, his first absence with that injury, Chiang adds.
- Forward Dean Wade experienced some soreness after taking knee-to-knee contact in Saturday’s contest vs. Philadelphia and the Cavaliers decided to be cautious and keep him out of Monday’s contest against Utah, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade is expected to return for Friday’s contest vs. Denver, Cleveland’s next game, sources tell Fedor. Sam Merrill started in place of Wade, who himself was an injury replacement for Isaac Okoro (shoulder sprain).
T.J. Warren, Jahlil Okafor Headline NBAGL All-Showcase Team
The NBA G League has announced (via Twitter) a five-man All-Showcase Team following its 2024 Winter Showcase in Orlando, which wrapped up in Sunday. The standout players recognized by the NBAGL are as follows:
- Josh Christopher (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves)
- Jahlil Okafor (Indiana Mad Ants)
- T.J. Warren (Westchester Knicks)
- Jahmir Young (Grand Rapids Gold)
The event, which was the culmination of the G League’s fall Tip-Off Tournament, included an eight-team, single-elimination bracket made up of the top finishers in the Tip-Off Tournament. Those eight clubs were vying for the Showcase Cup, with the league’s other 22 teams each playing a pair of non-tournaments from Thursday to Sunday.
Warren’s Knicks defeated Christopher’s Skyforce in the Showcase Cup final, with Warren averaging 22.7 points per game on 54.8% shooting in Westchester’s three victories. The veteran forward had 24 points and four assists in Sunday’s championship game.
Four of the five players named to the All-Showcase Team were in the Showcase Cup bracket. The only exception was Okafor, who averaged 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 66.7% shooting in a pair of non-tournament victories for the Pacers‘ affiliate.
While Miller is on a standard NBA contract with the Timberwolves and Christopher is on a two-way deal with the Heat, Warren, Okafor, and Young aren’t currently controlled by NBA teams and could be freely signed by one at any time. Their performances over the weekend in front of scouts and executives should help strengthen their cases for NBA promotions, especially once the 10-day contract window opens in January.
Warren and Okafor are NBA veterans who each have several years of experience in the league, whereas Young is an undrafted rookie who was in camp with the Nuggets in the fall. The former Maryland standout had 22 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in Grand Rapids’ win over the OKC Blue on Thursday, then put up 28 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals in a losing effort to Westchester on Saturday.