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Southeast Notes: Smart, Mulder, Herro, Banchero, Wizards

July 12th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat guards Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder are working to expand their games in Summer League as they try to hang on to their two-way contracts, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Smart, a natural scorer who averaged 21.1 PPG in G League competition last season, is focused on becoming a better play-maker. Mulder is a three-point specialist who is attempting to become more well-rounded.

“You’re always looking at how guys may develop into something,” Summer League head coach Malik Allen said. “But you got to be able to do the little things because in order to play with Bam [Adebayo], Jimmy [Butler] and Kyle [Lowry], you got to be able to contribute in those ways. And those guys are going to hold your feet to the fire if you do get that opportunity. If the opportunity does come in December or January.

Marcus Garrett, who held a two-way contract with Miami before undergoing wrist surgery in January, is among the threats to Smart and Mulder. Garrett returned to action over the weekend, playing for the first time in more than six months. Chiang mentions rookie center Orlando Robinson as another two-way candidate.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Tyler Herro isn’t bothered by Heat president Pat Riley‘s stance that he needs to earn his way into the starting lineup, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Riley’s comments came in response to Herro saying he wants to be a starter after winning Sixth Man of the Year honors. “He continues to give me advice,” Herro said when asked about Riley. “Every time I talk to him, he always gives me a new book to read.”
After two strong showings, Magic forward Paolo Banchero will be shut down for the rest of Summer League, according to ESPN. The No. 1 pick averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, leading Orlando to a pair of victories. In an interview with ESPN (video link), Banchero said his goal for his rookie season is to “affect the Magic in a winning way.”
David Aldridge of The Athletic examines the Wizards‘ chances of building a contending team around Bradley Beal now that he has a five-year max contract.

Heat Notes: Oladipo, Roster, Tax, Two-Way Slots

July 8th, 2022 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

After re-signing with the Heat this week, Victor Oladipo told reporters, including Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, that he felt during free agency as if teams were hesitant to pursue him too aggressively due to his injury history.

“It kind of seemed like a lot of people were kind of shying away from me,” Oladipo said.

Oladipo didn’t look quite like his old All-Star self following his return to the court near the end of the 2021/22 season, but he showed flashes of that form — and, as Winderman relays, the 30-year-old thinks that was just the beginning.

“I truly believe that I can be better than I was,” Oladipo said. “That may sound crazy to everyone, but I’d rather have that mentality and I can live with the results after that, because I’m going to push myself to be that.

“I think the biggest goal for me is just to show everyone that I’m healthy and I can play a whole year and also to show everyone that I’m one of the best players in this league. So everything else will take care of itself, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

After restructuring Oladipo’s new contract agreement, the Heat will be able to sign a 14th player to a minimum-salary contract while remaining about $200K below the luxury tax line, Winderman writes in a separate story for The Sun Sentinel. While the team has some options with that 14th roster spot, it could be as simple as re-signing Udonis Haslem, if the veteran big man wants to continue his playing career.
With limited roster and cap flexibility remaining, the Heat appear content, at least for the time being, to run it back in 2022/23, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang notes, besides replacing free agent forward P.J. Tucker with first-round pick Nikola Jovic, Miami’s roster remains essentially unchanged from the end of last season.
While Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder currently hold the Heat’s two-way contracts, the team would be open to making a change if one of its camp invitees makes a strong impression, according to Chiang. Undrafted Fresno State big man Orlando Robinson was the first player to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami this offseason, but he likely won’t be the last.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Hornets, “Shadow Heat,” Bam

May 29th, 2022 at 3:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Magic, owners of the top pick as well as the Nos. 32 and 35 selections in the 2022 draft, interviewed a variety of players at the pre-draft combine, have hosted several prospects for pre-draft workouts, and are expected to host several others as they do their due diligence with an eye towards the future.

Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel lists all the players the Magic are doing their homework on, including Duke guard Trevor Keels, Iowa forward Keegan Murray, Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr., and more.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hornets, who possess the Nos. 13 and 15 picks in the upcoming draft, are hosting UT-Arlington forward Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton, LSU forward Tari Eason, North Carolina State guard Terquavion Smith, SMU forward Marcus Weathers, and Connecticut forward Isaiah Whaley for a pre-draft workout today, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The Heat‘s young deep-bench players, a.k.a. the “Shadow Heat,” are gearing up for a summer of development, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman notes that the Miami front office brain trust of Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg, and Adam Simon have made it a habit to add intriguing youngsters near the end of the regular season, letting them work out with the team during the end of the year and the postseason ahead of hopeful Summer League success. The Heat have hit on solid role players this way in the past, and hope to do so again with Haywood Highsmith and two-way players Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart. That trio has been traveling with the club as it continues its playoff run. “I think that gives you invaluable experience, any time you can be a part of a playoff run,” said Heat reserve center Omer Yurtseven, who underwent a similar late-season development process last year.
Though Heat All-Defensive Team center Bam Adebayo has had a relatively modest offensive output in the team’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Celtics thus far, the team assesses his production beyond just the box score, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Adebayo is averaging just 13.3 PPG in the series.

Southeast Notes: Hampton, Williamson, Smart, Collins

February 24th, 2022 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic guard R.J. Hampton is expected to be in uniform on Friday, Dan Savage of the team’s website reports. Hampton missed the last 14 games due to an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his left knee. He got through back-to-back full contact practices on Wednesday and Thursday without any issues.

“It felt very good to get back on the court with the guys,” Hampton said. “I’ve missed doing what I love for the last month.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Hawks should go all-in to acquire Zion Williamson this offseason if the Pelicans make him available and the medical records come back clean, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic argues. Despite some red flags regarding Williamson, he can be as dominant as Joel Embiid if he overcomes his injury and conditioning issues, says Kirschner, citing Williamson’s stats and advanced metrics from last season.
Javonte Smart‘s two-way contract with the Heat is a two-year deal, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. The rookie guard signed with Miami on February 15th.
Hawks forward John Collins missed Thursday’s game due to a right foot strain, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Collins hasn’t played since February 11. He’s averaging 16.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG after signing a five-year, $125MM contract.

Javonte Smart Signs Two-Way Deal With Heat

February 15th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Heat have signed free agent rookie guard Javonte Smart to fill their open two-way player slot, per a team press release.

Third-year combo guard Kyle Guy is Miami’s other two-way player. Former two-way player Caleb Martin was just elevated to the Heat’s main 15-man roster earlier today in order to make him playoff-eligible.

The Smart announcement marks the club’s second new player signing this week. Miami also added wing Haywood Highsmith via a 10-day contract.

After going undrafted out of LSU last summer, Smart played for the Heat during the 2021 NBA Summer League, and subsequently kicked off the 2021/22 preseason with a training camp contract on the Heat. He was ultimately released prior to the start of the year.

Smart later linked up with the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate club, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Across 12 regular season contests with the Skyforce (including tonight), Smart is averaging 23.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He is connecting on 43.4% of his field goal looks, including 34.7% of his long-range attempts. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes that Smart scored 40 points while shooting 11-of-18 from the floor tonight in a victory against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The 6’4″ 22-year-old had a brief stint this season with the Bucks as a two-way player, suiting up for 13 contests with the reigning champs before being waived last month. In 12.3 MPG, Smart averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.5 RPG for Milwaukee.

Bucks Sign Lindell Wigginton To Two-Way Deal, Waive Javonte Smart

January 13th, 2022 at 12:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks have signed G League guard Lindell Wigginton to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release. Two-way guard Javonte Smart has been waived to make room on the roster.

Wigginton, 23, has been playing for Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 17 games. This is his third season in the G League.

After going undrafted in 2019, Wigginton signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves and participated in Minnesota’s training camp. He has yet to play in an NBA game.

Smart, an undrafted rookie out of LSU, signed a two-way deal with the Bucks in late November after being waived by the Heat in training camp. He appeared in 13 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per night.

Bucks Sign Javonte Smart, Waive Justin Robinson

November 30th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

November 30: The Bucks have officially signed Smart to a two-way contract and requested waivers on Robinson, the team announced in a press release.

November 29: The Bucks intend to sign guard Javonte Smart to a two-way contract and will waive Justin Robinson to create an opening on their 17-man roster, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Smart, who went undrafted earlier this year, averaged 16.0 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.7 RPG as a junior for LSU in 2020/21. The 6’4″ guard posted an impressive shooting line of .460/.402/.857 in 28 games (35.6 MPG), earning All-SEC Second Team honors.

The Heat signed Smart to a training camp contract and made him an affiliate player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce after he was waived during the preseason. He has played well at the G League level so far, putting up 22.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.6 APG on .488/.396/.917 shooting in his first five games (35.1 MPG) for the Skyforce.

Robinson had already appeared in 17 games for the Bucks this season while on his two-way contract, but wasn’t especially effective in his limited role. The 6’1″ guard averaged 2.8 PPG and 1.2 APG on .316/.270/1.000 shooting in 11.6 minutes per contest.

The Bucks are making a handful of tweaks to their roster this week. They’ve also reached an agreement to sign DeMarcus Cousins to a standard, non-guaranteed contract. He’ll fill the open spot on their 15-man roster.

Heat Waive Potter, Smart, Smith, Stewart

October 15th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have waived Micah Potter, Javonte Smart, Dru Smith, and D.J. Stewart, per a team press release. All four players were on Exhibit 10 contracts.

All four players were undrafted rookies, and if they spend at least 60 days with the Heat’s G League squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, they could earn a bonus of up to $50K.

Potter, 6’10”, played two seasons with Ohio State before transferring to Wisconsin. He showed an impressive shooting touch for a big man, connecting on 38.6% of his three-point attempts and 84% of his free throws as a senior. He also had a strong preseason showing with the Heat, appearing in three games with averages of 10.3 PPG and 11.3 RPG in 24.0 minutes.

Smart, a 6’4″ guard, played college ball at LSU, averaging 16.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 4.0 APG (35.6 MPG) in 28 games as a senior. He appeared in five preseason contests with the Heat.

Smith, a 6’3″ guard, played for Evansville before transferring to Missouri. He averaged 14.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG (34.1 MPG) in 26 games as a senior. He appeared in three preseason games with the Heat.

Stewart, a 6’6″ wing, declared for the draft after two seasons at Mississippi State. He averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.1 APG (35.0 MPG) in 28 games as a sophomore and appeared in four preseason contests with the Heat.

The moves leave the Heat with 14 players on guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled.

Heat Add Potter, Smart, Smith To Camp Roster

September 10th, 2021 at 4:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have added forward Micah Potter and guards Javonte Smart and Dru Smith to their training camp roster, according to a team press release.

Potter appeared in six Summer League games with Miami and averaged 7.3 PPG and 3.5 RPG. He went undrafted out of Wisconsin.

Smart averaged 5.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 2.2 APG with Miami’s summer league squad. Smart played three seasons at LSU, becoming just the seventh player in school history to record at least 1,200 points, 300 assists and 111 steals.

Smith, who attended Missouri, also appeared in six Summer League games with the Heat and averaged 8.0 PPG, 2.5 APG and 1.17 SPG.

All three were signed to Exhibit 10 deals, bringing Miami’s camp roster to 19, one below the limit, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.

Exhibit 10 contracts give NBA teams a chance to bring players to training camp and get a look at them without guaranteeing them a regular season roster spot or any real salary. All three could potentially earn a $50K bonus if they remain on the Sioux Falls Skyforce roster for at least 60 days. The Skyforce are the Heat’s G League affiliate.

The trio could also be competing for Miami’s open two-way slot.

Eastern Notes: Bucks, Pacers, Butler, Heat

August 9th, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The two second-round picks the Bucks sent to the Grizzlies in the Grayson Allen trade were the 2024 and 2026 selections Milwaukee had just acquired from Indiana in a trade for the No. 31 pick, according to RealGM.

In the deal with Indiana, Milwaukee gave up the No. 31 selection in exchange for this year’s Nos. 54 and 60 selections along with those two future second-rounders. The team subsequently flipped the second-rounders to Memphis along with Sam Merrill for Allen.

The upshot is that the Bucks gave up Merrill and the No. 31 pick (Isaiah Todd) in exchange for Allen, the No. 54 pick (Sandro Mamukelashvili), and the No. 60 pick (Georgios Kalaitzakis).

Here’s more from around the East:

The Pacers officially announced a pair of additions to Rick Carlisle‘s staff, stating in a press release that Jannero Pargo has been hired as a player development assistant and Zach Chu has come aboard as the team’s manager of game strategy and analytics. Pargo spent the last two seasons with Portland, while Chu worked under Carlisle in Dallas.
Jimmy Butler‘s new maximum-salary extension with the Heat will actually be a three-year deal that begins in 2023/24, meaning it’s being tacked onto his 2022/23 player option, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video). Butler’s salary in ’23/24 will likely be 35% of that year’s cap, so the exact value of his extension isn’t yet known.
The Heat are taking their usual approach to their two-way contract slots, not filling them right away and instead auditioning several players for those openings. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, the next week at the Las Vegas Summer League could go a long way toward determining which players have the leg up for those spots. Javonte Smart, A.J. Lawson, RJ Nembhard, Micah Potter, and Marcus Garrett are expected to be in the mix.