Tim Hardaway Jr. didn’t need much convincing when the Heat came calling.
The veteran wing signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with Miami over the summer, and he called it a “no-brainer” to join the team. For Hardaway, the fit went beyond basketball. His father, Hall of Fame point guard Tim Hardaway Sr., had his jersey retired by the Heat after spending six seasons with the franchise from 1995-2000, and the younger Hardaway spent much of his childhood in Miami.
“ It’s awesome,” Hardaway Jr. said. “ I don’t have to pack up a lot of my stuff anymore to go back to my respected city that I would have to play for.
I get to sleep in my own bed. I don’t have to worry about getting my dogs acclimated to the new kennels and all that stuff in new cities.
And it’s familiar faces that I’ve seen since my dad got traded here. So for the most part, that’s what matters most to me.
Familiarity and comfortability.”
Elsewhere around the team, Kyrie Irving’s name keeps surfacing in conversations tied to Miami, even if he’s not considered a realistic Heat target right now. The Mavericks have turned aside trade interest in the nine-time All-Star, but rival teams are still watching closely to see whether Dallas changes course before the February trade deadline, according to Marc Stein.
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel pointed out why Irving keeps getting linked to the Heat, noting that he would be a strong on-court match next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Still, Winderman added that Miami probably doesn’t have the kind of contracts or draft assets Dallas would want.
The Heat also made a small transaction on Thursday night involving Dennis Smith Jr., signing and then waiving the former lottery pick so he could collect a bonus for playing with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. After Friday’s practice, Erik Spoelstra explained why Miami wanted to help.
“We like Dennis,” Spoelstra said. “ Obviously, we’ve invested in his development.
We think he also helps our development in Sioux Falls with the guys, having a quarterback there that’s experienced. But we know that he still wants to get back in the league, and we want to try to help.
We hope it really can be a symbiotic relationship, where he’s helping us develop the young guys by playing the right way and setting guys up and making the game easier for them. Hopefully, we can make his dream happen, as well.”
Winderman also used a mailbag to look ahead at two other Heat pieces: Myron Gardner and Nick Richards. Gardner’s role this season remains an open question, while Richards may get a longer preseason look after averaging just 12.5 minutes per game in his first two exhibition games. Gardner’s salary is partially guaranteed for $500,000, and Richards is on a veteran’s minimum deal that becomes fully guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster.
In Other News...
Heat Season May Come Down To One Player Behind Giannis And Bam
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo occupying the top tier of Miamis roster conversation, the Heat still have to sort out who fits best just below them. Andrew Wiggins brings the kind of length, scoring touch and defensive versatility that makes him an obvious piece in that discussion, while Davion Mitchell adds a very different kind of value as a steady backcourt presence. The supporting cast, including Pelle Larsson and Tim Hardaway Jr., gives Erik Spoelstra a few more ways to piece together lineups around his two stars.
The more interesting question is which of those next-tier pieces becomes the one that ties everything together when the games get tighter. Miami has enough role players who can fill a job description, but it is the connective presence that often decides whether the offense stays organized and the defense stays in front of the ball. If the Heat are going to turn talent into a real hierarchy, the answer may hinge on which player can do the most demanding work without needing the ball to dominate the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Starters Might Not Get The Tuneup Fans Expected Against Minnesota
With the regular season opener against the Timberwolves looming, the Heat still do not know whether Thursdays third preseason game will serve as the kind of tuneup many fans have been expecting. Erik Spoelstra has not committed to using it as a full dress rehearsal, and he said he is still weighing how to handle starter minutes across the remaining preseason schedule.
Miami also has some roster business to sort through, which could shape how Spoelstra uses the final exhibition games. The team may lean toward giving non-rotation players more run before the roster decisions are locked in, a reminder that this part of camp is about more than simply getting the first unit ready for Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Backup Point Guard Battle Feels More Unsettled Than Expected
Davion Mitchell may have the starting point guard job locked down for the Heat, but the picture behind him is far less settled than the label of backup would suggest. Dru Smith entered camp as the leading candidate for that role, though his recovery from a minor injury has made the rotation behind Mitchell feel a little more open than expected, with rookies Ryan Conwell and Tre Donaldson also pushing to be part of the conversation.
Donaldson has flashed enough in preseason to keep this from feeling like a simple depth-chart formality, and Erik Spoelstra always has the option of leaning into lineups without a traditional point guard at all. If Miami goes that route, the ball could spend more time in the hands of players like Pelle Larsson, which only adds another layer to a competition that looks likely to stay fluid for a while. [Read more 🡒]