Heat Reach Three-Year, $7.9M Deal With Guard Dru Smith
heat-three-year-deal-dru-smith
The Miami Heat have agreed to a three-year contract with guard Dru Smith valued at $7.9 million, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN on Saturday.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported the total salary figure, while Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald noted that the first season is fully guaranteed and the final two years include conditional guarantees.
Miami created the necessary roster slot and cap room by sending forward Haywood Highsmith and his $5.6 million salary to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Smith, 27, was headed toward a standard NBA deal last season before an Achilles tear in December halted his progress. The Heat kept him on a two-way contract while he recovered and now expect him to be cleared for the Oct. 22 season opener or soon after, Jackson added.
In 14 appearances last season, the 6-3 guard averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 19.1 minutes, shooting 50.8 percent overall and 53.3 percent from three-point range. His improved perimeter accuracy earned him extended minutes, including double-digit playing time in eight consecutive games and full fourth-quarter duty in five of his last seven outings.
Smith’s NBA journey began with Miami on a two-way deal in 2022, followed by a brief stint with Brooklyn the same season. He rejoined the Heat in 2023, but a third-degree ACL sprain in November ended that campaign early. League rules barred Miami from offering another two-way pact this summer, prompting the multi-year agreement.
The move returns the Heat to 14 standard contracts, leaving the club one shy of the maximum while still avoiding the luxury tax. Jackson reported that the signing effectively ends Miami’s free-agent pursuit of big men Trey Lyles and Kai Jones, suggesting any frontcourt addition is now more likely to come via trade.
Smith will join recently re-signed Davion Mitchell and first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis as natural point guards behind a projected starting backcourt of Tyler Herro and Norman Powell.
Source: HoopsRumors
