The Miami Heat didn’t have a second-round pick and opted not to trade or buy its way into the second round of the NBA Draft on Thursday night. Instead, the Heat quickly turned its attention to the undrafted pool of players to fill its summer roster.
It’s a summer roster that already includes a handful of familiar faces, as returning Heat players like guard Pelle Larsson, center Kel’el Ware and forward Keshad Johnson are expected to take part in summer league this year. They are all under contract to be on the Heat’s standard roster this upcoming season.
But there are more new faces than familiar ones on the Heat’s summer roster.
Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who the Heat selected with the 20th pick in the first round of this year’s draft on Wednesday, will also be part of Miami’s summer league team. He’s slotted to make about $3.7 million this upcoming season as the 20th pick and will be under team control for five seasons on his rookie contract.
Michigan center Vlad Goldin will sign a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted this year. Goldin (7-feet and 253 pounds), who is from Russia, averaged 16.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 60.7 percent from the field and attempting just 0.2 threes per game as a fifth-year senior at Michigan last season.
Goldin, 24, spent his first college season at Texas Tech before transferring to spend the next three seasons at Florida Atlantic and eventually ending his college career at Michigan. He was a starter on the Florida Atlantic team that made an improbable run to the Final Four in 2023.
“Goldin has an interesting profile that could lead to him turning into a backup center in the NBA,” The Athletic’s NBA Draft expert Sam Vecenie wrote as part of his comprehensive NBA Draft guide. “He has good hands, has some skill level around the rim and is defensively viable in drop coverage against ball screens. He’s also absolutely enormous. It’s hard to overstate how important it is that he’s a legitimate 7-footer with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. ... I’m certainly worried about his lack of movement ability, and I don’t see a pathway toward him starting.”
Developmental guard Isaiah Stevens was initially expected to also be on the Heat’s summer league roster this year after closing last season on a two-way deal with Miami. But after the Heat opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Stevens before this week’s deadline, those plans changes and he won’t play for Miami in summer league. Stevens will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Guard Josh Christopher, who ended last season on a two-way contract with the Heat, is also not on Miami’s summer league roster this year. Christopher is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
The Heat’s summer league team is scheduled to travel to the West Coast in the coming days to begin practices on July 2.
The Heat opens summer league play in San Francisco with a three-game schedule at the California Classic, matching up against the San Antonio Spurs on July 5 at 4:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6 at 4:30 p.m. and the Golden State Warriors on July 8 at a time still to be determined at Chase Center — the Golden State Warriors’ home arena.
The Heat will then, like every NBA team, play at least five games at Las Vegas Summer League that will be held from July 10-20. Miami won the Las Vegas Summer League championship last year.
Heat assistant coach Eric Glass will again serve as the team’s summer league head coach this year after also guiding the Heat’s summer league squad in 2018 and 2019. Glass has been with the Heat for the last 15 seasons.
Those without NBA contracts on the Heat’s summer league team will be competing for a standard or two-way deal from Miami or another NBA team. While the Heat’s 15-man standard roster is almost full, only one of its three two-way contract slots are filled following the addition of Goldin.
Guard Dru Smith could return to the Heat on a two-way deal, as Miami extended a two-way qualifying offer to him. But Smith, who is set to become a restricted free agent, has yet to sign the qualifying offer.
Here’s a look at who else will be on the Heat’s 2025 summer league roster, which is subject to change ...
Indiana center Oumar Ballo: The 22-year-old 7-footer averaged 13 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field and not taking a three-pointer as a redshirt senior for Indiana last season. He started his college career at Gonzaga and Arizona before transferring to Indiana for his final college season and then going undrafted this year. Ballo grew up in West Africa and then attended high school in Spain before playing at the college level in the United States.
Forward JC Butler: The son of former Heat first-round pick and current Heat assistant coach Caron Butler. JC (6-foot-5 and 195 pounds) went undrafted in 2023 out of UC Irvine and has spent some time with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. But JC’s playing time has been limited in the G League, only appearing in six total games with the Skyforce over the last two years. JC, 25, has yet to play in an NBA game.
Guard Javonte Cooke: After going undrafted in 2022 out of Winston Salem State, Cooke has spent the last three seasons in the G League. Cookie, who turns 26 on July 11, averaged 17 points, five rebounds, 2.8 assists and one steal while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 85 of 254 (33.5 percent) from three-point range in 42 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, last season. Cookie (6-foot-6 and 185 pounds) has yet to play in an NBA game.
Memphis center Dain Dainja: At 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, Dainja averaged 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the field as a senior at Memphis last season. He attempted just one three-pointer last season, with all of his made field goals coming from inside the three-point line. The NCAA just recently denied Dainja’s waiver request for an additional season of eligibility and went undrafted this week. He turns 23 on July 16.
Forward Myron Gardner: The 24-year-old Gardner spent the last two seasons with the Orlando Magic’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, after going undrafted in 2023 out of Little Rock. Gardner (6-foot-6 and 220 pounds) averaged 10 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 65 of 184 (35.3 percent) on threes in 50 games for the Osceola Magic last season. Gardener has yet to play in an NBA game.
Guard Kira Lewis: A high-profile summer league name who was the 13th overall pick out of Alabama in the 2020 NBA Draft and has already appeared in 131 regular-season NBA games during his career. The 24-year-old Lewis has averaged 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 29.4 percent on threes during those NBA appearances. But Lewis did not play in the NBA last season, instead spending it with the Washington Wizards’ G League affiliate. Lewis (6-foot-1 and 170 pounds) averaged 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 38 of 121 (31.4 percent) on threes in 26 games for the Capital City Go-Go last season.
Forward Steve Settle III: A talented outside shooter with size who went undrafted this year out of Temple. The 6-foot-10 Settle shot an efficient 47 of 113 (41.6 percent) from three-point range last season at Temple. He also averaged 12.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, one steal and one block per game last season. Settle, 24, led Temple in rebounding and blocks, and ranked third in scoring while appearing in 31 of 32 games (all starts) last season.
Guard Erik Stevenson: The 26-year-old Stevenson went undrafted in 2023 out of West Virginia. Since then, he has spent the last two seasons in the G League. Stevenson (6-foot-4 and 205 pounds) averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and one steal per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 111 of 288 (38.5 percent) on threes for the Capital City Go-Go last season. Stevenson signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards last season, but never appeared in an NBA game.
Guard Bryson Warren: The 20-year-old Warren spent the last two seasons with the Heat’s G League affiliate. Warren averaged 11 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 103 of 276 (37.3 percent) from three-point range in 49 games for the Skyforce last season. Warren joined the Skyforce two years ago after signing with Overtime Elite as a four-year high school recruit. He was selected by the Skyforce with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NBA G League Draft. Warren has yet to play in an NBA game.
Guard Marcus Williams: Impressed last season as a senior, averaging 15.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 67 of 162 (41.4 percent) on threes for San Francisco. Williams, who went undrafted this year, stands 6-foot-2 and turns 23 on July 29.