Vladislav Goldin proved himself at college basketball’s highest level last season at Michigan. Now he’ll get a chance to do it on the sport’s top stage.
Goldin agreed to terms on a two-way contract with the Miami Heat on Thursday night, his agent, Shayaun Saee, told MLive. Goldin was not taken among the 59 picks in the NBA draft, which wrapped with Thursday’s second round, but found a landing spot just minutes after the draft ended. Many draft experts expected him to be taken late in the second round.
Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to add up to three extra players to their rosters who can be active for up to 50 games in a season. The rest of the player’s time is spent in the G League.
Goldin, a 7-foot-1 center, was a first-team All-Big Ten selection who, in his lone season at Michigan, led the team with 16.6 points per game. The Russian added seven rebounds per game while shooting 61 percent from the field. He followed head coach Dusty May from Florida Atlantic, where he played for three seasons, reaching the 2023 Final Four. Goldin played his freshman year at Texas Tech.
His fellow frontcourt starter last season, Danny Wolf, was drafted No. 27 by the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
Goldin, 24, had an eventful season at Michigan. He got engaged on the Crisler Center court after a game in February. In March, his parents visited from Russia, reconnecting with their son after about five years apart. And his production helped the Wolverines go 27-10, win the Big Ten Tournament, and reach the Sweet 16.
After a slow start to the season, he found his groove once Big Ten play began. He scored a career-high 36 points on just 18 shots in a win at UCLA on Jan. 4 and dropped 31 on Northwestern a couple of weeks later. He posted 23 points and 12 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament second-round win over Texas A&M.
Out of eligibility, he set his sights on the NBA, saying at last month’s combine he didn’t care which team drafted him. “I just want to play in (the) NBA,” Goldin said. “That’s all I want and I’ll take anything.”
Goldin will likely suit up in the NBA’s Summer League. A select group of teams, including the Heat, will begin play on July 5, with all 30 teams convening in Las Vegas for games July 10-20.
Miami went 37-45 last season, the franchise’s worst record in 10 years. The Heat still reached the playoffs, as the 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and got swept in the first round.