Miami Heat are reportedly in talks to bring back former first-round pick Precious Achiuwa. Achiuwa, who was originally drafted by Miami in 2020.
As the Miami Heat explore potential roster changes, the team still has a spot open for one more guaranteed contract.
Precious Achiuwa
Precious Achiuwa
Position: SF
Age: 25
Height: 203 cm
Weight: 102 kg
Birth place: Port Harcourt, Nigeria
One player reportedly under consideration is big man Precious Achiuwa, whose return would mark a reunion with the franchise that originally drafted him.
According to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel, the Heat have been in discussions with Achiuwa about a potential role in their power rotation.
"In this case, the Heat have been in ongoing discussions with Precious Achiuwa, the team’s 2020 first-round pick, about a possible spot in the team’s power rotation, which is particularly limited at center," Winderman wrote.
Miami selected Achiuwa with the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. His time with the Heat was largely uneventful, and he was traded along with Goran Dragic to the Toronto Raptors for Kyle Lowry.
Achiuwa later joined the New York Knicks, where he made a name for himself as an offensive rebounder.
Last season, Achiuwa earned $6 million with the Knicks and posted averages of 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 50.2% from the field over 57 games.
Winderman noted that the limited availability of roster spots around the league and teams’ financial restrictions make him an attractive option.
"Achiuwa is coming off a $6 million salary last season with the Knicks, with few roster spots remaining around the league, as teams have tightened their books due to not only the luxury tax, but also the punitive tax aprons and the hard cap several teams are now operating under," he added.
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