Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and assistant coach Chris Quinn look on during the first half of an NBA preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Kaseya Center on October 8, 2025, in Miami. D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com
The end of the Miami Heat’s preseason is near. That means roster cutdown day around the NBA is also near.
After the Heat closes its six-game preseason schedule on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies at Kaseya Center (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun), it will turn its attention to making cuts and setting its roster for the start of the regular season.
The Heat’s roster is currently at the preseason maximum of 21 players, and rosters must be cut to a maximum total of 18 players (15 on standard contracts and three on two-way contracts) by the start of the regular season.
NBA teams have a 5 p.m. deadline on Monday to cut rosters to the regular-season maximum. But most of those moves actually need to be made by 5 p.m. Saturday because of the 48-hour waiver period.
The Heat, which is 0-5 this preseason, opens the regular season on Wednesday against the Magic in Orlando.
Here’s a look at the Heat questions that need to be answered ahead of Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline:
Will forward/center Precious Achiuwa remain on the Heat’s roster for opening night?
While 14 of the 15 spots on Miami’s standard roster appear to be set, there’s some uncertainty whether the Heat will keep a 15th player on a standard contract for the start of the regular season. That 15th player, at the moment, is Achiuwa.
Achiuwa, who was selected by the Heat with the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft before being traded to the Toronto Raptors during the 2021 offseason, signed a nonguaranteed one-year deal to return to Miami on Sept. 24 in the wake of going unsigned for much of this past offseason. His contract, which comes with a $2.3 million cap hit, starts becoming guaranteed on opening night and becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10.
Miami Heat forward Precious Achiuwa (8) attempts a basket during practice drills during camp at Abessino Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton on October 2, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
Achiuwa, 26, adds some much-needed size to the Heat’s roster, joining Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware as the only centers on Miami’s standard roster for this season.
But keeping Achiuwa on the roster past Jan. 10 to guarantee his full salary would push the Heat over the luxury tax — a place Miami does not intend to be this season after finishing as a luxury tax team in each of the past two seasons — if the rest of the current roster remains intact. The Heat has until the end of the regular season to avoid the luxury tax, as it will need to shed some salary to get under the tax threshold if it keeps Achiuwa on its roster beyond Jan. 10.
Or the Heat could waive Achiuwa before the start of the regular season to avoid this issue and remain under the luxury tax line. If the Heat releases Achiuwa and doesn’t sign another free agent to a standard deal to fill his spot, the Heat would enter the season with 14 players on standard contracts — one below the NBA regular-season limit of 15 players on standard deals.
NBA teams are allowed to carry 14 players on standard contracts during the regular season. NBA rules only prohibit teams from carrying fewer than 14 players on its standard roster for more than two consecutive weeks at a time and a total of 28 days during the regular season.
Achiuwa has had an uneven preseason, flashing his versatility and athleticism at times. But he’s also been inconsistent, averaging 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field over his four preseason appearances with the Heat this year.
Among the free agents still available if the Heat decides to replace Achiuwa with another player are Alec Burks, Malik Beasley and Ben Simmons.
Who will get the Heat’s third and final two-way contract?
The four candidates on the Heat’s current preseason roster are forward Dain Dainja, forward Steve Settle III, guard Ethan Thompson and guard Jahmir Young. All four developmental players are signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, that either need to be waived before Saturday’s deadline or promoted to a two-way or standard deal.
Among the four players, the 25-year-old Young has stood out the most in preseason games.
Young, a 6-foot and 185-pound guard, has averaged 9.7 points, two rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range in three appearances this preseason.
Young’s best skill is his scoring ability, as he set a Chicago Bulls summer league record with 37 points in a Las Vegas Summer League game this past offseason.
Young, who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2024, closed last season on a two-way contract with the Bulls before being waived by Chicago in mid-July.
The Heat could also just waive Dainja, Settle, Thompson and Young before the start of the regular season and turn to an outside option to fill its third two-way slot. Even if they are all waived, the hope is that Dainja, Settle, Thompson and Young will spend this season with the Heat’s G League affiliate (the Sioux Falls Skyforce).
Another option is for the Heat to begin the regular season with one empty two-way contract slot.
Only players with fewer than four years of NBA experience are eligible for two-way deals.
Will the Heat keep its current two-way contract players around for the start of the regular season?
Forward Myron Gardner and center Vlad Goldin are the two players who the Heat currently has signed to two-way contracts. But two-way deals can be swapped at any time.
Vladislav Goldin (50), former player at FAU, shoots the ball during the second day of Miami Heat Training Camp on Oct. 1, 2025, at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Gardner (6-foot-5 and 225 pounds) has impressed the Heat in preseason practices and has flashed his two-way ability in preseason games, but he has also struggled to make shots. The 24-year-old Gardner has averaged 6.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and one block per game while shooting 38.2 percent from the field, 3 of 11 (27.3 percent) from three-point range and 4 of 9 (44.4 percent) from the foul line over five preseason appearances with the Heat.
Gardner has spent the last two seasons with the Magic’s G League affiliate after going undrafted in 2023 out of Little Rock. He signed a two-way deal with the Heat in late July after standing out in summer league with Miami.
Goldin (7 feet and 255 pounds) has had a very quiet preseason, totaling just two points on 1-of-2 shooting from the field, five rebounds, one steal and one block in two preseason appearances for the Heat. He has not played in three exhibitions despite being available.
Goldin, 24, went undrafted this year out of Michigan. The Heat signed him to a two-way contract shortly after he went undrafted in June, and he has been working with the Heat ever since.
Two-way contracts, which pay half the NBA rookie minimum and do not count toward the salary cap or luxury tax, allow for players to be on their NBA team’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games with other game action having to come in the G League. Two-way deals do not come with playoff eligibly.