On this week’s Heat Check: Is it time to worry after the Miami Heat’s rough preseason? By Pierre Taylor
While a former Miami Heat first-round pick didn’t make the final cut, an undrafted guard did.
Along with waiving former first-round pick Precious Achiuwa from his non-guaranteed standard deal on Saturday just days away from the start of the regular season, the Heat converted undrafted guard Jahmir Young’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal.
The Heat is now at the league maximum of three two-way contract players with Young, forward Myron Gardner, center Vlad Goldin signed to such deals
“I was with my agent,” Young said of finding out about his new two-way contract late Friday night after the Heat’s preseason finale loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Miami. “We went out to dinner and he just broke it to me. My emotions, of course I’m happy. I called my mom right away. But yeah, just glad and thankful for the opportunity.”
Young, 25, was rewarded for a solid preseason with the Heat. He averaged nine points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 18.8 minutes per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 4 of 8 (50 percent) from three-point range in four appearances this preseason.
Young was initially signed by the Heat on Sept. 11 to an Exhibit 10 contract before being promoted to a two-way deal on Saturday.
As a 6-foot lefty, Young has been labeled by some as the G League’s Jalen Brunson because of some similarities in their games.
“He’s got a good way about him,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Young after practice Sunday ahead of Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Magic in Orlando. “I mean, he’s an experienced player. He knows what his game is. But that speed and quickness with the ball, his ability to get in the paint, ability to knock down threes is unique. He had a really good year last year. And then in practice, when we had him in that third unit, drilling against him and kind of letting him do his thing, he was a tough guy to corral.”
Jahmir Young of the Miami Heat drives to the net against Jericho Sims #00 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Kaseya Center on October 06, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Carmen Mandato Getty Images
Young, who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2024, is known for his scoring ability. He set a Chicago Bulls summer league record with 37 points in a Las Vegas Summer League game this past offseason.
Young closed last season on a two-way contract with the Bulls before being waived by Chicago in mid-July.
“It’s unfortunate just knowing how hard I worked, especially the [summer league] performance that I had,” Young said of being released by the Bulls a few months ago. “But just being prepared for anything in this business, knowing that it’s a business at the end of the day. The organization is going to do what’s best for them. So for me, just staying ready and just keeping my head down and working is what I focus on.”
Young appeared in 43 total G League games last season, averaging 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, seven assists and 1.9 steals per appearance while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three-point range and 81.9 percent from the foul line. That was enough to earn him a spot on last season’s NBA G League All-Rookie Team.
Young also appeared in six NBA games with the Bulls as a rookie last season, totaling 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, 1-of-2 shooting on threes and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, three rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes.
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 can be swapped out at any time and do not come with playoff eligibility.
As for Achiuwa, he was released by the Heat on Saturday before his contract started to become guaranteed on opening night.
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.
The release of the 26-year-old Achiuwa comes after his quiet preseason, as he averaged 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field over his four exhibition appearances with the Heat this year. He did not play in the Heat’s preseason finale on Friday.
By waiving Achiuwa before the start of the regular season, the Heat falls back under the luxury tax threshold. The Heat is now $1.6 million below the luxury tax line.
This is important because the Heat does not intend to cross the luxury-tax threshold this season unless it’s to add an All-Star talent. After finishing as a luxury tax team in each of the past two seasons, the Heat wants to stay out of the luxury tax this season in order to avoid the onerous repeater tax that’s triggered when a team crosses the luxury-tax threshold in four straight seasons or four times during a five-season period.
“It is tough, especially because we spent time with him four years ago, it felt like we wanted to keep that going,” Spoelstra said of the Heat’s decision to cut Achiuwa. “But that’s just where we are right now with the roster. We’ll have to see what happens in the future.”
Following the release of Achiuwa, the Heat’s roster is down to 14 players on standard contracts — one below the NBA regular-season limit of 15 players on standard deals.
The 14 players on track to enter this regular season signed by the Heat to standard contracts are Bam Adebayo, Simone Fontecchio, Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Keshad Johnson, Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Terry Rozier, Dru Smith, Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins.
The Heat is now in position to sign a player to fill that empty 15th spot on its standard roster for the rest of the regular season in early December without crossing the luxury tax line.
The Heat also waived guard Ethan Thompson, center Dain Dainja and guard Bez Mbeng from their Exhibit 10 contracts on Saturday, with the intention of transitioning them to its G League affiliate (the Sioux Falls Skyforce) this season to continue developing them.
“It’s harder to stay than to be here,” Young said of his mentality after getting a two-way contract from the Heat. “So for me, just every day, just being my best self, being 100 percent and helping the team.
“Just being in an organization that works on player development, really works on guys. It’s amazing. It just gives me life. Just shows that I have to keep working.”