Haywood Highsmith still has several hurdles to clear before making his Brooklyn Nets debut. After undergoing meniscus surgery in August, the veteran forward has yet to progress to contact drills or five-on-five scrimmages.
“He's in a good place, shows up every day and does his job, is an ultimate pro,” Jordi Fernandez said. “He's on the court with coaches. He hasn't gotten to five-on-five yet or contact. So when he takes these next steps, we'll let you guys know. But he's done a good job. And the most important thing to me is his veteran leadership, and how important he is to the rest of the group, especially the young guys.
The whole group is pretty young, so having somebody like him means a lot to me because that really helps me. He puts his arm around a guy that needs it, but also holds him accountable if he needs to. So, he's doing his job, for sure overall, and that's really good to have.”
The Nets acquired Highsmith this summer alongside a second-round pick as a salary dump from the Miami Heat. He said at media day that he was planning to be ready for the regular-season opener.
Will Haywood Highsmith play for Nets this season?
Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) drives against Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) and center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) during the second quarter at Barclays Center.
John Jones-Imagn Images
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However, Highsmith experienced a setback during his recovery. The Nets announced on Oct. 19 that he would require a modified rehab program and be reevaluated in eight weeks.
Highsmith made 194 appearances with 79 starts over the last three seasons with the Heat. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 37.8 percent from three during that span. Erik Spoelstra spoke about Highsmith's career arc ahead of Thursday's Nets-Heat matchup.
“He initially joined our team during that COVID year when we really only had seven players, and he made enough of an impression on us that we gave everything we had as a staff to develop him. He gave us everything he had. He's carving out a nice role in this league. It shows a lot of perseverance on his part. He had to go through the G League for several years before he even had that opportunity. You just really respect guys that take that kind of journey.”
It's unclear where Highsmith will fit into Brooklyn's rotation once healthy. The Nets are attempting to develop an NBA-record five rookie first-round picks and already have several veterans in their backcourt rotation.
Highsmith is on a $5.6 million expiring contract. The Nets could dangle him in trades before the Feb. 5 deadline.