Veteran wing Tim Hardaway Jr. always hoped to have a chance to play for the Heat someday, and he says it was a “no-brainer” decision to sign a one-year, $6.5MM contract with the team over the summer when the opportunity arose, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Hardaway’s father, Hall of Fame point guard Tim Hardaway Sr., had his jersey retired by the Heat after playing six years for the franchise from 1995-2000. The younger Hardaway spent most of his childhood in Miami, Chiang notes, and is happy to be back in a place he considers home.
“It’s awesome,” Hardaway Jr. said. “I don’t have to pack up a lot of my stuff anymore to go back to my respected city that I would have to play for. I get to sleep in my own bed. I don’t have to worry about getting my dogs acclimated to the new kennels and all that stuff in new cities. And it’s familiar faces that I’ve seen since my dad got traded here. So for the most part, that’s what matters most to me. Familiarity and comfortability.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
Although the Mavericks have rebuffed trade inquiries on Kyrie Irving this offseason, rival teams continue to keep an eye on the situation and are curious to see whether Dallas will change its stance before February’s trade deadline, Marc Stein reported in late August. The Heat are one team that has been looselylinked to the nine-time All-Star, though he isn’t viewed as a realistic trade target for Miami at this point. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explores why Irving’s name keeps popping up in connection to the Heat, noting that the 34-year-old would seemingly be an excellent on-court fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. However, Winderman reiterates that the Heat likely don’t have the type of contracts or draft assets that would appeal to the Mavs.
The Heat signed and waived former lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. on Thursday night so he could earn a bonus for playing for their G League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Head coach Erik Spoelstra talked about the transactions after Friday’s practice, according to Winderman. “We like Dennis,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously, we’ve invested in his development. We think he also helps our development in Sioux Falls with the guys, having a quarterback there that’s experienced. But we know that he still wants to get back in the league, and we want to try to help. We hope it really can be a symbiotic relationship, where he’s helping us develop the young guys by playing the right way and setting guys up and making the game easier for them. Hopefully, we can make his dream happen, as well.”
In a mailbag, Winderman considers what type of role Myron Gardner might have this season and wonders whether the Heat will take a longer look at Nick Richards during preseason after the 28-year-old center averaged just 12.5 minutes per game in his first two exhibition contests. Gardner’s salary is partially guaranteed for $500K, while Richards’ veteran’s minimum deal is currently non-guaranteed but will be fully guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster.