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Miami Heat
Aug 16, 2025 11:06 PM EDT
The Miami Heat executed a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday evening, sending Haywood Highsmith and a 2032 second-round pick to New York in exchange for a protected 2026 second-round pick.
The Heat followed this trade up with another move on Saturday, re-signing 27-year-old guard Dru Smith on a three-year deal. The former Missouri standout has developed within the Miami system as a two-way player over the past few years, overcoming a season-ending ACL tear and a season-ending Achilles tendon tear in each of the last two seasons.
Smith appeared in 14 games for the Heat in 2024-25 before suffering his Achilles tear. In 19.1 minutes per game, the 2021 undrafted free agent averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game — shooting 50.8% from the field and 53.3% from behind the 3-point arc.
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Before his injury this past season, Smith had started to gain the trust of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra as a key depth piece in the Miami rotation.
“When you find guys that just do winning things on both ends of the court, over and over and over — that can be consistent to that. That’s a superpower in this league,” Spoelstra said of Smith back in December. “… He’s kind of the glue that fits. He can make any unit work.”
The Heat experienced a down year in 2024-25. After finishing as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, Spoelstra’s team suffered a first round sweep at the hands of the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
The Heat will tipoff their 2025-26 regular-season schedule with a matchup against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 22.
About the Author
Matt Audilet