There were no guarantees when Heywood Highsmith reported for summer-league duty with the Miami Heat in San Francisco last week. Now, there is an investment.
Without a move by the team by Friday’s deadline, Highsmith was guaranteed $50,000 for his $1.8 million 2022-23 salary.
Added by the Heat amidst the team’s COVID breakout in December and then brought back in February for the balance of the season, Highsmith is with the team’s roster for the summer league in San Francisco and Las Vegas this month.
His next guaranteed date is the opening night of the regular season, when he will be guaranteed an additional $400,000 in salary.
Having previously spent time at 6ft 6 with the Philadelphia 76ers and his G League colleague, Highsmith, is being tested as an undersized power forward.
For now, he is letting the financial aspects take care of itself, as he works toward roster spots, advising young players on the team’s summer roster.
“To be honest, I don’t really circle those days,” said the 25-year-old, who dropped out of Division II Wheeling (W. VA) University. “I just work out. I don’t worry about things like that.
“As long as I’m working, working and showing what I can do and doing what I can control, it’s going to work in itself. That’s why I don’t sit here saying it. , ‘Oh, it’s a guarantee day if I pass this date.’ I’ll keep working.”
Highsmith and Omar Yurtseven, who will join the Heat for the Las Vegas portion of the July schedule, are the only Giants under contract on the Heat’s summer roster.
Highsmith was in the Heat’s starting lineup for Saturday’s summer league opener at the California Classic against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center, along with Heat two-way players Javonette Smart and Mychal Mulder, as well as Nikola Jovic and Undraft in the first round. Free-Agent Center Orlando Robinson.
Brother’s love
Soon after Cody Martin agreed to stay with the Charlotte Hornets for a four-year, $32 million free-agent contract, then Heat forward Caleb Martin, his twin brother, posted dollar-sign emoji as congratulations on Saturday. .
Caleb Martin remains a restricted free agent in the wake of the Heat extending a qualifying offer of $2.1 million for 2022-23, which allows him to match outside offers up to a mid-level exception of $10.3 million .
Depending on the Heat’s preference for avoiding the NBA hard cap, the Heat will most likely end up with a $6.5 million taxpayer mid-level with Martin on a maximum three-year, $20.4 million contract.
Caleb Martin insisted after the season that his priority was to remain with the Heat, who upgraded him from a two-way contract to a standard deal this past season.
Caleb Martin will acquire the bird rights with the Heat if he remains on the team for one more season.
A proposal
With the Heat and Phoenix Suns among Kevin Durant’s favorite landing spots amid his recent trade request to the Brooklyn Nets, former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger offered a one-piece Heat permutation to the Athletic.
“How about one where Miami sends [Bam] Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, two unsecured firsts (2023 and 2028) and three pick swaps for Durant (2024, 2027 and 2029), [Ben] Simmons and Seth Curry?” offered Hollinger.
He continued, “It still seems difficult. The Heat may argue that they do not need to include that much draft equity, and will certainly look for scenarios to avoid including Adebayo. Since Those scenarios basically don’t exist, it could be a conversation-ending one. Even if it didn’t, Simmons would have become the kind of person the Heat would have to rely on — oh — and their Wouldn’t have a center. But he would have Kevin Durant.”
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