MIAMI — Amid the major NBA free-agency splashes around the NBA on Monday that included Paul George going to the Philadelphia 76ers, Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks and Chris Paul to the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat sweated through the small stuff.
That included losing veteran point guard Delon Wright to the Milwaukee Bucks and formally announcing the two-way contract of undrafted Florida guard Zyon Pullin, with similar expectations of finalizing a two-way deal with undrafted Arizona forward Keshad Johnson.
Then, in somewhat of an expected twist, the Heat announced that guard Dru Smith is being brought back on a two-way contract. Smith, who won a roster spot in camp last season, was lost to a season-ending knee injury in Cleveland in November, having rehabbed at Kaseya Center since.
The move with Smith means the Heat next have to decide the team’s direction with guard Alondes Williams and forward Cole Swider, who have been extended qualifying contract offers for two-way contracts — two-way spots that no longer appear available.
Teams are limited to three players under two-way contract at any one time.
This will be Smith’s third tenure with the Heat, with the 6-foot-2 guard having gone undrafted out of Missouri in 2021.
Smith, who was previously signed to a two-way contract by the Heat before being converted to a standard contract on October 21, appeared in nine games with the Heat last season, averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.00 steals in 14.5 minutes.
The Heat also moved closer to finalizing their summer-league roster, a squad that opens play this weekend in San Francisco, one that also is expected to include undrafted Colorado State guard Isaiah Stevens and guard Bryson Warren, who last season was with the Heat G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
As for Wright, the news of the day Monday was losing the free-agent veteran to the Bucks on a minimum-scale, one-year, $3.3 million-minimum contract.
Wright, 32, brother of former Heat first-round pick Dorell Wright, joined the Heat Feb. 18 on the buyout market from the Washington Wizards, playing mostly limited minutes off the bench. He did, however, start the Heat’s final game of last season, their Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs.
Wright said he had hoped to return, with the Heat positioned to offer a similar deal to the one he received from the Bucks. Less certain was a commitment to potential playing time. Wright likely will assume the role that former Heat draft pick Patrick Beverley held last season with Milwaukee.
With the possibility of a Wright return now off the board, the Heat could turn to Patty Mills, another veteran point guard who finished last season with the team and is a free agent, or another low-cost veteran option, perhaps even Smith. Smith was waived in favor of Mills in March.
Internally, the focus Monday was on filling out the summer-league roster, with the expected participation of first-round pick Kel’el Ware, the center out of Indiana taken at No. 15, and Pelle Larsson, the Arizona guard taken No. 44.
Pullin, who, like Wright, is a low-turnover playmaker, was named to first-team All-SEC this past season. He appeared in 33 games as a graduate transfer at Florida, averaging 15.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 33.5 minutes, shooting .444 from the field, .449 on 3-pointers and .847 from the line. He set a single season school record 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Teams are limited to 15 players under standard contract during the regular season, plus the three more players on two-way contracts that pay half the standard-contract minimum and do not count against the salary cap.
Teams can carry up to 20 players during the offseason.
The Heat open summer-league training camp this week in San Francisco, where they will play three summer-league games at the California Classic, before moving on to the larger NBA Summer League in Las Vegas starting July 13.
Heat summer-league schedule
(All times Eastern)
California Classic
(San Francisco, Chase Center)
Saturday, 6:30 p.m. vs. Warriors, ESPN
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. vs. Kings (split squad), NBA TV
July 10, 7 p.m. vs. Lakers, ESPN2
NBA Summer League
(Las Vegas, UNLV)
July 13, 6:30 p.m. vs. Celtics NBA TV
July 15, 6 p.m. vs. Thunder, ESPNU
July 17, 3 p.m. vs. Mavericks, ESPN2
July 19, 9 p.m. vs. Raptors, ESPN+
(Plus at least one additional game in Las Vegas, based on results from previous four.)