After a tumultuous season that included a dramatic end to the Jimmy Butler Saga, a below .500 finish and a first-round exit from the playoffs, the Miami Heat elected to lie low and not pursue a big free agent this summer.
Instead, Pat Riley and the Heat brass chose to focus on the support around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. They signed Norman Powell — who is coming off a career-high scoring season — extended Davion Mitchell and added Simone Fontecchio.
However, Miami also lost support. Duncan Robinson departed for Detroit in a sign-and-trade deal that brought Fontecchio to South Florida, and Kevin Love and Alec Burks are gone following Butler’s departure. Now, another decision is under scrutiny.
To dump salary, Miami chose to trade Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets for a second-round pick in August, drawing criticism from former NBA executive and current columnist of The Athletic John Hollinger.
“I didn’t understand why Miami did this deal, or why the Heat felt the urgency to do it in late summer rather than during the season,” Hollinger wrote. “The Heat gave up a future second-round pick to drop Haywood Highsmith’s $5.5 million contract on the Brooklyn Nets, which gets Miami out of the luxury tax. However, here’s the thing: Highsmith wasn’t dead money. He’s a valuable player, and an offseason meniscus injury still had him on track to return to the court this fall.”
“Even with Highsmith on the books, the Heat were only going to be $3 million into the tax with all 15 roster spots filled — a completely manageable number if they wanted to get under in-season. The Heat could have that number below $1 million if they had declined Keshad Johnson’s option and brought him back on a two-way deal.”
In his fourth season with the Heat, Highsmith, 28, averaged career highs in games played (74) game started (42) and points per game (6.5). He is set to make $5.6 million next season.
“The biggest reason I disagree with the price Miami paid can likely be found when Brooklyn moves Highsmith for draft equity at the trade deadline,” Hollinger added. “He had positive value on that contract and likely could have brought back a second-round pick. Instead, Miami gave one up to get rid of him.”
After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft. Through a local tryout, he earned a spot on the Delaware Blue Coats roster, the G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. Highsmith made his NBA debut with the 76ers after signing a two-way contract with the organization in January 2019. He appeared in five games with Philadelphia before he was waived on June 24, 2019.
Highsmith would make multiple returns to the Blue Coats, as well as an overseas stint with the Crailsheim Merlins of Germany before signing a 10-day contract with the Heat in 2021 via the hardship exemption.