Miami Heat Center Earns Fully Guaranteed Contract

After a long and active offseason, the Miami Heat's season officially kicks off Wednesday evening as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves. The most notable move this offseason for Miami was the addition of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as part of one of the biggest blockbuster deals of the decade thus far. Miami also added a bunch of veterans in subsequent moves to help build out the depth. One signing, in particular, was made to help the frontcourt situation. The Heat signed longtime backup center Nick Richards to a non-guaranteed contract in August. Over the years, he has been one of those players who many expected to take a leap but never did. With that said, he has been a solid rebounder off the bench for his entire career.

The Heat had until Monday evening to reduce their roster to the 15-player standard contract limit and Richards has officially made the standard roster. The 28-year-old big man will earn $3 million on his minimum-salary contract, while Miami carries a cap hit of $2.45 million.

The non-guaranteed nature of his contract did not exactly boost his chances of securing the backup center spot, especially with the Heat also acquiring Bobby Portis in the blockbuster Milwaukee deal earlier this summer as the veteran has played center minutes as well in the past. Vladislav Goldin is another player who has been publicly advocating for a standard roster spot. If Goldin plays well in his appearances, there is a scenario where the team opts to deal Richards due to the fact he is on an expiring contract. Still, Richards has plenty of experience and performed well enough in training camp to secure the role before the regular season.

Last season, the Heat ranked fourth in the NBA with an average of 46.3 rebounds and posted a total rebounding percentage of 49.9 percent. Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Norman Powell each averaged more than three rebounds per game. However, Ware and Jaquez were dealt to Milwaukee in the blockbuster Antetokounmpo trade, while Powell joined the Chicago Bulls in free agency. Their departures create a void on the boards, but with Antetokounmpo, Portis and Richards joining the roster, the team could once again find themselves near the top of the league in total rebounds.

In the final preseason game, Richards nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds and three assists in just 18 minutes while even knocking down a three-point shot. Aside from Goldin as a two-way player and a few minutes from Portis, there isn't much competition for backup minutes in the frontcourt. If the Heat remain cautious about overworking their stars, especially early in the season, Richards could come close to receiving 15-17 minutes per game.