Miami Heat's Vladislav Goldin: 'I'm Ready For a Standard Contract'

MIAMI, Fla. – As the Miami Heat rested several players from the main cast in a 125-124 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, two-way center Vladislav Golden was among those to take full advantage of the extended opportunity.

The Russian native finished with 18 points on 70 percent shooting, six rebounds, two assists, and a block in 23 minutes off the bench. Golden has experience with the Heat from last season as a two-way rookie. He only appeared in nine games – in blowout wins or losses – garbage time.

Goldin was primarily with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate. He showed remarkable potential: 11.3 points on 60.8 percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 24 games (16 starts). Goldin doesn’t have the experience of being promoted to a standard contract. He was a free agent this summer, but re-signed with the Heat on a two-way deal in mid-July.

While attending the Heat’s Media Day, Goldin is confident in getting a standard contract sooner rather than later.

“I’ll be honest, I’m ready to get that,” he said. “It’s just a question of opportunity.”

The biggest adjustment for Goldin to make himself more established in the league is getting comfortable with the speed of the game. A lot of teams, including the Heat, look to push the ball up and down the court to score against an unset defense. Plus, Goldin has to earn head coach Erik Spoelstra’s trust to carve out consistent rotational minutes. He doesn’t shy away from two-way players.

In the 2022-23 regular season, Spoelstra played Orlando Robinson over veteran Dewayne Dedmon, who was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, then waived immediately. The former two-way big man proved to be impactful. Although Robinson was not converted to a standard contract that season, Spoelstra capitalized on the 50-game eligibility.

Goldin does have a path to a promotion, especially with the Heat’s rich pipeline of developing overlooked talent into impactful role players. A few recent examples are Max Strus, Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith, and Duncan Robinson – all of whom are still in the league. They took an opportunity with the Heat, which led to extended careers.

Before the league, the 25-year-old was an everyday starter for Michigan in the 2024-25 college basketball season. Goldin averaged 16.6 points on 60.7 percent shooting, seven rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 37 games. He’s shown the ability to be a floor spacer.

A path to a promotion won’t come easily, but there’s potential as the Heat still have a standard roster spot open.

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