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Heat sent out the Dru Smith signal, so guard is back as settling summer presence

ira winderman, south florida sun-sentinel
·3 min read
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For all of the high-profile, All-NBA types the Miami Heat have chased over the years, it is Dru Smith who the team appears to have on speed dial.

That again proved to be the case this month, with the Heat summoning the 26-year-old point guard back into the fold to guide the team’s offense during summer league.

For now, it means Smith again is under two-way contract as part of a seemingly no-guarantees relationship with the Heat over the past three years.

“I think it’s because I’m a good fit,” Smith said of consistently being in the team’s thinking. “I think just the way the Heat like to play, the style of basketball they like to play, I think it fits my game well. I think I’m lucky to be here. I’m thankful to have this opportunity again.”

So for the past two weeks when the Heat have needed a settling presence at summer league, the guard who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2021 has been on call, with the Heat’s schedule at the Las Vegas NBA2K24 Summer League continuing with a Friday night game against the summer roster of the Denver Nuggets.

“He’s poised, he’s seasoned, he’s got a lot of basketball under his belt, very competitive basketball at this level under his belt,” said Erik Spoelstra assistant Caron Butler, who is guiding the Heat’s summer roster. “And he understands the flow of the game. He knows the pulse of it, where the ball needs to go.

“He’s always looking for play calls and signs. And that’s a skill in its own right. And we’re just blessed to have him.”

To appreciate Smith’s Heat whirlwind, consider his transaction ledger since going undrafted:

— Signed with Heat on Sept. 10, 2021.

— Waived by Heat on Oct. 15, 2021.

— Signed with Heat on Sept. 20, 2022.

— Heat two-way player conversion option exercised on Oct. 13, 2022.

— Waived by Heat on Nov. 13, 2022.

— Signed two-way contract with Heat on Nov. 25, 2022.

— Waived by Heat on Dec. 11, 2022.

— Signed two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 13, 2023.

— Signed a two-way contract with Heat on July 1, 2023.

“Obviously it’s tough any time that you get cut or get waived,” he said of living on the NBA edge. “Happy to be just getting back to work with this organization.”

Smith was unsure of the reunion until the start of the month, having finished last season on his two-way contract with the Nets.

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“I had a good experience over there. They treated me very well,” he said. “My agent and I were waiting to see if the Nets were going to give me a qualifying offer or not. And then once that didn’t happen, then we were able to start talking to other teams. And obviously we know the system here. We know all the people.”

While a two-way contract means a $560,000 salary for 2023-24, half of the minimum for players on standard contracts, players can be shifted on and off such deals at almost any point. As a matter of perspective, Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart were the Heat two-way players last summer before being replaced on those deals in training camp and then released.

To that end, Smith is living in the moment, the 6-foot-3 guard open to all possibilities, having started each of the Heat’s games this month.

“I think I’m pretty realistic with myself whenever it comes to all these different things,” he said. “So I think I’m optimistic about it. I’m looking forward to whatever all of this season could bring. You never know what opportunities are going to be out there. I know how up and down the season can be.

“Whatever opportunities present themselves down the road with this team, I’m just looking forward to that, as well.”