What intrigues Heat about new two-way contract player Alondes Williams? And a Kyle Lowry update

Alondes Williams has opened eyes with his high-scoring performances in the G League this season, but it’s the development of other areas of his game that caught the Miami Heat’s attention.

Enough for the Heat to make Williams one of its three two-way contract players. The Heat waived RJ Hampton from his two-way deal to create the opening to sign Williams to a two-way contract on Friday.

“It always feels great to be recognized for your hard work and dedication every day, waking up every morning and going into grind mode with your team,” Williams said after signing his two-way deal with the Heat. “It always feels great to be recognized for what you’ve been doing.”

Williams, a 6-foot-4 guard, has been with the Heat since playing for the organization’s summer league team this past offseason before spending training camp with the Heat and then being waived prior to the season in October.

But Williams remained in the Heat’s developmental program with no promise of an NBA contract, transitioning to the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, S.D. That’s where Williams impressed the Heat with his professional approach and determination to become a better all-around player.

Williams, who went undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2022, has averaged 20 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 37.8 percent on 5.8 three-point attempts per game in 34 G League appearances with the Sioux Falls Skyforce this season.

“I feel like I improved in a lot of areas,” said Williams, who spent part of last season on a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets before joining the Heat’s developmental system this past summer. “Defense, my three-point percentage went up a little bit more, just being more curious about defensive schemes and knowing different things like that.”

Williams, 24, set a new Skyforce franchise-record with 55 points on 21-of-30 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 shooting on threes and 5-of-7 shooting from the foul line in a Jan. 7 win over the Salt Lake City Stars. He also scored 42 points on 25 field-goal attempts in a Nov. 28 win over the Motor City Cruise and 39 points on 21 field-goal attempts in a Feb. 3 win over the Iowa Wolves.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made clear, though, the scoring was not the driving force behind the team’s decision to use one of its two-way contracts on Williams.

“It was more about the overall development,” Spoelstra said ahead of the Heat’s matchup against the Boston Celtics at Kaseya Center on Sunday afternoon. “I think it’s easy to point to some big scoring games. That was really down the list for us. Sure, it’s great that he was able to have those kinds of nights. But it was really about previously playing the role, defending and doing a lot of intangibles and impacting winning while the rest of his game was improving.

“Because even the big scoring nights, he will not play like that or have anywhere near that kind of role. With us, it’s more about all those other things. He earned it, he was extremely coachable, he’s been coachable, he’s had a great positive approach there in Sioux Falls. You’re happy to reward someone like that.”

Among Williams’ qualities the Heat is intrigued by: His size as a 6-foot-4 and 210-pound combo guard combined with NBA-level athleticism, energy, above average passing skills, ability to defend multiple positions and his competitiveness. Among the things that Williams needs to continue to work on is limiting his turnovers, as he’s averaging 4.3 turnovers per game in his last 18 G League appearances with the Skyforce.

Defense, as expected, has been a focus for Williams in the Heat’s developmental system. He said he’s working to become a “Jrue Holiday type” defender with his size and versatility on that end of the court.

“I’m tough and I’m a big guard,” Williams said. “[Holiday] just always knows what players want to do and where they’re going to be at. So I just feel like I know my angles, I’m real physical for a guard and things like that.”

Williams joins Jamal Cain and Cole Swider as the Heat’s three two-way contract players. Two-way contracts allow for players to take part in NBA regular-season games but not playoff games, while preventing them from signing with another NBA team.

For now, though, Williams remains in the G League with the Skyforce and is days away from traveling to Indianapolis for All-Star Weekend after being named a G League All-Star. He also was selected to take part in the Rising Stars Game on Friday.

“I ain’t heard nothing yet,” Williams said when asked if the Heat has told him whether it plans to call on him for some NBA time in the near future. “I’m just really waiting to see what they’re trying to do.”

LOWRY TO THE 76ERS

Veteran guard Kyle Lowry announced Saturday night that he will sign with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers for the rest of the season after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Charlotte Hornets.

Lowry grew up and played high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area. Another connection: 76ers coach Nick Nurse was Lowry’s head coach for three seasons with the Toronto Raptors.

The Heat traded Lowry and a lottery-protected first-round draft pick to the Hornets to acquire guard Terry Rozier on Jan. 23.

Lowry joined the Heat in the 2021 offseason and was in his third season with the organization before being traded to the Hornets last month.

The Heat and 76ers face off in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The 76ers stand in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.