MIAMI — The big picture has presented the biggest questions, with the primary components of the Miami Heat creating ample concerns amid this winless preseason.
For the next few days, though, the focus will turn to the bottom of the preseason roster, with the Heat required to make cuts by Saturday’s 5 p.m. NBA waiver deadline.
That could make Friday night’s exhibition finale against the Memphis Grizzlies at Kaseya Center somewhat of a make or break for the roster’s longshots.
“We have a history of guys that didn’t play early on in the preseason all the way to the last game, and then made an impression on us, and then made a career with us,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But we’ll have to just continue to forge ahead and see if we can create a few more of those moments.”
Typically, Spoelstra does not play his rotation players in preseason finales. Last year, the Heat did not even travel Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson or Alec Burks to the preseason final in Memphis.
But even a 15-point outing that night in a five-point Heat victory did not prevent Nassir Little from being waived the next day.
This time around, there has been little of note from the bottom of the Heat roster this preseason.
As it is, the Heat have only two players on two-way contracts, one shy of the league maximum. Further, although on a two-way contract, guard Myron Gardner has only a $5,300 guarantee on his contract, well short of the maximum $85,300 allowed. And while center Vlad Goldin has the full $85,300 guarantee in place, he does not have the additional opening-night guarantee that is allowed up to $318,000.
That makes it possible that neither Gardner nor Goldin move forward on their two-way deals, which can be swapped out any time until midseason, with no hit against the salary cap. Instead, it is possible the Heat comb the waiver wire in coming days for more efficient two-way options.
Among the Heat’s options could be securing a big man on a two-way contract who could round out the power rotation, therefore opening the possibility of waiving veteran big man Precious Achiuwa.
By waiving Achiuwa by Saturday’s deadline, the Heat would move back below the punitive NBA luxury tax, a threshold that was crossed on the eve of camp when Achiuwa was signed to his minimum-scale contract.
To this point, none of the players on tryout or two-way deals have popped, nothing along the lines of a Duncan Robinson or Tyler Johnson in previous years making a preseason statement, or even the noteworthy contributions of tryout hopeful Isaiah Stevens last year.
Myron Gardner: The guard signed away from the Orlando Magic’s G League affiliate to a two-way deal had moments both good and bad at the end of Monday night’s overtime road loss to the Atlanta Hawks. But at .382 from the field, including .273 on 3-pointers, it’s not as if his miscues have been overcome.
Vlad Goldin: Undrafted out of Michigan and immediately signed to a two-way contract, the massive 7-footer has proven largely immobile at this level, exposed at the end of Monday’s loss in Atlanta. Working in his favor is his low cost and the lack of other bulky interior options on a team with significant rebounding concerns.
Ethan Thompson: Among the first Exhibit 10 tryout players added in the offseason, the former component of the Magic’s G League roster has shown an ability to string together baskets, but what can’t be overlooked is the .188 on 3-pointers.
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Dain Dainja: This could be an interesting one, with the undrafted big man out of Memphis arguably more NBA-ready at this stage than Goldin. Still, he likely is too raw to wind up anywhere other than the G League.
Jahmir Young: Signed to a tryout deal after playing with the Chicago Bulls’ G League affiliate, Young arguably has shown as much offensive ability as any of the Exhibit 10 players on the roster, with a 9.7 preseason scoring average and at 50% on his 3-pointers
Gabe Madsen: Here last week, gone Tuesday. Such is the life of a 3-point shooter who went undrafted out of Utah and now gets to show with the Sioux Falls Skyforce whether he can be a marksman of the future.
Trevor Keels: Waived last week to allow the Heat to maneuver Madsen to their G League affiliate, the former Knicks G League prospect failed to maximize the extended minutes granted earlier in the preseason.
Steve Settle III: The undrafted Temple forward likely will make his Heat debut Friday. Then the Heat summer-league prospect will be waived Saturday.
