ORLANDO —Typically, life of an undrafted rookie free agent can be here today, gone tomorrow. For Miami Heat guard Gabe Madsen, it eventually will be a case of such a reality — squared.
With the difference being that he never left.
Added to the team’s developmental program over the summer, Madsen was waived two weeks ago, ahead of training camp. Now, he’s back, aware that he soon will be released again, all as part of the machinations to funnel him to the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
As part of the cloak-and-dagger of maximizing the offseason roster, Madsen remained in Miami after he initially was released, continuing to work out at Kaseya Center, albeit not allowed on the practice court when Erik Spoelstra’s roster was utilizing the gym.
“I don’t know if I can really say,” Madsen said with a sheepish grin, “but I was still here.”
Such is not unusual at this time of year, even if it has led to a somewhat circuitous NBA initiation for the 24-year-old who played one season at Cincinnati and then four at Utah before going undrafted.
“I’ve just been trying to take this whole experience day by day,” he said, once again on the preseason roster, with the Heat taking on the Orlando Magic on Sunday night at Kia Center before moving on to a Monday night exhibition against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. “It’s kind of like all you can do, especially first year. It’s quite an introduction to pro basketball.
“But that’s been my motto since I left college and even in college. You’ve got to take it day by day. You can’t be like too upset with anything that happens or too high on anything.”
With the Heat at 21 players on their preseason roster, the NBA’s offseason maximum, at least three will have to be cut by the league’s Oct. 20 cutdown deadline.
That figures to have Madsen shuffling off to Sioux Falls.
Unless, of course, he shows he can add the 3-point element that the Heat largely have been missing this preseason, particularly with Tyler Herro sidelined by last month’s ankle surgery.
As for the tag of being a 3-point specialist, Madsen views himself as something more, even as he comes off consecutive seasons with at least 100 3-pointers, a Utes first.
“That’s obviously something that I do well,” the Utes all-time leader in 3-pointers said, “but I think I do a lot of other things, too. But got to fit into a role. I think I’m more athletic than I’m given credit for. So just trying to show that defensively, and also spread the floor.”
The initial goal was to join the Heat immediately after the draft. Instead he first wound up playing summer league for the Golden State Warriors.
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“There were a small group of teams we were interested in, and the Heat always were kind of the top,” Madsen said. “We were in talks with the Heat, but we went to play with the Warriors. That went very well, then we ended up back here.”
And then gone again.
So the Heat went through training camp at Florida Atlantic University and then played their first three exhibitions as Madsen waited for Sunday’s first opportunity in uniform.
“I just got thrown into the first practice a little bit, because obviously no training camp and you can’t replicate that time,” he said. “But I’ve just tried to stay in shape and tried to keep learning, even though you’re not with the team and all that. It’s felt a little bit fast.”
One element that should provide a comfort zone is the eventual shift to South Dakota and time in the Heat’s G League program, having been raised in Wisconsin and then playing his prep ball in Minnesota.
“Utah was not quite as cold as the Midwest, so it will be a little shocking to get back out there,” he said. “but I’m looking forward to it.”
