Heat announces signing of guard Delon Wright, using pro-rated minimum to add him
The Miami Heat’s roster is officially full.
The Heat formally announced the signing of guard Delon Wright on Sunday. Wright’s signing was expected for the last two days after he agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards to become a free agent on Friday, but he needed to clear waivers before the Heat could sign him.
With the addition of Wright, the Heat’s roster is now at the NBA maximum of 15 players on standard contracts. The Heat is also carrying the NBA maximum of three two-way contract players.
If the Heat wants to make another addition to its roster, it would need to release a player to make room. With the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline in the past, the Heat can only add players through free agency for the rest of the season.
The Heat used a pro-rated minimum contract to sign Wright for the rest of the season, not the larger taxpayer mid-level exception, according to a league source. The pro-rated minimum contract is worth about $947,000 and it comes with a cap hit of $662,000.
Even after Wright’s signing, the Heat remains below the newly-instituted second apron. But the Heat faces a luxury tax bill that grew to about $15 million following the addition of Wright.
Because of the Heat’s current salary cap situation, it’s unable to sign free agents this season who have a pre-waiver salary of more than $12.4 million. But Wright was eligible to sign with the Heat because he was on a salary of $8.2 million this season before the buyout.
Wright, 31, averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent on 1.2 three-point attempts per game in 33 appearances for the Wizards this season before his buyout. He was used by Washington in a bench role, averaging 13.8 minutes per game.
One of the most impressive stats Wright (6-5 and 185 pounds) has produced so far in his ninth NBA season is his 82 total assists to just 11 total turnovers.
But Wright’s best work has come on the defensive end behind his knack for forcing turnovers, averaging a career-high 2.8 steals per 36 minutes this season. Among those who have played in at least 20 games this season, Wright has averaged the sixth-most deflections per 36 minutes this season at 4.6.
Wright’s signing will help provide much-needed depth for the Heat at an injury-depleted position. In addition to Heat guard Dru Smith being out for the rest of the season following knee surgery, guards Terry Rozier (sprained right knee) and Josh Richardson (dislocated right shoulder) also sustained injuries last week and missed the final two games before the break.
Wright’s older brother, Dorell Wright, was picked by the Heat in the first round of the 2004 draft and spent the first six seasons of his NBA career with the Heat.
Wright will wear No. 4 with the Heat.
With the NBA in the middle of this season’s All-Star break, the Heat is off until returning to practice on Thursday in Miami and resuming its schedule on Friday against the Pelicans in New Orleans.
