Heat expected to fill open roster spot by adding guard Delon Wright. How can Wright help?
It appears the Miami Heat will use its one open roster spot to add depth at guard.
The Heat is expected to sign veteran guard Delon Wright once he clears waivers following his buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards, a league source confirmed on Friday. With Wright agreeing to a buyout on Friday, he’s on track to clear waivers on Sunday during the middle of the week-long NBA All-Star break.
A Heat viewing guide for All-Star Weekend. Adebayo, Jaquez, Swider, Williams all representing
The Heat can either use a minimum contract or all/part of the $5 million taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Wright for the rest of the season.
Because of the Heat’s current salary cap situation, it’s unable to sign free agents during this season who have a pre-waiver salary of more than $12.4 million. But Wright is 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 from three-point range in 33 appearances for the Wizards this season. He was used by Washington in a bench role, averaging 13.8 minutes per game.
Like most of the Heat’s guards, Wright (6-5 and 185 pounds) brings versatility to the position as a player who can be used on and off the ball. He has totaled 82 assists to just 11 turnovers this season.
Wright is not a high-volume three-point shooter, averaging just 1.2 three-point attempts per game in his limited playing time this season. He has never averaged more than 2.7 three-point attempts per game in a season during his NBA career.
Most of Wright’s shots this season have come from inside the paint, as 56.6 percent of his shot attempts have come from that area of the court. But he has shot an inefficient 43.5 percent from inside the paint this season.
Wright’s best work comes 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 eventual signing will help bolster an injured Heat backcourt. In addition to Heat guard Dru Smith being out for the rest of the season following knee surgery, guards Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson also sustained injuries last week.
The hope is Rozier will be back soon after the All-Star break after spraining his right knee, but the timeline for Richardson’s return remains unclear. Richardson suffered a dislocated right shoulder and he’s expected to be re-evaluated in a few weeks.
While Wright won’t be expected to play heavy minutes for the Heat when the roster is close to full health, he’s a quality depth piece at the back end of the roster who can contribute on both ends of the court when needed.
The addition of Wright will also give the Heat a full 15-man roster of standard contracts, which allows for the team’s three two-way contract players to be on Miami’s active roster for the maximum amount of games. That’s because teams that carry fewer than 15 players on standard deals can only have their three two-way contract players active for no more than 90 regular-season NBA games combined.
By adding a 15th player, that limit will immediately jump from 90 to 150 combined games for Heat two-way contract players Jamal Cain, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams.
Wright, who is in his ninth NBA season, comes with a Heat connection, too. His 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.
The signing of Wright will add to the Heat’s luxury tax bill. The Heat was already on track to face a luxury tax bill of $13.9 million at the end of the season and that number will grow after Wright’s addition.
The Heat was also active in the buyout market last season, adding veteran forward Kevin Love last February when he agreed to a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Heat also signed free agent center Cody Zeller during last season’s All-Star break in a pair of moves that strengthened its frontcourt at the time.
With the NBA now 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 Feb. 23 against the Pelicans in New Orleans.
