Briante Weber was waived by the Charlotte Hornets this week. Is a reunion between him and the Miami Heat a good idea?
Briante Weber, who made an impression with Miami Heat fans during his short tenure, is back on the free agent market.
The Charlotte Hornets waived Weber this week, making the former Heat point guard a free agent. Weber was signed by Miami before the 2015 playoffs, and participated in summer league before ultimately being beaten out by Rodney McGruder for the team’s final roster spot.
He then spent time with the Golden State Warriors and Hornets, where he eventually signed a multi-year contract in March.
However, Charlotte decided to part ways in anticipation of his contract guarantee date.
The Heat don’t have a true backup point guard on the roster and, even though Pat Riley has said the team has enough ball handlers to run the offense when Goran Dragic is on the bench, many wonder if Miami would be better off by signing a reserve point guard.
Read More: Do the Heat need a backup point guard?
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman summed it up nicely in his daily Ask Ira column:
"While Briante is a defensive stopper, there still are questions about his playmaking instincts. That said, what he could provide defensively at the point is unlike what anyone else on this roster provides. But the Heat were well aware that Weber had this guarantee deadline with Charlotte and the Heat still went ahead with the two-way contract for Derrick Walton Jr."
Teams are allowed two two-way contracts this season–used for players who can play in both the developmental league (G-League) and up to 45 games in the NBA–and the Heat used one of those spots on rookie Derrick Walton Jr.
Walton Jr., a four-year player from Michigan, is a true point guard. Though he’s smaller in size, he’s a gamer. He was the leader of a Michigan team that advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament in his final year. He has the playmaking instincts that Weber lacks, and shot 40 percent from 3-point range in college.
The Heat will be able to use Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson as their backup point guards, while James Johnson, Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters will also handle playmaking duties. If Dragic were to get injured, the Heat could call up Walton Jr. for up to 45 games so that they have a true point guard on the roster.
Next: 5 free agents the Heat should target in 2018
If Miami was to sign a reserve point guard, it’s doubtful there would even be playing time for him to begin with. The Heat are fine without a true point guard on the bench. As today’s game continues to favor versatility, I’d say they’re even better off.