The Miami Heat liked what they saw during Summer League.
The Miami Heat may have missed out on a Summer League championship, but plenty of good came out of the team’s run this year.
For starters, Derrick Jones Jr. shined bright, confirming that the front office made a great decision on signing him to a two-year contract. Then there was Bam Adebayo, who showcased a whole new set of ball-handling skills that proved the rookie is far from hitting his ceiling.
And Duncan Robinson, who shot 3’s so effortlessly that he earned himself a two-way deal.
He wasn’t the only one that received an offer though; Miami has extended exhibit 10 contracts to both Daryl Macon and Yante Maten. An exhibit 10 contract guarantees $50,000 whether or not a player ends up making the team (as opposed to the $35,000 earned with the Sioux Falls Skyforce or $700,000 with the Heat).
During the California Classic, Macon averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in two games, while he averaged 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists over five games in Vegas.
It was how well-rounded of a player the guard appeared to be, that impressed members of management.
"“He’s gifted as far as his athleticism, his length and quickness and his ability to shoot,” said Chet Kammer, vice president of player personnel. “He’s an 87 percent career free throw shooter. Not many college guys shoot the ball that well from the line.”"
Despite his obvious hard work and dedication, his journey hasn’t been an easy one.
It was only after spending two years at Holmes Community College that Macon really put himself on the map, completing his college career at Arkansas. There, he averaged 15.1 points and 3.1 assists, shooting 45 percent from the field (and 40.5 percent from downtown). He was named SEC Player of the Week on multiple occasions (the first Arkansas player to do so at least four times) and eventually earned a spot on the All-SEC First Team.
Miami’s offer isn’t his only one though. He currently has exhibit 10 ones from four NBA teams, as well as from teams in Belgium, Italy, Korea and Spain. And while he’s aware of just how tremendous the Heat’s player development staff is, financially, Korea is looking like his best bet (with a guaranteed salary of $225,000).
Maten, who averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in two Sacramento contests, and 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in five Las Vegas matchups, has progressed somewhat slower, but still has shown flashes of versatility and high basketball IQ.
"“We saw him play in the SEC and he was Player of the Year [as a senior],” said Kammerer. “He’s been a solid player over his career at Georgia and had some individual highs over the course of his career.”"
The forward broke out during his junior year, averaging 18.2 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, being named to the All-SEC First Team and earning a spot as a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the nation’s top center (after starting out on the watch list for Karl Malone‘s top power forward award). He declared his eligibility for the 2017 NBA Draft, but ended up heading back to Georgia for one more year.
The question now is, where will Maten end up next?
Although it’s unclear if either player will ever end up with a Heat roster spot, having them on Miami’s Summer League team goes to show just how good at recognizing talent the organization really is.
Next: Miami Heat: 3 questions from two weeks of free agency
Nothing like the Miami Heat having their eyes on the prize.