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Miami Heat: Kendrick Nunn making case for role on team next season

By Duncan Smith

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Kendrick Nunn #25 of the Miami Heat steals the ball from Jordan McLaughlin #26 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the closing seconds during the 2019 Summer League at the Cox Pavilion on July 10, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Kendrick Nunn #25 of the Miami Heat steals the ball from Jordan McLaughlin #26 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the closing seconds during the 2019 Summer League at the Cox Pavilion on July 10, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Kendrick Nunn has been a standout for the Miami Heat in the Sacramento and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, and he’s making a case to play a role next season.

If there is one team in the NBA that needs cheap help from an unexpected source next season, it’s the expensive and hard capped-out Miami Heat. Thanks to the acquisition of Jimmy Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers via sign-and-trade, the Heat are severely restricted in how they can acquire players and the amount they can spend to do so.

Enter Kendrick Nunn, who has made a name for himself in a major way in the Sacramento and Las Vegas Summer Leagues so far.

Now, Summer League tends to consist of fairly awful basketball and usually the only thing you can really take from the games is when a player looks overwhelmed and can’t hang, because decent-to-good players are supposed to dominate opposition like they face in Summer League. You can only tell so much from excellent performance, but Nunn has set himself apart nonetheless.

In five games, Nunn is averaging 20.8 points in 31 minutes per game with shooting splits of .468/.389/.947, adding 4.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals. His true shooting percentage has been 60.9 percent so far.

Per Synergy, he’s averaging 1 point per possession (PPP) in 48 pick-and-roll possessions, and he’s scored 69 points on 54 possessions on jump shooting opportunities, and 27 points on 19 catch-and-shoot opportunities.

It’s only five games, and god knows it’s only Summer League, but Nunn really couldn’t be any better so far.

His contract is essentially non-guaranteed hell at this point, with a non-guaranteed $1.416 million salary for next season. $50,000 was guaranteed as of July 1st, $150,000 guaranteed on August 1st, $450,000 guaranteed on opening night and the remainder guarantees on January 10th.

Nunn’s 2020-21 salary is also non-guaranteed with nothing guaranteed until opening night when $300,000 becomes guaranteed, and the remainder of his $1.663 million salary guarantees on January 10th of 2021.

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Players like Kendrick Nunn are already fighting an uphill battle to stay on an NBA roster, assure himself of a role and get his money guaranteed, but the most you can do is excel against the opponents placed in front of you. Nunn has done exactly that so far this summer, and the coaches and executives of the Miami Heat are taking note.

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