Miami Heat: A two-way contract competition is heating up
The Miami Heat lead the league in the number of players signed to deals under Exhibit 10, but which of them will land the available two-way roster spots?
The Miami Heat have a total of six players signed to Exhibit-10 contracts, a number that leads the entire league. Among the players that are signed to this type of deal with the Heat are.
All players signed using Exhibit-10 contracts are eligible to be signed to a two-way contract via conversion, waived in order to be funneled to the G-League as an affiliate player or even less likely, converted to a standard deal. Because of the Heat’s situation of being pressed up against the hard cap, the only way a 15th standard player can be kept is by way of trade, or the highly unlikely release of the impressive Kendrick Nunn.
Here’s an in-depth look at each player auditioning for these two-way spots. A quick note to keep in mind is that all Summer League stats posted are cumulative from the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League
Kyle Alexander
Kyle Alexander spent the 2019 Summer League with the Miami Heat after going undrafted out of Tennessee in the 2019 NBA Draft. Alexander is second all-time on Tennessee’s total blocks list, while he also averaged 7.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game as a member of the Volunteers.
In the Summer League, Alexander finished with averages of 4.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 75% from the charity stripe and finishing +35 across eight Summer League games. Alexander will have to compete against Silva for the lead in a competition for a developmental big man role on a two-way deal, if the Miami Heat even opt to go that route, having nine players that can play the four or five and only six that can play either guard position.
It is an uphill climb for Alexander to even be considered for a two-way deal, but if he is cut, he will likely end up as an affiliate player for the Heat on the G-League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He definitely deserves a spot somewhere and in an example, in the Heat’s Red, White and Pink exhibition game, Alexander posted a respectable nine points, five rebounds and an assist on perfect shooting from the floor.
Daryl Macon
The Heat offered Daryl Macon an Exhibit-10 contract with the hopes that he would compete with Yante Maten for the second two-way contract spot last off-season (after Duncan Robinson). Macon wanted a two-way contract on the table and held out until he received one from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks ended up cutting ties with both of their two-way players over this off-season (Kostas Antetokounmpo and Macon), so it only made sense for the Heat to have interest in bringing him in now that they have both two-way slots open. Macon had an incredibly impressive rookie season in the G-League.
In the G-League last season, Macon posted a strong 19 points, 6.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and one steal per game on a 42.3/33.5/83.5 shooting line. This means he shot 42.3 percent from the field, 33.5 percent from three, and 83.5 percent from the free-throw line.
In wins for the Texas Legends which are the G-League affiliates of the Mavericks, Macon showed his value in posting 22.7 points and 6.6 assists on a 48/43.8/90.8 shooting line in less time on the court than in losses, which shows that the team’s success was pretty reliant on Macon’s skills. In the Heat’s scrimmage, Macon posted seven points, four assists, and three rebounds, while looking extremely flashy and impressive.