Meyers Leonard wants to stick with the Miami Heat beyond this season. The NBA’s finish in Orlando will be his chance to prove his fit.
The Miami Heat have several free agency decisions to make after the season, six to be specific. Among them, is whether or not they’ll retain big man Meyers Leonard.
He’s spent only one season in South Beach but has made for a nice fit next to big man Bam Adebayo. In a Zoom call with reporters on Monday, Leonard made it clear he wants to stay with the Heat beyond this season:
"“When you win, you get paid. And I want to stick around.”"
He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season finishes out in Orlando, but has had a pleasantly surprising resurgence with Miami this year. Leonard spent the previous seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, primarily as a bench contributor.
With the Heat, he’s become a full-time starter.
In all 49 games he suited up for the team he served as their starting center next to Adebayo. Leonard is averaging 6.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while connecting on 43 percent of his shots from deep this year.
He was sidelined for 16 games ahead of the NBA’s shutdown in March, but told reporters he should be ready to go for Miami when they suit up inside the bubble:
"“I feel good. My ankle is strong. Everything has healed correctly.”"
Any sort of injury or lingering issues with his ankle could derail what Leonard hopes will be a hefty contract offer from the Heat this offseason. He’s also hoping to return to his role as starting center next to Adebayo, but told reporters he’ll understand if that’s not the case:
"“We were pretty damn good when Meyers Leonard was on the floor. But I still have to earn that, and I’m OK with that.”"
In the 49 games Leonard was active, Miami was 34-15. Without him, they have gone just 7-9. Standing at 41-24 and the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed, they’ll need a proper boost from the big man when they touch down on the court in Orlando.
As for free agency, Pat Riley will once again be relied on to “get his guy.” If Leonard has a strong showing in the season’s finish and playoffs, he’ll be there at the top of Miami’s radar.
The Miami Heat and Meyers Leonard would likely both prefer to pursue a partnership beyond this season. It’s up to him and his play in the season’s finish to determine the likelihood of that happening. He and the team will travel to Orlando, Florida to finish the year on Tuesday.