Miami Heat: They Could Have The Greatest Summer League Roster… Ever

The Miami Heat are known for getting the absolute most out of their developmental program. They did so without the traditional mechanisms this season, pointing to Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, while they will have them at their disposal in this coming offseason.

The NBA announced on Thursday that Summer League play will resume in Las Vegas on August 8th, after a one-year hiatus. While no further details have been specified, this could be an intriguing time for the Miami Heat organization.

While the Summer League has had several purposes throughout the years, one of them is for teams to not only showcase their first and second year players’ abilities to compete at the professional level, but team scouts also have the opportunity to find hidden talents — as there are a widespread of NBA hopefuls who are looking to make a final spot on an opening night roster.

The Miami Heat didn’t have much of a developmental program in this past season, but they should be back in the coming cycle.

Recently, the Heat have built some competitive teams to represent them in both the Orlando and Las Vegas games. Some notable Summer League standouts for Miami include Bam Adebayo, Okaro White, Rodney McGruder, along with several others.

During their previous Summer League appearance in 2019, the Heat finished with a record of 3-2, while undrafted guard Kendrick Nunn led the team in scoring (25.6 points per game). Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro followed, each averaging over twenty points as well.

In hindsight, this opportunity was extremely vital for all three players, as they each contributed heavily for a impending Miami Finals run. However, the Heat could have a legitimate roster for this upcoming Summer League season.

Expect the lineup to be headlined by eventual sophomore, Precious Achiuwa and recently-signed seven-foot prospect, Omer Yurtseven, along with Max Strus, KZ Okpala, and Gabe Vincent in the backcourt. With plenty of versatility, this lineup will bring shooting, athleticism, finishing, defense, rebounding, hustle, and a ton of highlights.

There’s a great deal of potential and for what could be one of the most talented Summer League rosters in recent memory for Miami. After the NBA canceled Summer League action for the 2021 season, it seemed that several first year players struggled to shoot efficiently early on.

The first and second-overall picks of the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, both seemed to encounter rough starts to their rookie campaigns. That was, prior to eventually becoming the top-two finalists in the NBA Rookie of The Year award discussion, of course.

For years, the Summer League has been a primer for a player’s confidence and while the Heat won’t be hitting the lottery this year, it’s important to understand that this upcoming stretch of games can help tremendously gain experience within their youth.