The Miami Heat have signed Omer Yurtseven to a two-year contract, according to Bobby Marks. The deal is a standard NBA contract worth $3.5 million.
This means that Yurtseven will be on the main NBA roster next season. He will have a chance to prove that he belongs in the league.
Yurtseven has been dominating the competition in the Summer League thus far. In Miami’s two games, he has averaged 26.0 points and 13.5 rebounds.
With the signing, the Heat now have a few big men options up front. What does the Yurtseven deal mean for the Miami Heat this season?
What the Omer Yurtseven signing means for the Miami Heat: More young talent
The Miami Heat are built to win right now, and signing players such as Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker displays that. However, they also have a second timeline to worry about.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are still very young players. Adding Yurtseven to that young core only helps Miami’s future endeavors.
Yurtseven just turned 23 years old on June 19, so he still has a long career ahead of him. The Miami Heat locked him up for two years, but if he proves to be a quality NBA player, they could extend him for even longer.
Having young talent to pair alongside Adebayo and Herro moving forward is essential. As great as Butler and Lowry are, they are nearing the end of their primes.
While it should not be their top priority to find young talent right now, it’s always nice to stumble upon a great young player. The Miami Heat may have found another gem in Yurtseven.
What the Omer Yurtseven signing means for the Miami Heat: More shooting
The Miami Heat were an awful team last year when it came to shooting threes. They finished in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage.
Adding a player like Yurtseven could seriously improve their ability to shoot from range. He’s a big man who can stretch the floor, which is always a great thing in the NBA.
Ever since Kelly Olynyk got traded, the Heat have been lacking a stretch big man. Yurtseven could bring that skill back to the team.
Through the first two Summer League games, Yurtseven has shot 45.5% from three-point range (5-11). He’s not only a great inside scorer, but he can drain shots from deep.
Yurtseven isn’t exactly quick enough to play the four next to Bam Adebayo, but having someone who can space the floor on the roster is super important.
Even if it isn’t in the cards for him to start, just having him around is great. He can be put into the game when Miami needs some extra shooting out on the floor.
As of now, he’s the only center on the roster who can shoot threes. In today’s NBA, that’s a very important skill to have.
Yurtseven is only 23 years old, so his shooting should only improve from where it is right now. Hopefully one day he can be a consistent rotational piece so the Heat can mix in some floor spacing at the five.
What the Omer Yurtseven signing means for the Miami Heat: Competition for the backup center position
The Miami Heat re-signed Dewayne Dedmon this offseason to a one-year deal. They brought him on board to back up Bam Adebayo.
However, with Yurtseven now in the mix, Dedmon could have some competition coming his way. At only 23 years old, he could make a serious case to steal that role out from under Dedmon.
As previously mentioned, Yurtseven provides a skill that no other center on the roster can – shooting. Having that option off the bench would help out Miami’s offense a ton.
Dedmon was great last year during his time with the Heat. He’s a veteran who shoots the ball efficiently and knows how to play his role.
However, if Erik Spoelstra likes what he sees out of Yurtseven, he might choose to play him over Dedmon. Yurtseven has the potential to be a gamechanger on the offensive end.
His wide array of post moves and ability to stretch the floor could open up a ton of opportunities for Miami on offense. Those are things that Dedmon just can’t do.
It will be interesting to see how the rotation shakes out, and Dedmon will most likely start the year as the go-to backup center. That being said, Yurtseven could make a serious case to be the full-time backup center for the Miami Heat