The Miami Heat, who are certainly knee-deep into offseason happenings with the draft and NBA Free Agency on the horizon as well, already have details emerging about their NBA Summer League proceedings. While you are sure to see some new faces line up for the team from South Florida, there are sure to be some familiar ones as well.
Before going there though, there is something really interesting about how they plan to tip off the summer portion of competition. It will be against the same organization that closed them out of the playoffs—the NBA title runner-up Boston Celtics.
NBA summer league openers in Vegas:
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 20, 2022
Orlando vs. Houston, July 7, 10 p.m. ET
Detroit vs. Portland, July 7, Midnight ET
Midnight madness comes to summer league.
(Heat open their Vegas slate July 9 vs. Celtics)
Back to the faces you might see and though you don’t know exactly who will be on the roster, names like Javonte Smart and Haywood Highsmith are guys to look out for. There is one name that doesn’t seem to be on this least though for Vegas.
One of the Miami Heat’s most valuable phases of the year is set to begin. To open their next quest for a ‘gem’, they tip off Summer League play against the Celtics.
That is Omer Yurtseven, who could seriously use this time in the summer to improve upon his overall NBA defensive tool chest. There is something a bit wanky going on with him there though.
Here is more on the situation from Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
"Heat center Omer Yurtseven is not expected to take part in summer league this year because of obligations with the Turkish national team as it takes part in qualifying tournaments in the coming weeks.The plan is for Yurtseven to be in Las Vegas to work with Heat coaches and practice with the summer league team, but he likely won’t play in games."
So, while The Big Yurt won’t be playing in the games, there is hope to take away from, both, the facts that he will be working with his professional club’s guys to keep developing, while also getting that real live-action play in international competition.
The Miami Heat also have the opportunity to take a guy at number 27 in the coming NBA Draft on Thursday, June 23, so there is a chance you might see that guy there. A “chance” is used here because you never know what the Miami Heat will do with the pick.
They’ll make the best use of it, you can be sure of that. But whoever suits up for them for the NBA Summer League, their first chance to make an impression this summer will be against the team that put the Heat out of the NBA Playoffs.