If push comes to shove, and the Miami Heat are still scrambling to find a way to fill out their roster heading into training camp, Haywood Highsmith might've just emerged as a legit backup free-agent option.
According to recent reporting, Highsmith is expected to be waived by the Phoenix Suns. Once he clears waivers, which is largely expected, Highsmith will be eligible to test free agency. And that means a potential reunion with the Heat could be on the table.
Would the Heat be interested in circling back to Haywood Highsmith?
A few years ago, Highsmith was considered an up-and-coming bench player for the Heat. Even though his ceiling wasn't as high as some of his peers, Highsmith was well regarded during his time in Miami as a valuable Swiss Army knife type of player.
The Heat traded Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets last summer in what will be remembered as a salary-dump deal. That was back when the Heat was preparing for what would be remembered as a gap season. It didn't make sense for Miami not to explore ways to save money.
However, that is not the plan anymore. After their gap season, the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and are now scrambling to find useful players to stick around him.
Even though Highsmith struggled with injuries all last season, it wouldn't be all that surprising if he emerged onto the Heat's radar. Last season, after being moved to Phoenix, Highsmith appeared in just seven games, in which he averaged five points on 52 percent shooting from the field.
Haywood Highsmith had his best season with the Heat
As a versatile defender and a capable three-point shooter, and partcularly over his last three seasons, Highsmith could be an interesting back-end part of any rotation. Considering the familiarity between the two sides, there's reason to believe that this could be a reunion that could be on the table.
Again, I can't imagine that Highsmith would be a priority over the likes of Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, or even taking a flier on Bradley Beal, but if the Heat do run out of options with the start of training camp closing in, that's when this type of move could make sense.
During his last season with the Heat, Highsmith proved he could be durable (74 games played), embrace an expanded role in the rotation (25 minutes played per game), and be a consistent three-point shooter (38 percent).
The ceiling for Highsmith may not be as high as a signing of DeRozan, Beal, or Thompson, but if the Heat are looking for a player who could fit in the back end of the rotation, Highsmith wouldn't be a bad option. At the very least, it's one option for the Heat to mull over as they look to finalize the year-one roster around Giannis.
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