Former Clemson football and basketball player Ian Schieffelin has officially signed an Exhibit 10 tryout contract with the Miami Heat. Schieffelin spent time with the Heat's summer league team after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.
For those who watched Shieffelin in college and during summer league, this is a very interesting flyer by the Heat.
On the surface, many will look at this move as just another training camp body for the Heat. However, especially with one roster spot open, you can't help but wonder if a versatile (and experienced) player like Schieffelin could make the most of the opportunity.
And, naturally, Schieffelin does share some intriguing similarities to a former undrafted big man who once made the most of his opportunity with the Heat. Udonis Haslem. It's certainly a stretch to compare the two at this point, but the similarities in their build, path to the league, and the way they approach the game are uncanny.
Ian Schieffelin is an intriuging Heat prospect to watch
In five summer league games with the Heat, Schieffelin averaged eight points and four rebounds per game. Admittedly, those aren't necessarily stats that are going to jump off the page. However, it's the intangibles that make Schieffelin a compelling prospect (and one that could seemingly be compared to Haslem).
Haslem was undersized, not considered the best athlete, and needed to undergo a complete body transformation before ultimately being signed by the Heat in 2003. Schieffelin fits that profile almost to a T.
But it goes well beyond that. If there's one thing that caught the Heat's eye with Haslem, it was the intentionality, intensity, and intangibles he approached the game with every night. There's an argument that Schieffelin shares many of those characteristics: high motor, defensive willingness, and a knack for being a "glue guy," whose impact expands well beyond just the box score.
Again, there are still some developmental marks that Schieffelin will have to meet to even enter the conversation of making the Heat's roster, especially with how important this first season is going to be in the Giannis Antetokounmpo era. But with all that said, it wouldn't be all that surprising if Schieffelin did enough to warrant a difficult decision for the Heat.
Maybe it's a bit premature to have the comparison to Haslem conversation, but there are some pretty interesting parallels. At the very least, especially if Schieffelin has a good start to camp, it could be one of the more interesting developmental storylines to watch over the next couple of weeks.
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