On the eve of the start of training camp, the Miami Heat have signed Dennis Smith Jr. to an Exhibit 10 contract. Even though Smith Jr. still needs to earn his way to making the team, this opportunity with the Heat is long overdue.
About a year ago, during an episode of the "OGs" podcast, Smith Jr. admitted that the Heat are the one team that he wished he could've played for. He mentioned Bam Adebayo as being a close friend and the fact that Caleb Martin told him he would've been a great fit in the culture and system.
Well, it appears that Smith Jr., at the very least, is going to get a shot to make that dream come true. With an Exhibit 10 contract, he'll certainly have his work cut out for him. This is essentially a training camp tryout.
Dennis Smith Jr. will need to defy the odds to make the Heat's roster
If Smith Jr. is going to make the Heat's roster, he's going to have to beat out Myron Gardner or one of the two-way players. Otherwise, he'll have to be good enough that the Heat feel they can't let him walk out the door, prompting them to sign him to the team's 15th and final standard roster spot.
Whether he can do that at this point in his career remains to be seen, but there are reasons why it could work.
In theory, Smith Jr. would help alleviate some of the Heat's concerns when it comes to both their depth in the backcourt and ball-handling. He could also add some playmaking to the Heat off the bench.
He's never been the most consistent 3-point shooter (30% for his career), but his athleticism and defensive willingness could also fit right in with what the Heat looks for in a backup point guard.
Dennis Smith Jr. would have to beat out Dru Smith
Looking at where the Heat's roster sits, Smith Jr. would have to be absolutely impressive in training camp and pre-season for them to use their 15th roster spot. However, if Smith Jr. does look better than Dru Smith, perhaps there's a chance that Miami would be willing to cut a player like Myron Gardner to make room for him.
I'm not sure how likely that would be, but there has been some speculation that the Heat could potentially make such a move for the right player. That responsibility is now on Smith Jr. Can he make the most of the opportunity?
Even if Smith Jr. doesn't do enough to make the Heat's regular-season roster, it wouldn't be surprising to see Miami add him to their G League squad at some point after training camp.
Add us as a preferred source on Google