Miami Heat among contending teams working out first-round forward

The Miami Heat along with several other teams have worked out or plan to work out free agent forward Nassir Little, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.

Among that group are the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. The Athletic also reported that Little will work out for the Sacramento Kings.

The Miami Heat plan to work out Nassir Little, but it's unlikely they will sign him.

Little, 24, has been a free agent since he was waived by the Phoenix Suns last month. He appeared in 45 games last season and averaged 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game. By the end of the season, he was no longer part of the nightly rotation.

The 25th pick in the 2019 draft, Little spent the first three seasons of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before arriving in Phoenix as part of a three-team trade last summer.

The chances of Little earning a roster spot with the Heat seem slim.

With 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Heat have an open roster spot but would cross the second luxury tax apron line by adding a 15th player. The Heat still have open training camp spots and can swap out two-way contracts without impacting the salary cap, but it’s unclear if Little would be willing to accept such a deal.

Similarly, the Celtics have an open roster spot but are operating above the second tax apron.

Little has a better chance of landing with the Warriors or Kings. The Kings have 14 players on the standard roster and 12 fully guaranteed contracts. The Warriors have 15 players on the standard roster but also just 12 on fully guaranteed contracts. It would be much easier for them to sign Little than for a team like the Heat with limited roster and financial flexibility.

Two cents: It’s not surprising that the Heat are working out Little, who has similar physical traits to Caleb Martin, who left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. But it’s also unclear if Little could earn a regular rotation spot.

The Heat plan to backfill Martin’s minutes with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Haywood Highsmith. Despite his physical tools, Little has struggled to make an impact and with his outside shooting (33% for his career from 3) in his five NBA seasons. If the Heat had an open roster, Little could be worth taking a chance on. But he's not worth crossing into second-apron territory.