Miami Heat waive Zyon Pullin, sign Summer League standout to 2-way

The Miami Heat have waived Zyon Pullin and signed Josh Christopher to a two-way contract, the team announced Thursday.

Christopher, the winner of the summer league championship MVP, was a key part of the Heat’s run to the Las Vegas summer league title. He averaged 19.3 points, three rebounds, 1.8 assists and two steals per game while shooting 54.1% overall and 52.5% on 3s during Miami’s six-game slate. He scored a team-high 24 points and recorded three steals and two blocks in Monday’s championship game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

That was enough to convince the Heat to sign Christopher to a two-way contract. Christopher, the 6-foot-4 guard with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, was the 24th pick in the 2021 draft by the Houston Rockets. He was waived by the Rockets after two seasons and after brief stints with the Grizzlies and Utah Jazz agreed to join the Heat’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls last season, paving the road for his inclusion on Miami’s summer league team.

Christopher earned the two-way with an all-around strong summer league performance in which he displayed his natural scoring abilities and improved one-on-one defense.

He takes the place of Pullin, who after going undrafted out of Florida agreed to a two-way contract with the Heat. The point guard failed to make an impact in Las Vegas and eventually lost his starting job to another summer-league standout, point guard Isaiah Stevens.

The Heat now have Keshad Johnson, Dru Smith and Christopher as their three two-way players. Despite missing the final three games of summer league with an ankle sprain, Johnson appears to be a lock for one of the two-way spots. Smith, still recovering from an ACL tear, did not participate in summer league.

The Heat might not be done. Even though the team cannot add a 15th player to a standard roster spot without going over the second tax apron, they can swap out their two-way spots at any time. Two-way contracts do not impact the salary cap or luxury tax. 

Among others to impress at summer league who could be offered a two-way spot are Stevens, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams.