Heat converts Max Strus to two-way deal.
The Miami Heat’s roster was pretty much set entering training camp, with the regular-season maximum of 15 players already under standard contracts.
But there was one Heat roster spot that remained unfilled: a two-way contract opportunity.
The Heat awarded that open roster spot to wing Max Strus (6-5, 215), announcing Saturday that it had converted his Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract. Strus joins guard Gabe Vincent as the Heat’s two two-way contract players entering Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Magic in Orlando.
According to a source, Strus learned he made the Heat’s regular-season roster as one of its twoway players on Friday night shortly after Miami’s preseason finale victory against the Toronto Raptors.
With Strus’ Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal, the Heat waived wing BJ Johnson to get to the regular-season maximum of 17 players (15 signed to standard contracts and two signed to two-way contracts) in advance of Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
“Getting here has been amazing,” Strus said Thursday of his Heat experience. “Everything you hear about the Heat culture, the Heat way and how they do things here is true. It’s real. It’s everything you want to be a part of. Make sure you do your part in order to get a championship here. Every guy here holds each other accountable.”
The Heat’s roster is now at the regular-season limit of 15 players under standard contracts and two players under two-way contracts: Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Andre Iguodala, Kelly Olynyk, Meyers Leonard, Avery Bradley, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Moe Harkless, Precious Achiuwa, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Udonis Haslem, KZ Okpala, Chris Silva, Vincent (two-way) and Strus (twoway).
The list of former Heat two-way contract players includes Kyle Alexander, Matt Williams Jr., Derrick Walton Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Yante Maten, Robinson and Silva.
Rather than being limited to spending up to 45 days with their NBA teams, two-way players will be allowed to practice with their NBA teams all season and be active for up to 50 of their team’s 72 NBA games during this season amid the roster uncertainty stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s still unknown if Miami’s two-way players would even be able to be sent to the G League this season, as the Miami Herald reported earlier this month that the Heat has decided not to field a team in the G League bubble in suburban Atlanta this year.
Strus’ two-way contract isn’t necessarily surprising, considering he received extended playing time in both of Miami’s preseason games and stood out Friday against the Raptors. Strus, 24, finished the Heat’s preseason finale with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 shooting on threes, and one drawn change in 22 minutes.
Strus, who has impressed Heat teammates and coaches with his shooting ability in practice, finished Monday’s preseason opener with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes.
“You can see he’s ignitable when he hits two or three [threes], much like a few of our guys that can keep on going to four, five and six,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Strus following Friday’s preseason finale. “But he’s not just a shooter. He has also made some pretty good strides in this training camp defensively and can move his feet.”
But shooting is what earned Strus a roster spot with the Heat.
“Every time I pass up a shot, they’re on me in practice,” Strus said. “It’s nice to already have the confidence from the coaching staff telling me to ‘shoot the ball every time you’re open.’ That has been good. For me personally, I just got to work defensively and get better on that end. But mainly been focused on shooting when I’m open and everything like that.”
Before signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami on Nov. 30, Strus split his rookie season between the Chicago Bulls and their G League affiliate. He only appeared in two NBA games with the Bulls last season, but he averaged 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 41.5 percent from the field in 13 games with the Bulls’ GLeague team last year before season-ending injuries last December (a torn ACL and bone bruise to his left knee).
“Anytime you get injured, it’s tough,” Strus said. “Being out for so long, this is my first time playing in a year basically. It’s a year from Monday, I believe, that I tore my
ACL. It’s good to be back. I’m still getting back into things. My body feels great overall. My knees feel awesome and it was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the chance to work on my whole body overall and get back to a conditioning level and body level I want to be at.”
Strus went undrafted out of DePaul in 2019 and ranks among the program’s all-time leaders in several offensive categories despite playing there only two seasons after transferring from Division II Lewis University. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 37.4 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from three-point range and 84.2 percent from the foul line as a senior.
“He’s a solid, solid basketball player,” Dragic said of Strus. “He can shoot the ball. He’s really strong for his position. I see some good stuff from him.”