South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Gone from Miami but doing fine
Several former Heat players still drawing NBA paychecks
MILWAUKEE — You would think there would be more, but the NBA’s season-opening rosters feature only 11 former Miami Heat players playing elsewhere.
The total does not include those who passed through Heat camp over the years, such as Patrick Beverley, Garrett Temple and Khem Birch, or even through the Heat’s transaction wire, such as Maurice Harkless this offseason.
Perhaps it’s a testament to the Heat’s ability to find keepers. Perhaps it’s a reality of castoffs with limited potential.
Several of those in the Heat’s past tense will be in playing roles for contenders, with others merely hanging on.
A ranking of former Heat players elsewhere this season:
1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers:
LeBron not only is back in championship contention, but he is adding to the debate about his best running mates now that Anthony Davis is alongside him.
The next question is whether he can match the two championships won with the Heat (2012, ‘13) elsewhere, having also won one with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It can be argued that LeBron has never been the same two-way player he was for the Heat. Of course it also can be argued that he now is five years older than when he left the Heat.
He’s still a top-10 player, as he showed with his 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds Friday against the Utah Jazz. But top five?
2. Josh Richardson, Philadelphia 76ers:
The 76ers came out of the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade just fine, perhaps with the ultimate complementary player to the one-two of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons (or Big Three, depending on what you make of Tobias Harris).
Richardson was the selection of 76ers coach Brett Brown to ring the ceremonial locker-room Liberty Bell after the seasonopening victory over the Boston Celtics, likely the first of many performances for the musically oriented wing.
3. Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers:
This is where it gets dicey. Whiteside will load up on statistics but not necessarily the type of winning plays the Blazers covet, as evidenced by his big numbers in Portland’s season-opening loss. But there also were big numbers in the ensuing victory over the Sacramento Kings.
On an expiring contract, there is a chance Whiteside could find himself traded out of the playoff race once Jusuf Nurkic gets back up to speed around midseason from last season’s leg injury.
4. Rodney McGruder, Los Angeles Clippers:
An ankle injury has been limiting, but there is a place for a scavenger on a roster with such limited depth beyond leading men Kawhi Leonard and, eventually, Paul George.
McGruder’s opportunity for a meaningful contribution could come down to whether the Clippers find a place in the eventual Andre Iguodala derby or get in the running for another veteran at the buyout deadline.
5. James Ennis III, 76ers:
This is more because of the likelihood of the 76ers going deep in the playoffs and the former Heat second-round acquisition having a chance to play some meaningful minutes along the way.
6. Wayne Ellington, New York Knicks:
This is an interesting scenario. The Knicks loaded up with short-term contracts to create the possibility of eventually flipping veterans for draft picks. If Ellington, 3 of 4 on 3-pointers Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets, maintains his stoke, he could yet again find himself in a playoff race, as was the case last season in Detroit.
7. Tyler Johnson, Phoenix Suns:
With the Suns featuring such a mishmash of a roster, figure on Johnson having a few games that at least catch your attention when looking at the box score, perhaps on the nights when Devin Booker is out. Or he could come to be viewed simply as an expiring contract, allowing the Suns to perhaps trade him for superior talent. Johnson played Friday in an overtime loss to the Nuggets as the Suns’ 10th man.
8. Shabazz Napier, Minnesota Timberwolves:
Napier figures to get minutes with the Timberwolves, with this the latest opportunity to contribute before yet again being asked to move on. Still, seeing as how he is six seasons and five teams into his career, there is something to be said for Napier’s resilience. He had nine assists in Friday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.
9. Derrick Walton Jr., Los Angeles Clippers:
Not much is expected in terms of minutes and he’s likely to be replaced by a veteran off either the free-agent or buyouts market. Still, Walton might get some mop-up minutes for one of the league’s highest-profile teams.
10. Ryan Anderson, Houston Rockets:
His Rockets reunion could be limited by a partially guaranteed contract on a team with significant cap concerns.
11. Gerald Green, Rockets:
Green is out with a broken left foot that will sideline him for months, or even longer. He otherwise would have rated much higher on this list.