South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
G League affiliate drafts Mourning
MILWAUKEE — The Miami Heat kept it in the family in Saturday’s G League draft, selecting Trey Mourning, son of franchise icon Alonzo Mourning, for their Sioux Falls Skyforce affiliate with the No. 2 overall selection.
“It is fun to be able to have people that grew up in our gym back and get ’em in our program,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Mourning, who played for new Skyforce coach Eric Glass during July summer leagues in Sacramento and Las Vegas, will join several players from that summerleague roster in South Dakota.
“He had a very good summer with us,” Spoelstra said. “It looked like he was going to have this summer overseas. And when it didn’t necessarily work out, we very naturally revisited.
“We liked our experience with him this summer. This is not just about a great storyline. We like to bring in people that have a great, positive attitude, a great work ethic.”
Mourning, as with all Skyforce players not under direct contract to the Heat, remains free to sign with any NBA team.
Mourning, who had a pre-draft tryout with the Heat in June, went undrafted out of Georgetown. His father, whose No. 33 hangs from the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena, currently serves as the Heat’s vice president of player program.
A 6-foot-9 forward, Mourning, 24, appeared in 62 games with the Hoyas, including 26 as a senior, when he averaged 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.7 minutes. He scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in a 93-85 victory over Campbell last November after sitting out the previous season due to hip surgery.
Mourning graduated Georgetown with a double major in justice and peace studies and a minor in music.
“It started this summer by bringing Trey in,” Spoelstra said. “Look, it feels like we’ve all known Trey since he was a baby, literally. He was around our facility as a kid, in high school, so we’ve followed his evolution and maturation and his career over the years. “It’s really fun to watch this process.” Mourning went one spot after former University of Miami player Anthony Lawrence was selected as the No. 1 pick, going to the Phoenix Suns’ affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. Former Florida Gator Jalen Hudson later went at No. 5 to the Washington Wizards’ affiliate, the
Capital City GoGo.
The Skyforce then drafted Arizona guard Brandon Randolph in the second round and former Colgate forward Jordan Swopshire in the third round before passing beyond that point.
Randolph spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves during summer league. Swopshire spent last season playing in the Republic of Georgia.
In addition to their moves in the G League draft, the Heat have received commitments from six players from their training camp roster to move on to the Skyforce.
Kyle Alexander, Skyler Flatten, Jeremiah Martin and Davon Reed all have agreed to affiliate assignments and are scheduled to report for Monday’s start of Skyforce training camp. Each will receive an Exhibit 10 $50,000 bonus for remaining in the G League for at least 60 days.
In addition, G League veterans Bubu Palo and Mychal Mulder, who also spent time with the Heat during training camp, have committed to the Skyforce, who hold their G League returning-player rights.
The Heat, beyond that, will have Chris Silva and Daryl Macon as part of their Skyforce mix on their two-way contacts, which limit them to 45 days in the NBA after the start of G League camp. Also, second-round pick KZ Okpala is anticipated for time in Sioux Falls for seasoning.
Counting Mourning, it will give Glass as many as 10 familiar faces in his mix in his new role as Skyforce coach.
No encore: With Jimmy Butler not on the Heat’s current two-game trip following the birth of his daughter, it will mean missing his lone trip of the season to Minnesota for Sunday’s game at the Target Center against the Timberwolves.
Butler, who a year ago was pushing for a trade from the Timberwolves, already has made a return to Minneapolis in opposing colors. Last March, his Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Timberwolves 118-109, with Butler closing with 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
The antipathy in that return was real, with the Timberwolves playing part of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” when Butler was announced during the lineup introductions. Butler had pushed for a trade to the Heat before he was dealt to the 76ers, then signed with the Heat this offseason.