Will third time be the charm with Heat?
Larry Drew II still hopes to catch on in Miami
MIAMI — Here he is again, banging his head against the same wall.
“It’s OK,” Larry Drew II said with a laugh, “I don’t think I have any brain damage because of it.”
For the third time in the past five years, Drew has signed a trainingcamp contract with the Heat. In each of the past four seasons he has remained within the Heat’s sphere of influence, playing for their developmental-league team in each of those seasons.
Each time without a sniff of the NBA with the Heat, his lone regular-season NBA action since going undrafted out of UCLA in 2013 came in a 12-game stint with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014-15.
“To be honest with you,” Drew said this past week at AmericanAirlines Arena, “they say you only need one person to like you, one team to give you a chance at this level. I played recently in summer league with the 76ers. I played summer league a couple of years ago with the Pelicans.
“But as far as a consistent like feeling of intrigue as far as what teams are looking for, I’ve always heard from the Miami Heat.”
It is a decision that comes with daunting odds. In addition to starting guards Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters, the Heat’s training-camp backcourt includes Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington and Rodney McGruder, as well as undrafted rookie free agents Derrick Walton Jr. and Matt Williams Jr.
At minimum, the opportunity that is limited to a $50,000 camp guarantee, could at least offer additional exposure through the Heat’s six-game preseason schedule.
“They haven’t told me anything specif-
ically as far as what they see happening in the immediate future,” Drew said. “So far, what they kind of told me is they wanted me to come down and compete. I’m pretty sure, given our past, our history and my tenure with the Heat and the Skyforce that it kind of makes things a little bit easier for them. We’re both familiar with each other.
“At the same time, if it comes down to it and I have to go back to Sioux Falls, I would be more than thankful to have that opportunity, as well. I’m a huge advocate for the Skyforce organization and that commitment they have going on in Sioux Falls. It would just be another opportunity for me to showcase my skills and hopefully make it back to where I’ve been wanting to get to since 2015.”
As it is, it has been a whirlwind for Drew, his Heat camp invitation coming two days after he helped the United States win the AmeriCup championship in Argentina under coach Jeff Van Gundy. The team was made up mostly of developmentalleague talent, since qualifying for next year’s World Cup will come during the NBA regular season, precluding NBA participation.
“It’s one thing to be a part of this on an NBA team, an NBA family, but it’s a totally different experience going out there with U.S.A. across your chest,” he said. “Honestly, it was probably the top I would say, or one of the top, basketball experiences that I’ve had.”
The feelers from the Heat came well before that competition, shortly after Drew participated with the 76ers’ summer-league team in July.
“I was actually aware of the Heat’s interest of me returning to training camp pretty early on,” he said.
At the least, there will be a comfort zone over the next month. He has played alongside Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson and McGruder with the Skyforce, and won a national championship in 2009 at North Carolina alongside Ellington before transferring to UCLA.
“They’ve always let themselves be known as an organization that has had their eyes on me and that they’re watching me since my college days,” he said. “I just feel like it’s kind of like no-brainer.”