Nunn, Silva made Heat opener one to value
First time since 2011 Miami played 3 rookies in Game 1
MIAMI — If the offseason was about the beating the Miami Heat took regarding several recent contracts, then opening night was about the franchise’s ability to still realize value.
Such as Kendrick Nunn locked into the league minimum for the next two seasons.
Such as Chris Silva doing two-way things at even less than that cost.
Having unloaded the final season on Hassan Whiteside’s $98 million contract in July, and then having played opening night in the absence of the $27 million in combined 2019-20 salaries of James Johnson and Dion Waiters, Wednesday’s 120-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies was a study in cost effectiveness.
Nunn, signed on the final day of last season, is under contract to the Heat not only this season for $1.4 million, but under Heat control for $1.7 million next season, as well.
As for Silva, at the moment he does not even count against the Heat’s salary cap or luxury tax, on a two-way contract that can max out at just over $400,000 this season. The Heat were able to convert a similar Duncan Robinson contract last season into deal similar to what Nunn currently holds.
At this point, even if the salaries of Johnson and Waiters are allowed to languish as unrealized payouts, just as there is a $5.2 million stretch-payment hit this season to since-waived Ryan Anderson, there still appears to be enough benefit elsewhere on the payroll to make ends meet.
Nunn, who went undrafted out of Oakland University in 2018 and then played last season for the Golden State Warriors’ G League affiliate, closed the opener with 24 points — one shy of the Heat rookie opening-night record, set by Willie Burton in 1990, tying Steve Smith’s Heat rookie opening-night total in 1991.
Overall, he now stands as one of only eight players in franchise history to score 20 or more in their Heat debut, a list that includes LeBron James and Tim Hardaway.
“It’s been a long journey,” Nunn said, “from the G League last year all season and the last day call-up from the Heat. It’s just been an unbelievable ride. It’s just the beginning.”
Even with Jimmy Butler missing the opener for personal reasons, coach Erik Spoelstra revealed after the game that the 24-year-old Nunn had been a planned starter regardless.
“I’ve never seen him look like he’s under stress or pressure,” Spoelstra said. “He’s an experienced older young player.”
Then there is Silva, whose summerleague and preseason grit turned into the spark for Wednesday’s decisive 37-17 fourth quarter, after the Heat went into that final period down one. As a matter of perspective, the Heat were 1-17 last season at home when trailing going into the fourth quarter.
“These guys want these kind of moments,” Spoelstra said. “They want to play well in front of the home fans.”
Silva essentially is working for a day rate of $5,000. In a week, once G League camps open, he will be limited to 45 days with the Heat the balance of the season, under the rules of two-way contracts. While the Heat currently are limited to 14 players (not counting two-way players) due to their position against the hard cap, they are in position to add a 15th player as soon as the January start of 10-day contracts.
For now, Silva, who went undrafted in June out of South Carolina, is soaking it all up.
“When I got out there at first, I was nervous,” he said of Wednesday’s debut, “but when I got into the game, I just let my emotions take over.”
Silva closed with eight points and six rebounds in 11 minutes. When factoring in Nunn and first-round pick Terry Herro, it was the first time at least three rookies saw action on opening night for the Heat since 2011, with second-round pick KZ Okpala joining in to play the final 1:10.
For their part, Herro and Okpala also represent part of the Heat’s austerity package, Herro earning $3.6 million on his rookie-scale contract as the No. 13 pick last June, Okpala at $900,000 this season.
“They both have an amazing story how they got to the NBA,” Herro said. of