ENTERING 2021 OFFSEASON
averaged 2.4 points on 38.6 percent shooting, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 42 regular-season games. This stretch has been one of development for Okpala, who has played more minutes in the G League (572) than in the NBA (473) during his professional career. This is probably not exactly what the Heat expected when it traded three second-round picks to acquire Okpala on draft night in 2019, but he has also yet to play in a summer league game because of different circumstances. The hope is that Okpala will be part of the Heat’s summer league team this season, and there’s still the belief that he has the potential to be a quality rotation player. Why? Because of his defensive versatility and ability to play with the ball in his hands and create for himself and others off the dribble on the offensive end. This is an important offseason for Okpala.
VICTOR OLADIPO, guard
Age: Turned 29 on May 4.
Season stats: After Oladipo was dealt to the Heat at the NBA trade deadline on March 25, he averaged 12 points while shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 23.5 percent on threes, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in four regular-season games (four starts) before being sidelined after re-injuring his troublesome right knee and eventually undergoing surgery to repair the quadriceps tendon in his right knee in May. He did not play in the playoffs because of the injury.
Contract status: Will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Heat has Oladipo’s Bird rights, so it can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him up to his maximum salary.
What to know: After starting the season with the Indiana Pacers and then being traded to the Houston Rockets, Oladipo was moved to the Heat in late March. But Oladipo only played in four games with the Heat before feeling pain in his right knee. Oladipo underwent surgery to repair the quadriceps tendon in that knee on May 13 after rupturing that same tendon in his right knee in January 2019. The first surgery kept Oladipo out for a full year, but there’s hope that Oladipo could be cleared to return to full contact basketball as early as November and be able to play next season by February. Oladipo has long had interest in playing for the Heat and spends a lot of time in Miami, and he seemed to fit on the court alongside Heat stars Adebayo and Butler in his limited time with the team. But the Heat probably won’t want to commit more than one year of guaranteed money to Oladipo because of the uncertainty surrounding his knee and availability entering next season. And the offer likely won’t be anywhere close to the $21 million Oladipo made this past season.
DUNCAN ROBINSON, forward
Age: Turned 27 on April 22.
Season stats: Averaged 13.1 points while shooting 40.8 percent on 8.5 threepoint attempts per game, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 72 regular-season games (72 starts). In the playoffs, Robinson averaged 10.3 points while shooting 37 percent on
6.8 three-point attempts per game and 2.8 rebounds in four games.
Contract status: The Heat has until Aug. 1 to extend Robinson a
$4.7 million qualifying offer, which would make him a restricted free agent and Miami will have the right to match any outside offer sheet. The Heat could pull that qualifying offer to decrease Robinson’s cap hold from $4.7 million to $1.7 million, but Robinson would then become an unrestricted free agent and Miami would not be able to match any outside offers to retain him.
What to know: Robinson has quickly earned the reputation as one of the
NBA’s top shooters after spending most of his rookie season in the G League. In the last two regular seasons combined, only Sacramento’s Buddy Hield (553) and Portland’s Damian Lillard (545) have totaled more made threes than Robinson (520). He closed this past regular season with the fourth-most made threes in the NBA at 250 behind Lillard (275), Hield (282) and Golden State’s Stephen Curry (337). This comes after Robinson set a Heat record for threes made (270) in a single season in 2019-20. What does this all mean? Robinson is due for a big pay raise this offseason after playing on a $1.7 million salary this past season. Comparable players such as Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris signed a four-year, $75 million contract and Washington Wizards three-point specialist Davis Bertans signed a five-year, $80 million as free agents last offseason. It will be expensive to bring back Robinson in free agency this summer, but losing his elite outside shooting would also be costly.
MAX STRUS, wing
Age: Turned 25 on March 28.
Season stats: Averaged 6.1 points while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 33.8 percent on threes in 39 games (zero starts). In the playoffs, Strus logged just six minutes.
Contract status: Since Strus finished the season on a two-way deal, the Heat has to decide whether to make a qualifying offer this offseason to make Strus a restricted free agent and gain the right to match offers from other teams. A qualifying offer doesn’t necessarily mean Strus will be part of the Heat’s 15-man roster next season. The qualifying offer could turn into another two-way contract unless Miami is forced to match standard contract offers Strus receives as a restricted free agent.
What to know: The Heat converted Strus’ Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract just days before the start of the season. His shooting is what impressed coaches and players early on, but he showed off other parts of his game along the way as he was able to play in games during stretches because of the unique circumstances surrounding the 2020-21 NBA season. Strus shot 33.8 percent on 3.8 three-point attempts per game, which is not as efficient as expected. But he was effective around the basket, finishing 33 of 36 (91.7 percent) from inside the restricted area. Strus (6-5, 215) said he grew most as a defender in the Heat’s developmental program this past season. But did Strus do enough to warrant a second look from the Heat on another two-way deal or standard contract? Or will the Heat cycle in a new two-way player and let Strus sign elsewhere? He’ll be expected to be a more efficient three-point shooter moving forward.
GABE VINCENT, guard
Age: Turns 25 on June 14.
Season stats: Averaged 4.8 points while shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 30.9 percent on threes, 1.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 50 regular-season games (seven starts). In the playoffs, Vincent totaled five points, one rebound and two assists in 14 minutes.
Contract status: Since Vincent finished the season on a two-way deal, the Heat has to decide whether to make a qualifying offer this offseason to make Vincent a restricted free agent and gain the right to match offers from other teams. A qualifying offer doesn’t necessarily mean Vincent will be part of the Heat’s 15-man roster next season. The qualifying offer could turn into another two-way contract unless Miami is forced to match standard contract offers Vincent receives as a restricted free agent.
What to know: Vincent, who first joined Miami on a two-way deal in the middle of the 2019-20 season, became the first player who the Heat has kept on a two-way deal for multiple seasons since this type of contract was instituted starting in the 2017-18 season. Will the Heat bring back Vincent on a two-way contract for a third straight season? Vincent’s outside shooting went cold this past season, but his growth as a perimeter defender impressed. There could be a consistent role for Vincent in the NBA as a pesky on-ball defender who can also make threes. It’s worth noting that a player can’t play under two-way contracts for the same team for more than a total of three seasons.
OMER YURTSEVEN, center
Age: Turns 23 on June 19.
Season stats: Signed with the Heat in the final days of the regular season on May 14 and has yet to play in an NBA game. Yurtseven appeared in 14 games (one start) with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League this past season, averaging 15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.36 blocks and 21.1 minutes while shooting 62.6 percent from the field and 38.1 percent on 1.5 three-point attempts per game.
Contract status: The Heat has until Aug. 1 to decide on the $1.5 million team option in Yurtseven’s contract for next season.
What to know: The Heat added the 7-footer to its well-regarded developmental program for the offseason, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be on the roster next season. That will depend on what Yurtseven shows the Heat in the gym this summer and possibly in summer league in August. It will probably also depend on what else Miami decides to do with its roster this offseason. Yurtseven’s 2021-22 salary is non-guaranteed. Yurtseven has focused on improving his three-point shot since leaving college, as he noted that he put up 20,000 shots per month for eight straight months from the end of his college season to last November’s NBA Draft. He went undrafted in 2020.