Heat to sign undrafted guard Bouyea as second Exhibit 10 player under contract
The battle for the Heat’s two-way contracts has grown.
The Heat will sign guard Jamaree Bouyea, who went undrafted this year out of San Francisco, to an Exhibit 10 contract, a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald. Bouyea, 23, is a member of the Heat’s summer league team that continues its five-game run in Las Vegas with its third game late Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Bouyea is the second player who the Heat will sign to an Exhibit 10 contract this offseason after center Orlando Robinson agreed to such a deal last week. An NBA team can have no more than six contracts that contain an Exhibit 10 in effect at any time.
“I think I’m just going to work, try to prove I belong on this level,” Bouyea said Tuesday night a few hours before committing to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat. “Whether it’s an Exhibit 10 or whatever the case may be, I’m just going to continue to work and continue to prove I can play at this level. Whether it’s 10 years from now or five years from now, I’m going to do the best I can to be a part of the Heat culture.”
Exhibit 10 deals, which usually represent an invite to training camp, do not count against the salary cap or hard cap and can be converted to a two-way contract or standard oneyear minimum contract prior to the start of the regular season. In addition, Exhibit 10 contracts can pay the player from $5,000 to $50,000 if they are waived by their respective NBA team and then move on to that team’s G League affiliate and stay there at least 60 days.
Guards Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart currently hold the Heat’s two two-way contracts, but they can be waived at any time to open a spot for another player. Mulder and Smart are also members
of Miami’s summer league team this year.
Bouyea (6-2, 170) is an intriguing combo guard who averaged 17.3 points while shooting 50 percent from the field, 37 percent on threes and 75.4 percent from the foul line, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game in his fifth college season at San Francisco granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned All-WCC First Team honors in each of his final two college seasons.
In five summer league games with the Heat, Bouyea has averaged 6.8 points while shooting 36.1 percent from the field and 2 of 12 (16.7 percent) from three-point range, 3.2 rebounds, three assists,
1.4 steals and one block per game.
“How I’m unselfish,” Bouyea said of the feedback he has received from the Heat. “I’m a point guard, but I can score the ball, as well. But they know I’m trying to win games. A big part of summer league is people want to showcase their talents and their offensive talents. I think not too many people
want to showcase how to win games and do whatever it takes to win games.”
The Heat typically keeps at least one two-way contract slot open to promote competition among its Exhibit 10 players in training camp. Both of Miami’s two-way deals are currently filled, but that doesn’t mean an Exhibit 10 player can’t impress enough to take their spot.
NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players under contract in the offseason and preseason, a total that includes standard deals, two-way deals and Exhibit 10 deals but does not include those on summer league contracts. Rosters must be cut to a maximum total of 17 players (15 on standard contracts and two on two-way contracts) by the start of the regular season.
The Heat’s roster for this upcoming season currently includes 17 players — 13 on standard contracts, two on two-way deals, and Bouyea and Robinson on Exhibit 10 contracts.
MOST OF THE HEAT’S WORK DONE?
The Heat could be nearly done building its roster with 13 of the NBA maximum 15 players already signed to standard contracts.
But with superstar Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and the Heat very much interested, uncertainty remains surrounding Miami’s roster.
The Heat is also monitoring Donovan Mitchell’s situation with the Utah Jazz.
Still, Heat general manager Andy Elisburg did not offer any hints at what could be next.
“To have most of our business done is great,” Elisburg said during an appearance on the Heat’s broadcast of Tuesday’s summer league game on 790 The Ticket. “It gives Erik [Spoelstra] extra time [to prepare]. It’s always a challenge of how much of your roster to bring back. There’s no such thing as running it back. … We’re looking forward to an exciting battle of getting back to the Finals and winning it.”