South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Regular season roster is all set
Team gets down to 14 as Macon joins Silva with a two-way contract
MIAMI — The Miami Heat set their regular-season roster Saturday with maneuvering that allows them to potentially funnel eight players from their trainingcamp roster to their G League affiliate.
After converting undrafted South Carolina forward Chris Silva to a two-way contract after Friday night’s preseason finale, the Heat did the same Saturday with 2018 summer-league prospect Daryl Macon.
In addition, the Heat on Saturday waived Kyle Alexander, Skyler Flatten, Davon Reed and Bubu Palo. Those four players, as well as a pair waived from camp earlier in the past week, Jeremiah Martin and Mychal Mulder, are now eligible to be added to the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Silva and Macon are eligible to spend a maximum of 45 days with the Heat from the Oct. 28 start of G League training camp to the March 28 end of the G League season, as well as the days before and after that period. They otherwise will be with the Skyforce, who will be coached by Heat summer-league coach Eric Glass.
The duo follow in the paths of former Heat two-way players Matt Williams Jr., Derrick Walton Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Yante Maten and Duncan Robinson. Teams are allowed to switch out their twoway players until Jan. 15, which is the final day to sign players to such deals. Two-way contracts become guaranteed for the balance of the season on Jan. 20.
The funneling of the waived players to Sioux Falls comes through affiliate assignments and returning-player rights. In each case, the player has the right to decline the invitation. In addition, each of the waived players is free to sign with any NBA team.
With Saturday ’s moves, it leaves the Heat with a seasonopening roster of Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Udonis Haslem, Tyler Herro, James Johnson, Derrick Jones Jr., Meyers Leonard, Kendrick Nunn, KZ Okpala, Kelly Olynyk, Duncan Robinson, Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow. The two-way contracts of Silva and Macon do not count against the Heat’s salary cap or the 15-player roster limit.
Macon, a 6-3 point guard, appeared in four preseason games, totaling 13 points, two rebounds and two assists in 31:43. He played
on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks last season, splitting 2018-19 between the Mavericks and the Texas Legends of the G League, after spending the 2018 summer league with the Heat. He appeared in eight games with the Mavericks last season, totaling 29 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 90 minutes.
Teams have until Monday to reduce rosters to the 15-player regular-season limit. The Heat, due to their payroll position against their hard cap, will start with 14 players. The latest round of Heat moves came Saturday to allow players to clear waivers by Monday’s deadline.
Because of being hard capped after signing Butler in a sign-and-trade transaction, the Heat are unable to claim a player waived from another team unless Nunn is released or the payroll is trimmed in advance through a trade.
After a 40-point performance in Friday’s preseason loss to the Houston Rockets, it’s not as if Nunn is going anywhere, other than a potential rotation role.
“You just love seeing players who have to take a different path, perseverance and grit,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Nunn, who went undrafted in 2018 and spent last season with the Golden State Warriors’ G League affiliate. “We love these stories, guys that make you watch them, work for it, and they end up pushing you to make bigger decisions.
“He has earned everything — great body of work this summer, and had great moments at training camp, as well, and it culminated in having a great game like [Friday]. You are just really happy for a guy like Kendrick. Great guy and someone that really has worked for it.”
The Heat open their regular season Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against the Memphis Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena.