Winslow, Heat reportedly agree to $39 million, three-year extension
Justise Winslow has agreed to a $39 million, three-year extension with the Miami Heat.
A person with direct knowledge of the agreement confirmed the terms to The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Winslow isn’t signing the contract until this weekend.
Winslow averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds on 41 percent shooting over his first three seasons, playing mostly as a reserve. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2015 draft out of Duke.
The contract means the Heat salary commitments for the 2019-20 season, when Winslow’s extension would begin, are about $135 million for 10 players.
ESPN first reported the agreement.
Winslow’s 2017-18 season got a boost when the Heat swung a February trade to bring back Dwyane Wade to Miami. Winslow was averaging 6.8 points before the trade; he averaged 9.8 points after Wade returned.
“Justise is ready to make another jump,” Wade said earlier this preseason. “I think with him, the big thing is health. When he’s healthy, he’s a big part of this.”
Winslow was held out of Miami’s preseason finale against Atlanta on Friday, with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra making the decision to give him rest. Miami opens the regular season at Orlando on Wednesday.
SPURS: San Antonio point guard Derrick White will miss six to eight weeks after injuring his left heel in his first game as a starter since replacing Dejounte Murray, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced during Friday’s shootaround that the second-year guard will be out for up to two months. White was already ruled out of the preseason finale on Friday with the Orlando Magic.
White injured his heel during San Antonio’s 130-127 preseason loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. He had 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.
White’s injury caps an injury-filled week for the revamped backcourt. The Spurs lost Murray to season-ending surgery after his knee buckled Sunday against Houston. Rookie Lonnie Walker IV will miss at least six weeks after sustaining a knee injury last Friday.
Patty Mills is expected to start in White’s place.
MAVERICKS: Dirk Nowitzki’s debut in his record 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks won’t be in the opener.
Coach Rick Carlisle said Friday the 40-year-old Nowitzki will miss “multiple weeks” with a longer-thanexpected recovery from left ankle surgery in April. The Mavericks open the season Wednesday in Phoenix.
Nowitzki said he had a setback when he started playing again about a week before training camp. He hasn’t practiced in the preseason. The surgery just before the end of last season was to remove bone spurs.
Carlisle said the 13-time All-Star was doing better but hasn’t done any significant work on the court.