The Miami Heat have signed guard Drew Smith to a two-way contract. He scored 15 points in Miami’s 118-110 preseason win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
On September 10, 2021, Smith signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team. However, it was removed after a month.
Last month, the 24-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat. Last Sunday, the team had two-way guard Darius Days. That now leaves Smith and forward Jamal Cain to fill the two-way spots.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Heat have top-10 odds to win the championship in 2023. Some opponents believe Miami is the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
Sources say the Miami Heat are signing guard Drew Smith to a two-way NBA contract @Athletics @ Stadium. Smith, in his second season in the Heat system, had a 15-point preseason performance on Monday and made the team’s roster out of camp.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 13, 2022
According to multiple sources, the Heat are releasing JaMarie Bue, Marcus Garrett, Orlando Robinson and Mychal Mulder before the 2022-23 season.
During the 2021-22 season, with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team’s NBA G League affiliate, Smith averaged 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks.
In the year In 2021, Smith walked away from Missouri. In 107 games played in his NCAA career, the Indiana native averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 boards, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.
Heat paint guard Drew Smith to a two-way contract
In Smith’s 2016-17 debut with Evansville, the guard averaged 5.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 28 games. He also shot 44.5% from the field and 32.7% from beyond the arc.
He was then named to the MVC All-Freshman Team.
In his second season in 2017-18, in 22 starts, Smith averaged 13.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2 steals per contest. He also shot 57.8% from the floor and 48.2% from 3-point range.
At the end of the season, the Purple Aces beat the MVC’s most improved team. The guard will have a chance to make a similar impact with the Heat in the 2022-23 season.
Smith then moved to Missouri. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he sat out the 2018-19 season. As a junior, the guard averaged 12.7 points, 4.2 boards, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 31 starts.
Can he help the Heat this season? Their backcourt could use his speed.
In the year He finished 7 of 14 (50%) from the floor and 2 of 3 (66.7%) from downtown.
During his senior season with Missouri, in 26 starts, Smith averaged a career-high 14.3 points per game. Not to mention, he averaged 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals.
He was selected to the 2020-21 All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team.
Drew Smith will spend the entire 2022-23 season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. A two-way contract is about half of the starting minimum contract. So the deal is estimated at $502,000. The contract allows Smith to play concurrently with the Heat in the G League and the NBA.
