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Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
2022 Free Agents - Haywood Highsmith
Summary
Highsmith is the next Miami G-League prospect that the Heat hope can turn into a rotation player, similar to guys like Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent. After playing the '20-'21 season in Germany, Highsmith returned to the G-League in '21-'22, where he also spent the '18-'19 and '19-'20 seasons. He played well enough in the G-League to earn a multi-year contract with the Heat near the end of the 21-'22 season, but his contract is largely non-guaranteed.
Highsmith has been productive in the G-League, averaging double figure scoring on decent efficiency. He has the potential to be a 3-and-D wing, as he's 6'7" and hit over 39% from three in 17 G-League games in '21-'22. Highsmith is already 25, so he's not the youngest prospect around. The Heat are unlikely to be crunched for roster spots, and seem to like Highsmith, so I would be surprised if he was waived.
Cap Considerations
Highsmith's $1.8 million salary for 2022-2023 is only nonguaranteed, and if he is waived he will become an unrestricted free agent and the Heat will have no form of Bird rights on him. If he is waived, teams could claim him off waivers, but would need to fit his salary within cap space or an exception to do so, as his contract doesn't fit within the minimum salary exception as it was a three-year contract.
If Highsmith becomes a free agent, other teams will have multiple ways to sign him as even teams without cap space could use any of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, Taxpayer MLE, Room MLE, or Bi-Annual Exception to sign him. If Highsmith is waived and clears waivers, his value will likely have dropped low enough that he would only have offers for the minimum.
Potential Teams: Heat, Thunder, Pistons, Pacers, Magic
Predicted Contract: Not waived: $1.8 million
If waived: 1-year, $1.8 million (non-guaranteed) with the Thunder
Actual Contract: Not waived: $1.8 million
As expected, Highsmith was not waived, and likely won't even hit free agency until 2024.
Last updated: 10/17/2022
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