All else being equal for Miami, signing free-agent guard Kendrick Nunn to fill the Miami Heat’s 14th roster spot is perhaps the finest move Miami could do as we careen toward the start of the NBA season, based on team necessity, familiarity, and the joy of righting a wrong.
After all, it’s the Heat’s fault that is jobless and lower on the financial scale than he should be.
Nunn is only 28 years old. He wasn’t a standout last season, but he did play in 70 games and put up respectable stats (7.1 points, 42.4% shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range). He improved after being traded from Los Angeles to Washington, where he made 39.2% of his three-point attempts in 31 games.
Nunn is still unsigned. When asked about it in his mailbag this week, Sun-Sentinel Heat beat writer Ira Winderman did not dismiss the possibility of Nunn joining the team entirely, but he did add that it would most likely have to be a non-guaranteed deal:
“While the Heat’s commitment is to those already in camp, to give them a fair shot after the time those prospects have invested on the practice court since August, as mentioned above, it is not out of the question to fill the 14th spot on the standard roster with an outsider.” Much of that determination could hinge on whether the Heat believe they have enough depth at point guard and whether an outside prospect would be prepared to accept a non-guaranteed contract.”
The Miami Heat need a 14th roster spot.
There are candidates for the still-open 14th roster place on the Miami Heat, but none have Nunn’s criteria. For one thing, throughout his tenure in Miami, he was a favorite of coach Erik Spoelstra.
Given that the Heat have already brought back Josh Richardson, and that they are still lacking at point guard following the exits of Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo, it could be interesting to see Nunn return to where he began his career, which has stalled since he left Miami.
Nunn wowed the NBA as a rookie, averaging 15.1 points per game. He was also solid in his second season, but he got a harsh deal from the Heat after that. Nunn became a restricted free agent in 2021 and was granted a qualifying offer of $4.7 million, allowing Miami to match whatever offer Nunn received.
When the Heat signed Kyle Lowry, re-signed Duncan Robinson on a five-year, $90 million contract, and began scouting players like P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, they believed Nunn’s money would be better spent elsewhere.
So, on August 3, more than a month after free agency began, they revoked Nunn’s qualifying offer and made him an unrestricted free agent. Instead of a large salary, the Lakers offered Nunn a two-year, $10 million contract with a second-year option.
NBPA President Criticized Heat
Of course, it’s not the Heat’s fault that Nunn later hurt his knee and missed the rest of the season after joining the Lakers. However, it is a fantastic example of why players should make the most of any deal they can get, and the Heat harmed Nunn’s potential to do so.
Nunn spent half a season with the Lakers before being traded to Washington as a contract replacement in the Rui Hachimura trade. C.J. McCollum, president of the Players Association, was displeased with the scenario and called out the Heat on Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast.
