Scouts advise teams against signing role players who perform above expectations for the Miami Heat and Erik Spoelstra, according to an NBA insider.
Arguably the most advanced coaching setup in the league is that of the Miami Heat. After Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra has served as a coach in the NBA for the second-longest period of time. He was hired to keep the Heat competitive. Spoelstra finds a way to make players useful even with thin rosters, which has led to the belief that Heat role-players Miami is cutting loose shouldn’t be signed, according to Eric Pincus.
In the world of NBA scouting, it’s a well-known axiom: Don’t sign Heat role players. They usually overachieve for coach Erik Spoelstra, so if Miami is letting them go, it’s for a good reason.
When talking about Gabe Vincent’s injury-plagued season debut, this example was given. Vincent has struggled to stay healthy for the Lakers, despite being a vital member of the Heat during their 2023 Finals run. In five games, his average of 5.4 points and 3.0 assists is insufficient for a starting point guard.
Before being traded for Rui Hachimura in the middle of last season, Kendrick Nunn spent the majority of his first season with the Lakers due to injury. The Lakers faced a similar situation during Nunn’s year and a half on the team. Nunn is competing in Europe and has already left the league.
Signing elite players carries some risk.
We can see that this theory isn’t always correct when we examine some current instances of former Heat players around the league. The Nunn signing and the Vincent signing this season have both left the Lakers bitterly disappointed.
Max Strus was plucked by the Cavaliers from Miami in the summer to serve as their starting wing. Strus is up from his numbers from the previous season with the Heat, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. But overall efficiency has decreased, suggesting that increased responsibility does not always translate into increased skill.
For a few years following Chris Bosh’s premature retirement and the signing of Jimmy Butler, Josh Richardson served as the Miami Heat’s face. Before joining the Heat again this summer, Richardson struggled to find a place outside of Miami, performing poorly in Philly, Dallas, Boston, and New Orleans.
Derrick Jones Jr., who is averaging career-high numbers this season, is a good example of a former Heat role-player finding success elsewhere. Jones Jr. may be one of the few exceptions to the norm with his 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds, but it took him several seasons after leaving Miami to establish this kind of play.
The Heat were unable to bring in any significant reinforcements this summer, so they were forced to let players like Voncent and Strus walk in order to acquire a superstar. Even though they didn’t sign a superstar, they were able to simply bring in cheaper players to replace their departing players. The Heat’s 20–15 record demonstrates their ability to locate successful players on short notice.
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