The Miami Heat have decided to add ninth-year veteran Delon Wright to their backcourt, as they have been lacking depth due to injuries to Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier. Wright’s brother is Dorell Wright, a 2004 Heat first-round selection who played for the team for seven seasons during two stints and shared the team’s 2006 NBA championship. Dorell Wright immediately posted “Heat Culture!!!” on social media after the relocation was confirmed. Delon Wright gives the Heat the much-needed depth at point guard, as Rozier (knee sprain) and Richardson (dislocated shoulder) will both be sidelined until the team returns from its eight-day All-Star break on February 23.
Wright accepted a buyout offer from the lottery-bound Washington Wizards, but he must first clear the NBA’s 48-hour waiver window. The Heat have strengthened their roster at the All-Star break for the second year running; they did so last year when they added Kevin Love and Cody Zeller. Players need to be waived by March 1st in order to be eligible for the playoffs with a new team. NBA teams that are subject to the luxury tax, like the Heat are this season, are no longer permitted to sign players from the buyout market whose 2023–24 initial salary was higher than the $12.4 million league average.
