The Miami Heat will build its roster for next season in the days and weeks ahead. But first, the Heat built its summer league roster.
After adding Indiana center Kel’el Ware with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday and then taking Arizona guard Pelle Larsson with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the draft on Thursday, the Heat immediately turned its attention to the undrafted pool of players to fill its summer roster and also find intriguing prospects who have the potential to become the organization’s next undrafted success story.
The Heat’s summer league team is scheduled to travel to the West Coast in the coming days to begin practices on July 4. The Heat opens summer league play in San Francisco with a three-game schedule at the California Classic, matching up against the Golden State Warriors on July 6 at 6:30 p.m., the Sacramento Kings on July 7 at 4:30 p.m. and Los Angeles Lakers on July 10 at 7 p.m. at the Golden State Warriors’ home arena.
The Heat will then, like every NBA team, play in Las Vegas Summer League, which will be held from July 12-22. Player development coach Dan Bisaccio will serve as the Heat’s summer league head coach for the first time. Here’s an updated list of the undrafted prospects, according to sources and reports, who have agreed to join the Heat’s summer league team this year Arizona forward Keshad Johnson: A bulky forward who averaged 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 36 of 93 (38.7 percent) on threes in 37 games (all starts) as a fifth-year senior at Arizona last season. He spent the first four years of his college career at San Diego State. Johnson is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Heat, according to a source. Each team can sign three players to two-way deals, and those players can be subbed out at any time.
Two-way deals don’t count against the salary cap. Johnson, who turned 23 on June 23, stands at 6-foot-6 and 224 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. The Ringer picked former Heat forward Jae Crowder as his NBA comparison. Johnson’s career averages during his four seasons at San Diego State: 5.8 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes per game, including 22 minutes per game in his final season at San Diego State.
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