Miami Heat Rumors: Dorell Wright To Be Signed?
Miami Heat Rumors: Could the Heat finally sign Dorell Wright, someone they have been courting since last summer as a free agent?
Miami Heat rumors have begun popping up again despite the postseason being on the horizon. Despite there only being four games remaining in the regular season, could the Heat be adding to their roster? That is the latest rumor, as it looks like there is a chance that the Heat could begin filling the two open roster spots that they have.
Who will they be filling the open slots with? One player to keep an eye on is former Heat shooting guard/small forward Dorell Wright.
According to The Vertical’s Shams Charania, sources say that the Heat and Wright are scheduled to discuss the possibility of agreeing to a deal for the remainder of the season. The source also adds that an agreement could be in place on Sunday according to Charania, as the Heat would not cross the luxury tax threshold if they wait until then.
The Heat did a lot of work throughout the season, especially at the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline, to get under the luxury tax. Because of that, they shied away from signing Marcus Thornton despite there being interest on both sides. The signing of Joe Johnson put them over the tax, but a buyout agreement with injured point guard Beno Udrih got them back under the tax threshold.
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The Heat are currently $46,106 shy of the tax line, which is why they may wait until Sunday to sign Wright. If they wait until then, they could sign another player along with him to fill out their 15-man roster for the postseason. With the pro-rated amounts that anyone the Heat sign would earn, waiting until Sunday is the most likely course for any moves to be made.
The Heat have had their eye on Wright for a while, and now may finally be the time that the two sides can come to an agreement. There were rumors about potential interest in late January, but their interest in Wright goes all the way back to last summer. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald said there were talks between the two sides when Wright was a free agent, but he decided to sign with a team in the Chinese Basketball Association instead.
Last month, Wright told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that he would prefer a multi-year deal, which would seem to take the Heat out of the running as it would alter their luxury tax plans. But, there is a lot of good will between Wright and the Heat, as the two sides have plenty of experience with each other.
Wright was a first round pick of the Heat (19th overall) in 2004 and he played the first six seasons of his career in South Beach. He also has a close relationship with Dwyane Wade, who also helped get Johnson to sign with the team after he was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the season.
Wright would bring some much needed three-point shooting to the Heat, as he is a career 36.5 percent shooter from deep. But there is a chance that he would not get to showcase those shooting talents much, if at all, if he does indeed sign with the Heat.
According to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, the Heat would make sure that Wright, or anyone that they sign prior to the postseason, is okay with being inactive during postseason games. Only 13 players can be dressed per game, so it is tough to imagine someone signed the last week of the season being active for a postseason game unless injuries occur.
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Wright last played in the NBA last season, when he was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 4.6 points in 12.3 minutes per game, knocking down 38 percent of his three-point shots.