Latest news with #HaywoodHighsmith
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
How The Miami Heat Made A Huge Mistake In Recent Trade
The months of August and September are typically considered the dog days of the NBA news cycle. However, that does not mean teams are not still working to position themselves for the present and future. Such is the case with the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets, who, on Friday, orchestrated a trade to send Haywood Highsmith and a 2032 second round pick to Brooklyn for a heavily protected 2026 second round pick. This move made perfect sense for the Nets – a team that is trying to accumulate draft capital while also reaching their salary floor (90% of the salary cap, 139.2 million). That is not my problem with this transaction. My issue lies with the Heat, who essentially traded away a fine rotation player for pennies on the dollar. Haywood Highsmith Is A Solid Two-Way Player Highsmith represents yet another example of the Heat identifying an overlooked talent from a small school (Highsmith went undrafted out of Wheeling University) and nurturing them into a sound rotational option. For the last three years, Highsmith has been one of the best wing defenders in the association. He's placed in the 84th percentile or higher in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (arguably the best one-number metric on the market) in each of the last three seasons (per Dunks & Threes). Highsmith is a pitbull with pterodactyl wings for arms. Armed with 220 pounds of muscle and a 6'11.5 wingspan, Highsmith can shadow box with the best scorers in the association while also creating havoc in the passing lanes (82nd percentile steal rate in 2023-24) and offering complementary secondary rim protection (74th percentile block rate among forwards, per Cleaning the Glass). What has always slowed Highsmith down is his offensive game. Even the most ardent supporter of his work would say that he's a below-average offensive player (34th percentile Offensive Estimated Plus-Minus). However, he's taken strides to become more serviceable on that end of the floor. After never eclipsing the 34% from three in his first three seasons in the NBA, Highsmith has hit 38.8% of his 425 threes. He's also a solid cutter, which leads to assisted finishes at the rim or second chances for his team via offensive rebounds. All this is to say that Highsmith is a useful role player. The kind that playoff teams like to keep on their bench for spot minutes in important games. After adding Norman Powell for virtually nothing, the Heat have a pretty good roster on their hands. And in a diminished Eastern Conference (one that is missing Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard), they have a chance at winning a playoff series if they get the right matchup. Giving up a quality bench player does not help this cause. Yes, they have Andrew Wiggins and Simone Fontecchio to fill his void. But Wiggins has missed 80 games over the last three years, and both of them will have to spend time at power forward due to so many of Miami's best players being guards (Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, Powell, and, maybe, Terry Rozier). That leaves a mini-sized hole at small forward. Pelle Larsson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. could remedy these concerns, but they are both young and not as proven in playoff situations as Highsmith. Plus, neither of them boasts his physicality/reputation on the defensive side of the ball. I understand the need to get under the first apron and avoid paying any sort of repeater tax. But the Heat had until the trade deadline to shed salary, and there were other methods for doing so (like not retaining Dru Smith). Even with Highsmith's recent injury (he is expected to miss 8-10 weeks), he still has a positive value contract (he's set to make 5.6 million next season, but his estimated production value is a little over 11 million). But instead of getting a second round pick for Highsmith, the Heat gave one up for a pick that is highly unlikely to convey (unless the Nets somehow miraculously finish the season with a top five record. I've really loved what the Heat have done so far this offseason (trading for Powell, re-signing Davion Mitchell, and drafting Kasparas Jakucionis), but this is one cost-cutting move I just can't get behind.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Nets forward Haywood Highsmith? Get to know Brooklyn's addition
Brooklyn Nets forward Haywood Highsmith was acquired via trade from the Miami Heat on Friday along with Miami's 2032 second-round pick in exchange for Brooklyn's 2026 second-round pick. Given where Brooklyn is as a rebuilding team, along with the Nets' second-round pick in 2026 being protected from the 31st overall pick to the 55th pick, it seems that Brooklyn is unlikely to give up a second-round pick at all. Be that as it may, the Nets have ultimately brought in a player in Highsmith that has had an interesting journey in his professional basketball career after leaving Wheeling University. Highsmith, born in Baltimore, Maryland, played his high school basketball in Baltimore before embarking on a college basketball career at Wheeling that showed what he could do at a higher level. Highsmith's time at Wheeling saw him accomplish great feats on the hardwood as he was a two-time All-MEC (Mountain East Conference) winner, MEC Player of the Year, and First-Team Division II All-American during his senior year. After a successful college basketball career at the Division II level, Highsmith entered the 2018 NBA Draft where he went on to go undrafted before catching on with the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. Highsmith signed a Two-Way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in January of the 2018-19 season, but spent most of his time playing for the 76ers' G League afiliate in the Blue Coats. Highsmith spent the 2019-20 campaign with the Blue Coats, but used the 2020-21 season to see if he could realize his professional basketball dreams elsewhere by playing overseas for the Crailsheim Merlins in Germany. During the 2021-22 season, Highsmith caught his first big break in the NBA after signing a 10-day contract with the Heat in February of that season. Highsmith played well enough to earn two more 10-day deals with Miami before eventually signing a rest-of-season contract that became a three-year, $3.9 million deal that took him through the 2023-24 campaign. In his four seasons with the Heat, Highsmith averaged 5.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 37.5% from three-point land. Highsmith is coming off arguably his best season in Miami after averaging 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 45.8% from the floor and 38.2% from deep. What stands out the most about Highsmith's game is his ability on the defensive end of the floor to guard perimeter players and make life tough for even some of the league's best players. There are enough defensive highlights for Highsmith that someone was able to put together a nearly six-minute video of some of his best possessions during the 2024-25 campaign alone. Highsmith, 28, joins a Nets team with plenty of young players on the roster and the former Wheeling Cardinal has the chance to bring his experience and defensive tenacity to head coach Jordi Fernandez's roster. Highsmith has one year left on his current contract and will be owed $5.6 million over the course of the 2025-26 season so Brooklyn found a way to get another 3-and-D wing at a value.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The significant amount of time this key Heat player will miss
The post The significant amount of time this key Heat player will miss appeared first on ClutchPoints. While the Heat made headlines when trading for Norman Powell, other players on the team have proved to be vital, like defensive stalwart Haywood Highsmith. As Highsmith earned a contract extension from the Heat in the 2024 offseason, there is a chance he misses the start of the upcoming season due to the latest injury he has suffered. The team announced on their social media pages that Highsmith sustained a meniscal tear in his right knee during a training session in Baltimore. Highsmith would undergo a successful surgery to repair that lasted 35 minutes, but is 'expected to miss eight-to-1o weeks.' 'INJURY UPDATE: Haywood Highsmith underwent successful surgery this morning to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee, which he suffered while training in Baltimore,' the team wrote on their own X, formerly Twitter, account. 'He will begin rehabilitation immediately and is expected to miss eight-to-10 weeks. The 35-minute procedure was performed by HEAT team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick at Doctors Hospital Surgery Center in Miami.' While his statistics might not pop off the screen, Highsmith is a key player in head coach Erik Spoelstra's rotation, being known for his defense and even giving the team a 'burst' when needed. Spoelstra would echo the same sentiments throughout last season. 'They've been giving us this kind of burst off the bench,' Spoelstra said of Highsmith and also Davion Mitchell in March. 'I mentioned that a couple games ago that your second unit, you want the energy to change. When your second unit comes in, it should feel different. And those two guys are embracing that kind of role. They're thriving in it and everybody can feel it.' Heat's Haywood Highsmith has been integral With the Heat also re-signing Davion Mitchell this offseason, the team has always prioritized the defensive side of the ball, and Highsmith encompasses that aspect. Spoelstra would even go as far as to compare Highsmith to that of former Miami player P.J. Tucker. 'You have to be ready, you have to always go to the other team's best players, you don't know whether you're going to start or whether you're going to come off the bench, and then as soon as you go in there, everybody's looking at the player you're guarding,' Spoelstra said in January. 'And then so those responsibilities and the expectations are tenfold, but that's the job, and there are a lot of people that would love to have that job, and Haywood was one of them.' 'The model that we've always kind of built, you know, for that, for him is the PJ Tucker, you know, role,' Spoelstra continued. 'You can carve out a great career and a great role, you know, doing those kinds of things, the dirty work, so to say. And he's embraced all that.' Training camp for the Heat is slated to begin on Sept. 30, which is seven weeks away, and with his timeline of missing eight-to-1o weeks, his status is in doubt. Related: 2 way-too-early Miami Heat trade candidates in 2025-26 season Related: Norman Powell gives honest thoughts on getting 'acclimated' since Heat trade
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nets acquire Haywood Highsmith in Heat trade
The post Nets acquire Haywood Highsmith in Heat trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Brooklyn Nets have been busy this offseason. The team did not use their cap space to pursue any big stars, choosing instead to absorb bad contracts to get draft picks. Brooklyn traded Cameron Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in the biggest move of their offseason. However, the Nets struck once again, acquiring Miami Heat guard Haywood Highsmith and a second-round pick. Highsmith's two-way production has helped him make a name for himself in his career. According to ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Siegel, Highsmith is an early candidate to be moved at next year's trade deadline. The Heat made the trade in order to get out of the luxury tax. Now, Miami won't have to pay extra money for a team that could struggle in the Eastern Conference next season. The Nets net another draft pick, even if they had to send one out in the deal. Brooklyn adds another intriguing wing to a team full of them as they continue their rebuild. Related: NBA rumors: Former top-10 pick shunning Euro offers after Nets stint Related: 5 must-watch Nets games on 2025-26 schedule
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Heat trading Haywood Highsmith creates flexibility
The post Why Heat trading Haywood Highsmith creates flexibility appeared first on ClutchPoints. In a largely surprising move that fans weren't expecting on a Friday afternoon, the Miami Heat have traded Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets. With the Heat preparing for the 2025-26 season after a relatively disappointing last go-around, the team is in the process of finalizing the roster, and with this latest deal, there could be fans wondering what the thought process is of making the trade. For the full details of the trade, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, Miami is dealing 'Haywood Highsmith and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for a protected 2026 second-round pick.' It's important to note that Highsmith suffered recently from a torn meniscus, and after a successful surgery to repair it, he was expected to be out for eight to 10 weeks and was likely to be out for training camp and maybe the start of the season. A main goal this offseason for the Heat was to get below the luxury tax, and with this trade, which gives Brooklyn Highsmith, and they didn't receive one, the move gets that done. As said by Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, the team was '$1.6 million above the luxury-tax line,' and now they're '$4.3 million under the luxury-tax threshold.' The transaction gives Miami flexibility in regards to being in the tax and even opens up the opportunity to use a $5.6 million trade exception, as said by ClutchPoints' Brett Seigel. 'By trading Haywood Highsmith, who is currently out indefinitely with a meniscus injury, the Heat move out of the luxury tax,' Siegel wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'The Heat move out of the luxury tax, create a $5.6M TPE, and open a roster spot for a minimum contract.' More on the reasons the Heat traded Haywood Highsmith to the Nets One has to wonder if the trade was made after the Heat announced the significant time that Highsmith would miss after repairing a meniscus tear, which he sustained in a workout in Baltimore. Highsmith was one of Miami's undrafted success stories who had been a constant at the G-League level, becoming a mainstay in Erik Spoelstra's rotation as a defensive stalwart who could also shoot the three-pointer. The Heat would award Highsmith an $11 million contract extension last offseason after consistent play, but now he has been traded to Brooklyn. Besides the cap flexibility, the team is now down to 13 players on standard contracts, with the limit being 15. 'By dealing away Highsmith and not acquiring a player in return, the Heat's roster is down to 13 players on standard contracts for this upcoming season — two below the NBA regular-season limit of 15 players on standard deals,' Chiang wrote. 'But more importantly, the trade brings the Heat under the luxury-tax threshold. By shedding Highsmith's expiring $5.6 million salary, the Heat goes from $1.3 million above the luxury-tax line to $4.3 million under the luxury-tax threshold.' 'After finishing as a luxury tax team in each of the last two seasons,' Chiang continued, 'the Heat was determined to escape the luxury tax for this upcoming season in order to avoid the onerous repeater tax that's triggered when a team crosses the luxury tax threshold in four straight seasons or four times during a five-season period.' At any rate, the Heat is looking to improve after finishing 37-45, which put them 10th in the Eastern Conference. Related: Miami Heat 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release Related: 6 can't miss games on the Miami Heat's 2025-26 schedule
