The Heat will have a pair of new two-way players in 2022-23.
Mere hours before they play their final game of the Las Vegas Summer League, the Miami Heat have waived Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder and subsequently signed Marcus Garrett and Darius Days to two-way contracts, the team announced Saturday morning.
OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have signed forward Darius Days and guard Marcus Garrett to two-way contracts. Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart have been waived.
More on today’s transactions – https://t.co/iyrrUoLqSP@MiamiHEAT // @FTX_Official pic.twitter.com/L14iqLQrPb
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) July 16, 2022
This marks Garrett’s second consecutive season where he’s earned a two-way spot with the Heat out of Summer League. He was waived mid-season after undergoing season-ending wrist surgery. In three games in Las Vegas, Garrett — a relentless point-of-attack defender — has averaged 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game on 31.6 percent shooting.
MARCUS GARRETT, stop it.
Phenomenal defense by the long-time Heat hopeful that had Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Erik Spoelstra up on their seats.
Hell of a game from him. pic.twitter.com/qeEUhhj7er
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) July 9, 2022
Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Days, a rookie, was undrafted out of LSU and apart of the San Antonio Spurs’ Summer League team. In three contests, he averaged 13.7 points and 10.0 boards, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from 3-point range (5.3 attempts) in 21.8 minutes per game.
As a senior at LSU, Days, 22, averaged 13.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals, posting 43.4/35.0/70.0 shooting splits — equating to a 54.4 true-shooting percentage — with a 20.8 PER. In his four-year Tigers career, he averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals, shooting 47.4 percent, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range (4.1 attempts) and 73.4 percent (58.6 TS%) from the charity stripe. He became the third LSU player since 1978 to have at least 1,300 career points, 800 rebounds and 125 steals.
Darius Days last season with LSU:
13.7 PPG
7.8 RPG (2.1 ORPG)
1.5 SPG
43.4 FG%
35.0 3P% (6.0 attempts)
70.0 FT%
20.8 PER
54.4 TS%– 6’7” with 7’1” wingspan
Incredibly fun two-way add for the Miami Heat. pic.twitter.com/cghFZHSmUs
— Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) July 16, 2022
Days’ Summer League games with the Spurs:
July 8 – 11 points, 7 rebounds in 18 minutes
July 10 – 17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals in 23 minutes
July 11 – 13 points, 11 rebounds in 24 minutes— Tristan Tucker (@TristanRTucker) July 16, 2022
Darius Days with San Antonio in the Las Vegas Summer League:
13.7 PPG
10.0 RPG (3.3 ORPG)
55.6 FG%
37.5 3P% (5.3 3PA)While playing only 21.8 MPG.
And now he joins one of the NBA’s top developmental organizations in the Miami Heat.
— Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) July 16, 2022
Even with Saturday’s transaction, the Heat still have 18 roster spots filled ahead of training camp with two to fill — expected to go to Udonis Haslem and one other.
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.