The Heat have waived deep-bench backup center Orlando Robinson, Miami has announced (Twitter link).
The 23-year-old had been on a non-guaranteed, $2.1MM deal with the Heat heading into the 2024/25 season. With this move, the 7′ big man becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Robinson’s tenure with the team had been expected to end after Miami made a series of moves to shore up its depth at center, in re-signing veteran floor-spacing big man Kevin Love and rim-running five Thomas Bryant, and selecting former Indiana center Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft.
The decision to bring back Bryant was a curious one, as his lackluster defense occasionally led to a complete banishment from the team’s rotation. He lacks the offensive upside of Love, a great passer and shooter, or the intriguing defense of Robinson. Bryant’s three-point shooting also fell off mightily, from a career 35.5% on 1.3 triple tries per game to just 18.2% on 0.6 attempts.
The 7′ Robinson went undrafted out of Fresno State in 2022. He inked multiple two-way deals with the Heat in 2022/23, toggling between Miami and its NBAGL affiliate squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He signed a standard deal with the Heat the summer after the team’s 2023 Finals run. Robinson was a fringe rotation player, as a springy, raw big man. He appeared in just 36 contests for Miami in 2023/24, averaging 2.8 points on a .500/.533/.760 slash line. Robinson also chipped in 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists a night.
As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets, ditching Robinson now leaves the Heat with 13 players signed to their 15-man standard roster. The Heat are said to be considering adding at least a 14th player prior to the start of the season.