The Miami Heat are re-signing guard Dru Smith to a three-year contract, according to multiple media reports on Saturday.
Smith, 27, dealt with a torn Achilles tendon last season and a torn ACL about a year earlier. His first-year salary is fully guaranteed, with the second and third years having conditional guarantees, the Miami Herald reported.
Last season, he averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals across 19.1 minutes per game in 14 appearances (one start) before suffering a season-ending injury in December.
For his career, Smith averages 4.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 14.7 minutes in 38 games (two starts) for the Miami Heat (2021-2022, 2023-present) and Brooklyn Nets (2023).
His return comes one day after the Heat traded forward Haywood Highsmith and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a protected 2026 second-round pick. Highsmith was slated to make $5.6 million and the Heat, who want to be below the luxury tax line, are expected to pay Smith no more than half that, per the Herald’s report.
