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Former Phoenix Suns Star Agrees to Deal With Miami Heat; DETAILS INSIDE
Miami Heat is looking forward to the next campaign after a disappointing exit in the playoff last season.
Nassir Little, a former small forward for the Phoenix Suns, joined the Miami Heat to bolster their frontcourt. The 24-year-old is expected to support Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic, the starting forwards, in the lineup.
Jamie Jaquez Jr. and Duncan Robinson, two bench players from the previous season, each played an average of roughly 28 minutes per game. Little is a small ball four or an athletic wing who aims to break into that rotation.
Little will probably offer some insurance if Robinson's back injury recurs, which kept him out of action for a large portion of the previous campaign.
Little was selected 25th overall in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, where he started his professional career. He only made a few starts, primarily in 2021–2022, but as part of the bigger three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, he was traded to the Suns. The Suns waived Little on August 21st, using the stretch provision.
Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Jimmy Butler will be the Heat's big three. Butler has a player option for the 2025–2026 campaign, so he might be nearing the end of his contract. The pressure is all on the 35-year-old to lead the team back to its previous level after earning close to $48 million this season.
Heat assistant coach Caron Butler stated on SiriusXM NBA Radio that Bam Adebayo ought to have won Defensive Player of the Year last season.
“When you talk about versatility, when you talk about two-way defender, I mean it's a crime that [Bam Adebayo] hasn't won Defensive Player of the Year,” Butler said.
Throughout his seven-year career, the 27-year-old has continuously improved in all areas and was named to his first All-Defensive First Team last year. Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic must also return to full health for the Heat. Last year, Rozier was added shortly before the trade deadline and gave the team much-needed backcourt scoring. However, he suffered a neck injury at the end of the season.
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