The Miami Heat organization is going through some massive changes and when the dust settles, it looks like two Illinois basketball players might be on the roster.
Former Illini big man Meyers Leonard was traded to the Heat in the last week. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers but is now restarting his career in a place that has recently won a championship.
A running mate alongside Leonard this upcoming season could be former Illini guard, Kendrick Nunn. He signed with the Heat this past season on a partially guaranteed contract. What that really means is that Nunn has to show the Heat that he deserves a spot on the team. If he doesn’t there are tiers to his contract when more money is guaranteed, and he would likely be released before then. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald explains it well.
"The Chicago native is on a partially guaranteed $1.4 million standard contract for 2019-20, with $50,000 guaranteed.The next guarantee date for Nunn is Aug. 1, when he will receive an additional $100,000 if he’s not waived by then."
Nunn probably doesn’t want to get waived by the Heat, so he is going to have to show that he is worth the time and money. So far in the NBA Summer League, he has done a great job displaying his talents.
Miami went out to the California summer league where Nunn put his scoring ability front and center. In the two games he played in this session, Nunn averaged 24 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals per game. He shot 43-percent from the field as well.
Nunn has now suited up in two games in the Las Vegas summer league, which features more teams than the Utah and California runs. In the two games, he has averaged 18.5 points, 6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He is also shooting 50-percent from the field.
This great summer league showing by Nunn is coming off a terrific G-League campaign with the Santa Cruz Warriors. When he was out in California with the Warriors, Nunn averaged 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
I think it is fair to say Nunn is on the rise in the NBA. This kid is going to get a chance to stick with a team whether it is with Miami or some other organization. Scoring and the ability to make plays are valued in the NBA. Nunn can do both. It is only a matter of time before he is a full-time rotation player and maybe even a starter.