The Miami Heat left the 2024 NBA Draft with two players: Indiana center Kel’el Ware, who they drafted No. 15 overall, and Arizona guard Pelle Larsson, who they selected No. 44 after trading back one spot with the intradivision rival Atlanta Hawks.
But they got right to work right after, similar to what they–and all other 29 organizations–do every year with the undrafted pool. One of the first players who found a home right after the final pick was announced was Arizona forward Keshad Johnson, signing a two-way deal with the Heat.
It’s hard to make clear assumptions through a Summer League lens, but Johnson has more than justified his two-way contract through three Summer League games. After his outburst on Wednesday, Johnson wants to justify his fit in #HEATCulture™:
“I wasn’t drafted, but the Miami Heat–they chose me, they bet on me,” he said after Wednesday’s 80-76 win against the Los Angeles Lakers in their final California Classic contest. “I feel like I’m a Heat Culture guy and I just want to display that as I go on this court.
“The opportunity that the coaches are giving me, the trust that the coaches are giving me, I’m just trying to do my job. I know my role and I want to perfect it. I want to be the best player for the team–whatever it takes to win.”
The Heat did not suit up Ware, Cole Swider or undrafted guard Isaiah Stevens, who was one of the team’s best guards through their first two games. That allowed Keshad Johnson–in addition to Alondes Williams, Josh Christopher and Zyon Pullin, Miami’s other two-way–to expand their wings.
Johnson was the best player on the court Wednesday. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals. He was everywhere on the defensive end while making a sizable impact offensively.
Keshad Johnson finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and six stocks — three steals and blocks apiece — on 8-of-14 shooting.
What a performance from Miami’s two-way gem tonight.
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) July 11, 2024
He’s made the most of his limited opportunity. In three California Classic games, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks on 50.0 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent (4-12) from 3-point range with a 58.1 true-shooting percentage.
It’s a minor sample, but he’s the type of player that sticks in the Heat organization. With Jaime Jaquez Jr. expected to play the first two summer league games in Las Vegas, Nev., it will be interesting to see how Johnson capitalizes on his role alongside Ware and Larsson. In the end, he wants to continue to prove he can fit #HEATCulture™.
“I feel like I’m raw. I got a raw talent,” he told reporters after Wednesday’s win. “There’s still a lot of stuff that’s unstretched. You’ll see a glimpse of me doing stuff instinctual.
“Throughout my career, I want to keep making an emphasis that I’m willing to do everything, that I’m gritty. I want that to be my identity. I want to make an example of how much of a Heat Culture guy that I am. I really mean it.”
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Jamal Cain stays on a 2-way deal, but heads to the Pelicans. I think he’ll have a future in this league. Guess I gotta trust the Heat 2-way pipeline, they’ve had too much success to question their decisions. But I’ll be comparing all these guys to Cain this season.
cant wait for the bam mount edey matchup.edey makes joker look small.mount edey fairly agile,no fat on him.i was dreaming of a mt edey bam frontcourt but riley again was ___.coolio for gm i swear our team would be better im fkn serious.sick of riley .80years old father time gets to gms to.mickey pls email sun man pls pls team has a stale odor to it.need new direction .thanks for about 3 decades of good to great bball.but its time pat to retire.i admire u and shula the two most of any sports gm.coaches btw
just saw edey in action. a little bit agile vs heat’s ware. well just a little. good thing he’s in west conf.
wish pat would have moved up offered ty to memphis duncan to for mount edey.hesgonna be best rookie in a very weak draft experts are saying manila
Tough to move up. Heat maybe could have traded a future first and a swap with the Spurs, a la Minnesota. But otherwise there was no trade for Edey. Plus that would have eaten Highsmith out of the salary cap, and kicked Jovic out of the starting lineup. Just not the right guy at the right time for the Heat to make a move like that
rather have mount edey than jovic or hh.not sure jovic is a quality nba player.hes a 6 10 guy stands in the corner,better work on that 3pt shot.cant take it to hoop vs nba players,can do it in europe.hes very young just not sure what his game is.
the heat is incredible down here manila and jimmy hasnt even scored a basket
yeah I’m surprised he dropped as far as he did. Very surprised the Spurs passed on him twice. Pistons certainly could have used him. I’m not saying he’ll be an all-star, but he looks like a good player.
can’t blame the Heat, I think all the best players went in the top-12. Hopefully Ware can evolve into a Hassan Whiteside style player off the bench behind Bam and Jovic
whiteside minus the attitude hehe
tomorrow heat celtics 630 think nba tv.warewolf our starting center will play.jaime playing also
Houston has a good future jimmys from houston hmmm
I was calling for trade months ago. Can get one asshole (Brooks), 1-2 good young players and a draft pick. I would do it…then look at making another trade elsewhere.
I dont want jimmy traded once u do this season ova.With jim and some good fortune could contend
MIAMI HEAT NEWS CAIN TAKEN BY PELICANS
Good luck Jamal! Good guy.
Once not on the heat who cares,Only care about heat players.Once they put on a diff uni good riddance.Like an ex gf or wife.cain will make more $$ than me and u prob for lifetime coolio
MIAMI HEAT NEWS!!! Nikola Jovic Is DEALING With a MAJOR ANKLE INJURY!!! (Will Miss The Olympics)
Is Niko is going to be injury prone? If so, maybe he shouldn’t be penciled in as starting PF. Jaquez at SF and Jimmy at PF works for me until Heat ready to slide Ware in at C and Bam at PF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YleHDoOCWL4
go with ware at center sunman.hes a rim protector rebounder already..how could u not.what does jovic do good answer nothing.what cant he do answer nothing.hes ok at everything ,dribbling shooting defense passing. he has average player written all over him,thats way i see it.has not flashed anything special.jjj has flashed he can be pretty good
Ware only 20 years old. He is probably not ready to start immediately. He may need weight room, training, experience and self-confidence acquired against NBA level talent before he will be ready to play significant rotation minutes or eventually start.
If your good your ready to go.U cant have bam at center with a lesser jimmy now.Centers are not built like bam power forwards are.Wre should start just to give us size defense.Let bam score more and ware cover for dunc and tys blowbys
Yup. I wrote earlier that it is unrealistic to expect Ware to start. I think he’ll start as backup center and work his way to starter after the season begins. Maybe by mid season. The sooner the better.
1st rnd pick #15.wouldnt u like to see bam at pf .jimmy sf jaime 2g terry pg or lineup .bam c jovic pf jim sf ty 2g terry pg
heat already rescinded qualifying offers for both Cole swider and alondes Williams
What that means?
It means we like other guys we have on the team more than these two. They are now unrestricted free agents
Thank you. I would expect both with some kind off contract.
Interesting player, I wonder why he wasnt drafted. I think he is better then a lot of guys they were.
Good defender for sure, and his shooting looks smooth. He can distribute too.
A player to watch for sure.
He should have been drafted in second round (projected anywhere from early to late). I think he was not drafted because of his age (23) and 3 point shooting (34.5%). However, Johnson converted 39.6% of his catch-and-shoot threes this season (83 attempts). Bottom line, I think he was a steal as an undrafted signee.
(https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/2024-nba-draft-two-prospects-being-underrated-by-consensus-01hy3m9ds34w
Yep, it seems hi is a better shooter from midrange then from distance.
we need to get lucky with somebody.hopefully this guy can be ready to ball this year.
I can see this guy working his way into the rotation in 1-2 years. All he needs is a consistent 3 point shot to be a 3&D player.
Really dug this dude’s interviews, would be awesome if he panned out nicely seems like exactly what the Heat are looking for
Yup. He knows his role and why he’s on the team. He will be a rotation player in the near future.
As Tobin would say… “Goosies!” lol
Saying the right things. If the action follows the words, we have something special on our hands.
You never know who is going to make the jump. Most don’t as they never get quite enough time to adjust. But, if one has the physical features that are close to an ideal body type, it’s Johnson. Someday, somewhere in the league, one of these guys is going to emerge as a late bloomer. I’m surprised, in fact, that it doesn’t happen more often.
spo goes with vets love blocked orob,dunc blocked cainthink cain can be a good 2 way player
Not just Love, but Bryant too, blocked ORob. But, ORob had some chances too. It’s really hard for a player to break thru because if ORob was going to adjust to the NBA, he, or almost if any other GLeaguer was, and I am referring to the few who do have the talent and make the effort, those players still would need probably at least double the amount of PT ORob was given. Maybe Spo Is especially hard on rookies, but all GLeaguers are lucky to get a fair chance.
In recent years, Spo has played Bam, Herro, Duncan, Vincent, Nunn, Strus, Highsmith, Jovic, and Jaquez, all young players. The vet thing was a lot more true in the Riley years, with players like Payton, Mason, Williams, Shandon Anderson, amongst others.
He never got steady minutes he got pulled so fast.
If orob was a 2nd round pick, he would of probably gotten more minutes then Bryant, but since he was undrafted it was always gonna be hard for him to climb up the rotation with higher pedigree players in front of him. Resigning Bryant should let you know what they think about him, even if you or someone else disagrees with that choice.
Hopefully he takes advantage of his time in Houston. I think he can be a solid backup.
I hope so too.. he deserves some consistent pt.
Never got it here.Thomas journey man no talent old man bryant over him another spo scratcher.Luckily got lots of itches on body.
True, but Bryant was the better rebounder, and a better energy guy.
Its the liam eichenberg syndrome.