The Heat a difficult decision must be made whether they should keep the center Nick Richardswho has a non-guaranteed deal? His $3.1 million salary becomes fully guaranteed if he is on Miami’s roster on opening night, unless the guarantee terms in his contract are changed by then. Anthony Chung of the Miami Herald notes.
“I just take it day by day,” Richards said. “Ultimately, it’s their decision. I mean, I think I come here every day, do my best, play as hard as I can, try to play as hard as I can. I just take it one day at a time.”
coach Erik Spoelstra noted that Richards didn’t discount his chances of making the roster during training camp.
“I like what he brought,” he said. “And it’s not just in games where he gets his minutes, but in practice. He’s a very good rebounder. He can rebound in traffic. He can bounce over the crowd. He can hit balls that are a little bit out of his zone. “And he’s big, big. So he’s good in pick-and-roll coverage. For its coverage, we still need to reinforce some things with it. But it offers something a little different than the other big companies. And I like what he did.”
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards the wing Kishon George averaged 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Wizards last season. With an improved lineup, George may not be assured of a starting spot, but the tradeoff is a much more competitive team. “We play for something real” George said Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com. “We’ve got a whole bunch of talent, and it’s always fun to come here and be confident in the guy next to us, be confident in what’s going on.” George is eligible for an extension next summer.
- magic security guard Anthony Black progressing well after a sprained right ankle, coach SEan Sweeney said Jason Bead of the Orlando Sentinel (Link to Twitter). Black is eligible for a rookie scale extension until the season opener. In another update (Link to Twitter), Beede reports ahead Jonathan Isaacwho missed Orlando’s first two preseason games due to personal reasons, is back on the court.
- Ejiofor’s teethThe 23rd pick in June’s draft, put together a solid game for Hawks on Monday, several regulars will face Oklahoma City. Ejiofor had 15 points and nine rebounds and looked his most relaxed this exhibition season, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Williams adds that his physicality was also a huge asset with smart screens that opened up shots.
