David Becker / AP
Toronto Raptors' Ben Uzoh, left, and Miami Heat's Norris Cole battle for the ball during an NBA Summer League basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday, July 15, 2012 in Las Vegas.
The Heat ended its Las Vegas Summer League schedule with a thud Saturday, losing 81-55 to Portland while playing without leading scorers
Terrel Harris and
Norris Cole.Heat assistant/summer league coach
David Fizdale, whose team finished the week 3-2, also opted not to use center
Mickell Gladness and forward
Drew Viney, a Loyola Marymount alum who was probably the most impressive of Miamis rookies in Las Vegas.
Center
Dexter Pittman led Miami with 13 points Saturday and had some good moments offensively during the week, averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds.
But he remained foul-prone, committing 21 in 76 minutes.
Harris, who hopes the Heat offers him a new contract, scored 25 points in Miamis victory Friday against the Spurs and averaged 15.5 points on 45.5 percent shooting in four games, with just two turnovers. Cole averaged 13 points, 4.8 assists and 2.3 turnovers and did his best work in Mondays 106-56 thumping of the Lakers.
The Heat, which has 13 guaranteed contracts, eventually will decide whether to sign a veteran center or opt for a young player like Gladness, who played just 12 minutes per game but looked good at times (5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks).
Rookie center
Justin Hamilton, the Heats second-round pick, missed the first two games with a hamstring injury but averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 19 minutes in the other three. He might be stashed in Europe next season.
Jarvis Varnado, another internal candidate at center, played only two games because of an injury (2.0 points and 3.5 rebounds).
Among veteran centers, the Heat has had conversations with
Darko Milicic, whose agent said Saturday there was no update beyond an initial fact-finding inquiry from Miami.
The Heat hasnt ruled out re-signing
Ronny Turiaf if he is interested in taking the $1.2 million minimum.
Miami has not called about
Chris Andersen, who was released by Denver. Power forward
Andray Blatche, amnestied by Washington, could be an option, though Miami did not contact his agent when he initially cleared waivers.