What Orlando Robinson’s new Exhibit 10 deal means for Heat roster. And notes from scrimmage
The battle for the Miami Heat’s two-way contracts is on.
The Heat signed center Orlando Robinson, who went undrafted this year out of Fresno State, to an Exhibit 10 contract on Thursday. Robinson, 21, is a member of the Heat’s summer league team that begins its five-game run in Las Vegas on Saturday against the Boston Celtics (5:30 p.m., NBA TV).
Exhibit 10 deals, which usually represent an invite to training camp, do not count against the salary cap or hard cap and can be converted to a two-way contract or standard one-year minimum contract prior to the start of the regular season. In addition, Exhibit 10 contracts can pay the player from $5,000 to $50,000 if they are waived by their respective NBA team and then move on to that team’s G League affiliate and stays there at least 60 days.
“It will be good for him,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Malik Allen said Thursday of Robinson’s Exhibit 10 deal. “Obviously, he’s got really good size. He’s all of 6-11, long arms. I just think it’ll benefit him, just being in the program, trying to build some consistency.”
Guards Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart currently hold the Heat’s two two-way contracts, but they can be waived at any time to open a spot for another player. Mulder and Smart are also members of Miami’s summer league team this year.
Robinson is an intriguing prospect who is listed at 6-11 and 244 pounds and has a 7-4 wingspan.
Robinson averaged 19.4 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field, 37-of-105 (35.2 percent) shooting on threes and 71.6 percent shooting from the foul line, 8.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior at Fresno State last season. He scored 20 or more points 18 times, grabbed 10 or more rebounds 12 times and recorded 12 double-doubles.
To open summer league at the California Classic in San Francisco, Robinson averaged eight points on 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) shooting from the field, six rebounds, one assist and 1.3 steals in three games.
“I have an opportunity to play here in Miami and Miami is a big developmental spot,” Robinson said last week. “So I’m just going to take this opportunity to the fullest and I’m actually glad to be here. I’ve heard a lot about how Pat Riley and the Miami Heat develop players like Duncan Robinson and a couple other guys. Just seeing that and just knowing my own nature that I feel like Miami is a really good fit for me.”
The Heat typically keeps at least one two-way contract slot open to promote competition among its Exhibit 10 players in training camp. Both of Miami’s two-way deals are currently filled, but that doesn’t mean an Exhibit 10 player can’t impress enough to take their spot.
NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players under contract in the offseason and preseason, a total that includes standard deals, two-way deals and Exhibit 10 deals but does not include those on summer league contracts. Rosters must be cut to a maximum total of 17 players (15 on standard contracts and two on two-way contracts) by the start of the regular season.
The Heat’s roster for this upcoming season currently includes 16 players — 13 on standard contracts, two on two-way deals and Robinson on an Exhibit 10 contract.
HEAT’S SUMMER LEAGUE SCRIMMAGE
Before opening its Las Vegas Summer League schedule, the Heat went through an informal scrimmage against the Wizards’ summer league squad on Thursday afternoon at Mendenhall Center on UNLV’s campus.
The Heat trailed by double digits for most of the scrimmage but made a late run before falling to the Wizards 77-70. Individual and team stats were not provided.
Center Omer Yurtseven did not play in the scrimmage but was back with the Heat’s summer league team after spending time with the Turkish national team as it took part in World Cup qualifying games in recent weeks. Yurtseven is expected to be available for Las Vegas Summer League games, but it’s still to be determined whether he’ll be ready to play Saturday.
Guard Marcus Garrett, who spent part of last season with the Heat on a two-way contract before he was waived in January and underwent surgery on his right wrist, played in Thursday’s scrimmage. Garrett did not play in the California Classic but is expected to take part in Las Vegas Summer League after recently being fully cleared from wrist surgery.
“It was just good to get Marcus back on the floor,” Allen said of Garrett following the scrimmage. “The goal was to kind of bring him along so he was ready to play on Saturday. So this was great for him. He’s disruptive on the ball, he’s competitive. … It was just good to get him back on the floor.”
Yurtseven is on a fully guaranteed standard contract and is on track to be on the Heat’s 15-man roster for next season. Garrett is only on a summer contract competing for an NBA roster spot.
Heat guard Gabe Vincent, head coach Erik Spoelstra, assistant general manager Adam Simon and assistant coach Chris Quinn were among those in attendance for the Las Vegas scrimmage.
▪ Guard Dru Smith, who went undrafted out of Missouri last year, was added to the Heat’s summer league roster.
Smith is a familiar face, as he was a member of the Heat’s summer league team and also attended Heat training camp last year before he was waived prior to the start of the regular season.
This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 6:15 PM.
