Orlando Robinson went from Heat backup center to inactive. Now he’s ‘waiting on whatever comes’
Orlando Robinson entered the All-Star break last month as the Miami Heat’s backup center. But the undrafted rookie hasn’t been on the Heat’s active roster since then despite being healthy and available.
There are obvious reasons behind that sudden shift in role for Robinson.
First, the Heat added veteran frontcourt depth during the All-Star break, signing center Cody Zeller and forward Kevin Love. Zeller has replaced Robinson as Miami’s backup center behind starter Bam Adebayo since the break.
Second, Robinson is only eligible to be active for four more games this regular season as part of the restrictions tied to his two-way contract with the Heat. Those on two-way deals are also not eligible to take part in the NBA playoffs, but they can still practice and train with the team during the postseason.
“Obviously, we got two new additions, Cody Zeller and Kevin Love,” Robinson, 22, said ahead of Friday night’s matchup against Cleveland Cavaliers that marks the end of the Heat’s season-long six-game homestand. “... I’m aware of how many days I have left. As of now, I’m just trying to provide any good energy I can and just waiting to see what happens. I never know what’s going to happen. I might go back to the G League or I might stay up here and help the team from the bench. Either way, I’ll be fine.”
The plan is for Robinson to return to Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this weekend for additional playing time that’s no longer there for him with the Heat. Not only has Zeller moved ahead of Robinson on the Heat’s center depth chart, but second-year Heat center Omer Yurtseven also returned to the active roster after surgery on his left ankle forced him to miss the first 65 games of the season.
While Robinson has not played in the G League since December because he has been with the Heat for the last three months, he has been dominant during his limited time with the Skyforce this season. He has averaged 22.8 points and 12.8 rebounds in 10 G League games.
“I spoke with my agent a couple times just to see the reality of the situation, the reality of what they can possibly do,” Robinson said regarding his future with the Heat. “But I’ve just been taking everything as it comes because anything can happen.”
Aside from sending Robinson to the G League for further development as part of his two-way contract, the Heat has a few options when it comes to handling his situation moving forward:
▪ The Heat can convert Robinson’s two-way contract to a standard deal to make him eligible for the remainder of the regular season and any potential playoff run without any restrictions. The problem is Miami’s roster is currently at the maximum of 15 players under standard contracts, but the Heat does have the necessary space to sign him to a minimum contract for the rest of the season (and potentially a multiseason deal) while avoiding the luxury tax this year if it waives a player to make room for him on the 15-man roster.
▪ The Heat can also simply keep Robinson on his two-way contract for the remainder of the season and delay a decision on his future until the summer, but he would only be eligible to be on Miami’s active roster for four more regular-season games this season in this scenario. He can’t be poached by another NBA team while on a two-way deal.
“I’m just waiting on whatever comes and just approach it like I usually do,” he said.
Like when Robinson went from an Exhibit 10 contract at the start of the season to a two-way contract just weeks into the season before spending more than a month as the Heat’s backup center amid Dewayne Dedmon’s struggles in that role.
Robinson, who went undrafted out of Fresno State last year, averaged 2.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19 games since the start of 2023, when his minutes began to tick up. There were some good nights and there were some bad nights, but he now has a better understanding of what it will take to stick in the NBA.
“Just understanding where I’ve come from,” Robinson said. “I was an Exhibit 10 guy playing in the G League and then I got called up. That’s all I wanted, to be able to play in the league, play with all these great players and I had an opportunity do that. I showed what I can do. This opportunity that I’ve been given is a blessing because I’m able to really compete with the best in the league. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid.”
FOURTH-QUARTER CALEB
Caleb Martin is no longer in the Heat’s starting lineup, but he’s still an important part of the closing lineup.
Martin played in all but three seconds of the previous six fourth quarters prior to Friday’s game against the Cavaliers, establishing himself as one of Miami’s closers with the help of his energy on both ends of the court and defensive versatility.
“That defensive tenacity and activity,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked why Martin has become an important part of the team’s fourth-quarter lineups. “These games have been high-scoring wing players or point guards. His versatility, you can put him on a lot of different guys.
“I tell our guys all the time, make us have to play you. Impact the game so much where we can’t take you out of the game and he’s living and breathing that right now. Sometimes it might not even look like that on our card. But hey, you rip up your plans and go a different way if a guy is really competing and really impacting the game and making you have to play him out there.”
INJURY REPORT
Left knee soreness will force Heat point guard Kyle Lowry to miss his 15th consecutive game on Friday against the Cavaliers. He has not played in a game since Feb. 2.
While the Heat has not offered a definitive timetable for Lowry’s return, the belief is he’s close to coming back as he continues to ramp up his basketball work behind the scenes. The expectation is Lowry will return before the end of the season and possibly in the coming days.
The Heat will also be without Nikola Jovic (G League assignment) and Duncan Robinson (illness) on Friday against the Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will be without starting guard Darius Garland because of a right quadriceps contusion. Garland scored 25 points in Wednesday’s win over the Heat.
Following Friday’s game against the Cavaliers in Miami, the Heat travels to take on the Magic in Orlando on Saturday (7 p.m., Bally Sports Sun) to complete the back-to-back set.
This story was originally published March 10, 2023 at 9:00 AM.
