Heat’s Jamal Cain, still a restricted free agent, with something to prove in summer league
Forward Jamal Cain still doesn’t know what his NBA future holds, but he’s just trying to focus on the present because what he does now could dictate what’s ahead.
After spending last season on a two-way contract with the Miami Heat, Cain remains a restricted free agent this summer. That gives the Heat the ability to match outside offers to either bring him back on a two-way deal or promote him to a standard contract to be on the 15-man roster for this upcoming season — or simply let him sign elsewhere.
That uncertainty has created a little extra motivation for Cain in summer league to prove he deserves a spot in the NBA. The Heat will play its third of five summer league games in Las Vegas on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks (5:30 p.m., NBA TV).
“Of course it is,” Cain said when asked whether his unresolved contract situation is a source of motivation this offseason. “But me personally, I’m just trying to focus on the present moment. If I don’t do what I have to do here, there won’t be a contract.”
So far, so good for Cain despite a sprained ankle that forced him to miss the Heat’s first summer league game this year.
After sitting out the Heat’s summer league opener, Cain has averaged 15 points, 5.3 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 5 of 9 (55.6 percent) from three-point range in the next three summer league games.
As a player who will likely need to be a reliable 3-and-D weapon to find a consistent role in the NBA, the development of Cain’s three-point shot is important to his future in the league. So it’s no surprise that part of his game has been a focus for him in offseason developmental work.
Cain, who shot just 29.8 percent on threes in his final college season, shot a respectable 37.5 percent on 3.7 three-point attempts per game in the G League and 7 of 20 (35 percent) from three-point range in limited playing time with the Heat as a rookie last season. He’s hoping to continue improving his three-point efficiency in his second NBA season.
“Definitely trying to put up more threes, shoot a higher percentage,” said Cain, who went undrafted out of Oakland University last year. “Because as you know, my last year in college I shot maybe 20 percent. So that’s definitely been something I’ve been focused on. I just want to come out here and showcase that I can hit the three.”
On the other end of the court, the Heat challenged Cain to be a “lockdown defender” in summer league with his combination of athleticism and size at 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds. He has the potential to be a versatile defender who can effectively guard most positions on the court.
“That was the call to action prior to coming to summer league that we want you to be a lockdown defender,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Caron Butler said when asked about Cain’s defense. “With your length, with your ability, you’re mobile and you’re quick, you have to show that you can impose your will on some of the best offensive players and have an impact.”
Cain, 24, is entering his second season in the Heat’s developmental program after averaging 22.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 15 regular-season games with the organization’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
In limited NBA playing time as a rookie, Cain’s best performance came in the Heat’s regular-season finale. He totaled 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, five rebounds, one assist and two steals in the Heat’s win over the Orlando Magic on April 9 to close the regular season.
“I think just his confidence, he always had that,” Butler said of Cain’s growth over the past year. “But specifically, his midrange shot and being able to play off the ball. When he was in the G League, he had the ball in his hands a lot, isolation stuff, a lot of dribbles. But here, getting off of it, playing off better players. He’s learned so much and he understands where he needs to be from a spacing standpoint on the floor.”
The next step for Cain is earning some clarity on his NBA future. The Heat currently has two open spots on its 15-man roster and one of its three two-way contract slots is empty, and a potential trade for Damian Lillard could create more openings on Miami’s roster.
As Cain catches the attention of other teams around the NBA through his play in summer league, he hopes to continue his development with the Heat.
“I’m just trying to do what I can here to make sure I get a contract,” he said.
