An update on Myron Gardner, and other notes from Heat’s summer league practice in Las Vegas
.jpg "Myron Gardner #15 of the Miami Heat drives against Keshon Gilbert #51 of the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida.")
One year ago, forward Myron Gardner earned a two-way contract from the Miami Heat by impressing during summer league. But Gardner won’t have the same summer league opportunity this offseason.
Gardner, who was since promoted to a standard contract by the Heat in February, was sent back to Miami to continue treatment on a sprained left ankle that he sustained early in the Heat’s summer league opener at the California Classic in San Francisco on Friday.
With the Heat beginning Las Vegas Summer League on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks Friday (4 p.m., WPLG Local 10 and Prime Video) at Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV’s campus, Gardner will miss the entire Las Vegas circuit. Miami’s summer league squad will play at least five games in Las Vegas, with only the two teams that make the championship game playing a sixth game.
Gardner, 25, exited the Heat’s summer league opener after playing the first seven minutes because of his sprained ankle. Those are the only seven minutes that he ended up playing in summer league this year.
“It’s tough for him individually,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Wayne Ellington said following Wednesday’s practice in Las Vegas. “I felt like he was going to have a great summer league. He’s been in the gym all offseason, working, grinding. So it’s tough, but it’s basketball. It’s part of it. And he’ll still get his opportunities to get out there on the floor and show his development and things that he’s worked on this summer so far.”
Gardner has made a strong impression on Heat coaches over the last year with his relentless energy and hustle on both ends of the court, going from unsigned last summer to now holding a standard contract with the Heat.
But Gardner still has more to prove, as he only has $500,000 of his $2.6 million salary for next season currently guaranteed.
Gardner wasn’t always in the Heat’s rotation last season, but he provided a big boost of energy whenever his name was called.
Gardner’s physicality and energy on both ends of the court led to him playing in 45 games with the Heat last regular season after not playing in any NBA games prior to getting to the Heat last offseason. His style of play irritated plenty of opponents along the way, too, as he was involved in a few verbal altercations throughout the season with players like Klay Thompson and Scotty Pippen Jr.
Gardner, who went undrafted in 2023 out of Little Rock, averaged 3.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and one assist in 9.1 minutes per game while shooting 48% from the field and 26 of 64 (40.6%) from three-point range in his 45 appearances (seven starts) for the Heat last regular season. The Heat outscored opponents by 8.4 points per 100 possessions with Gardner on the court last regular season.
This and that
▪ Three veterans from the Heat’s main roster (Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic and Davion Mitchell) were with the Heat for Wednesday’s summer league practice in Las Vegas.
Adebayo and Jovic went through a workout together on an adjacent court, and Mitchell watched the Heat’s summer league team practice on Wednesday.
▪ Forward Keshad Johnson was around the Heat’s summer league squad for the California Classic in San Francisco despite Miami declining to extend him a qualifying offer this offseason.
There was believed to be a possibility that Johnson would be added to the Heat’s summer league roster for the Las Vegas schedule, but he wasn’t with the team for practice on Wednesday and has not yet been added to the team. Johnson, who has spent the last two seasons with the Heat after going undrafted in 2024, is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
