Getty Former South Carolina guard A.J. Lawson left the Miami Heat for the Atlanta Hawks.
Former South Carolina guard A.J. Lawson apparently had enough of Miami Heat Culture. Or maybe he was upset over riding the pine on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets. Either way, the undrafted rookie is off the summer league roster.
Lawson, 6-foot-6 rookie guard from Canada, decided to leave the Miami Heat and join the Atlanta Hawks (via the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang) for the remainder of the summer. He scored two points in 11 minutes during Miami’s summer league opener versus the Los Angeles Lakers on August 3, then chalked up a DNP on August 8 against the Denver Nuggets in what was ruled a coach’s decision.
Interesting to see a young player jump ship like that, although not totally unprecedented. Undrafted guys like Lawson are trying to play their way into a two-way contract and NBA teams only give out two of those every year. For example, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus were awarded two-way contracts from the Heat last season.
Here is how two-way contracts work (via Slam Magazine):
Two-way contracts are contracts that allow for a player to play for both the NBA and the G League while being under the control of an NBA franchise for the duration of that season. These contracts are limited to two per team and can only be given to players with less than four years of NBA experience. Players on a two-way contract do not count against an NBA team’s 15-man roster.
Undrafted South Carolina guard AJ Lawson left the Heat’s summer league team to join the Hawks’ summer squad.
Lawson probably looked up and down the Miami roster and realized it was going to be tough sledding sticking around. Dru Smith and Marcus Garrett have been outstanding through early summer league play for Miami. They are the leading candidates to grab roster spots for the 2020-21 campaign.
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Scouting Report on South Carolina Star
Lawson wasn’t initially invited to the NBA Draft Combine despite a stellar junior season at South Carolina. He averaged a career-high 16.6 points per game last year while shooting 35.1% from three-point range. The silky smooth shooter left school with 1,153 points and 164 triples, the latter ranked eighth in program history. And his durability – 80 starts out of a possible 81 games – was unrivaled in three years at South Carolina.
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘭-𝘚𝘌𝘊 🏀🔥
But it took a strong showing at the NBA G League Elite Camp to finally get on people’s radars and earn a late invite to the combine in late June. Once there, Lawson impressed in two scrimmage games – 12.5 points and eight rebounds per game – while blowing everyone away with his measurables. He ranked fourth in the max vertical leap and standing vertical, plus tied for first in the three quarter sprint.
Two Open Roster Spots Remain for Miami
In addition to adding two-way players, Miami has two vacancies on their normal 15-man roster following the free agency frenzy. Udonis Haslem has been widely assumed to be in line to take one of them, but that leaves one remaining spot. Let’s take a look at three possible players to consider:
LaMarcus Aldridge: The seven-time All-Star abruptly retired in mid-April due to concerns over an irregular heartbeat. But the 15-year NBA veteran has expressed a desire to return – assuming he receives medical clearance, via ESPN – and the Heat flirted with Aldridge at last year’s buyout deadline. The 6-foot-11 big man could provide serious depth behind star center Bam Adebayo and next to key reserve Dewayne Dedmon.
ESPN Sources: After medical consultation, seven-time All-Star F LaMarcus Aldridge is seriously considering a return to the NBA this season. Aldridge retired with Brooklyn in mid-April with heart concerns, but is exploring the possibility of resuming his 15-year career.
Avery Bradley: There are question marks at the point guard spot after Kyle Lowry. Kendrick Nunn is gone. Tyler Herro is more of a shooting guard. Ditto Victor Oladipo. And Gabe Vincent is still young and raw. Enter Bradley who could provide veteran leadership at a cheap price, plus he has (very limited) experience in Erik Spoelstra’s system from last year.
J.J. Redick: He’s one the NBA’s purest three-point shooters: 41.5% from deep for his career on 5.0 attempts per game. He saw action in 44 games last season while bouncing between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks. Redick would solve a lot of problems as a reliable role player and leader, plus he has an existing relationship with Jimmy Butler from their days together on the Philadelphia 76ers.
After a 25 point night, JJ Redick caught up with @SerenaWinters to talk the success, Embiid’s dominance and Jimmy Butler.
(He had his shoes on for this, we think).
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Rookie Guard Ditches Heat for Hawks at NBA Summer League