The Miami Heat’s unfinished roster is delaying the next stage of their developmental program.
Miami plans to sign undrafted forwards Ezra Ausar and Ian Schieffelin to Exhibit 10 contracts, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman and the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Both played for the Heat during NBA Summer League.
Those agreements are not expected to become official until Miami fills two vacancies on its standard roster.
The Heat have only 12 players signed to standard contracts. They must reach 14 before completing deals containing Exhibit 9 language, which protects teams financially if a player suffers an injury during training camp.
Miami appears positioned to use the remaining portion of its midlevel exception on one veteran and a minimum contract on another. The challenge is that its most prominent options remain unavailable at those preferred prices.
Miami Preserving Midlevel Exception for Klay Thompson
Getty Klay Thompson remains the Miami Heat’s top target despite DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal both available in free agency.
Klay Thompson remains Miami’s preferred target, but he is still under contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas has explored trades involving the four-time champion and remains resistant to buying out the final season of his contract. Thompson is owed approximately $17.5 million.
The Heat appear to be preserving the roughly $6.5 million remaining from their midlevel exception in case Thompson becomes a free agent. That offer could help Miami compete with the Los Angeles Lakers and other contenders limited to the veteran minimum.
DeMar DeRozan is already an unrestricted free agent after the Sacramento Kings waived him July 6. The six-time All-Star averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds across 77 games last season.
DeRozan has interest in Miami, but teams with midlevel-exception money available have contacted him, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. That gives the 37-year-old little incentive to accept the veteran minimum at this stage of free agency.
Miami could redirect its remaining midlevel money toward DeRozan, but doing so would eliminate the financial advantage it is preserving for Thompson.
Bradley Beal also remains unsigned after declining his $5.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in July that Beal’s contract decision will be influenced by the money he surrendered to secure his 2025 buyout from the Phoenix Suns.
Beal relinquished nearly $14 million in that agreement. Although his Clippers contract allowed him to recover a portion of it, Fischer estimated that Beal still has almost $7 million left to recoup. That makes a veteran-minimum agreement unlikely unless his market fails to develop.
Heat’s Camp Deals Remain on Hold
GettyIan Schieffelin of the Miami Heat dunks against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ausar, a 6-foot-9 power forward, averaged 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and one steal during his final college season at Southern California.
Schieffelin followed an unconventional route. After four basketball seasons at Clemson, he played eight football games as a tight end before returning to basketball with Miami’s Summer League team.
“It’s a huge blessing,” Schieffelin said in July. “Not many people can really say that they’ve done kind of what I’ve done over the past year.”
The Heat also remain on track to sign Tre White and J’Vonne Hadley to Exhibit 10 contracts. Keyshawn Hall is another possibility, although he is considering returning to college for a fifth season.
Each prospect is expected to compete for a two-way contract. Winderman identified White as a potential front-runner after his strong Summer League showing.
Miami’s path is narrow: preserve the midlevel exception for Thompson and find a minimum signing elsewhere, or pivot toward DeRozan or Beal.
Until that decision is made, the Heat’s veteran search and developmental plans will remain on hold.
Heat Have 2 Roster Moves Lined Up Amid Klay Thompson Pursuit