Heat Sign Former NCAA Champion Following COVID Absences

Getty The Miami Heat are facing roster challenges due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Miami Heat are signing one of the more acclaimed college basketball players in recent memory.

Amid a flurry of COVID-19 sit-outs and a vastly depleted roster, the Heat are adding former University of Virginia standout Kyle Guy on a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Guy is best known for leading the Virginia Cavaliers to a national championship in 2019, in which the shooting guard was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“The Miami Heat are signing free agent guard Kyle Guy on a 10-day hardship deal, source tells ESPN,” said Wojnarowski. “He’s been playing with Cleveland’s G League team.”

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Heat Sign Guy Due to Depleted Roster

The Heat entered Tuesday’s victory over the Washington Wizards with just eight available players. In a flurry of unfortunate luck, one player was ruled out just prior to tipoff due to COVID protocols (Max Strus), while the others (Kyle Lowry and Udonis Haslem) were ruled out in the days leading into the game due to protocols.

The Heat also signed guard/forward Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day deal less than a week prior due to the new COVID protocols. They’re now signing Guy following positive tests to three of their key players in the span of three days.

The 6-foot-1 Guy had a prestigious collegiate career, where he was also named a two-time Third-Team All-American shooting guard. However, Guy had also made 34 appearances as a member of the Sacramento Kings over the past two seasons.

After a summer stint with the Golden State Warriors and a training camp invite with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Guy latched on in the G-League with the Canton Charge in October. The 24-year-old had averaged 21.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season.

With the Heat missing three players due to COVID protocols for the foreseeable future and five others due to injury, Guy could make his Heat debut as soon as Wednesday, December 29 versus the San Antonio Spurs.

Heat Win Despite Multiple Players Out

Despite the Heat’s unexpected absences, Miami gutted out a tough 119-112 victory over one of their top East rivals in the Wizards.

After leading for much of the night by double digits over a potential playoff foe, the Heat moved to a season-best nine games over .500 .

“The whole league is adjusting to it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in the postgame media availability. “I commend everybody for working together through all of this.”

The Heat were forced to make sudden pregame adjustments when their key guard, Strus, was ruled out due to COVID protocols. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 11.0 points (sixth on the team) on .404 shooting from beyond the arc in just 23.1 minutes per game.

“When things happen or things change, you’ve just got to adjust to it and overcome it,” Strus said just prior to game time. “I mean, that’s what we’re really working with in the world right now.”

The Heat will look to continue their hot run in the face of adversity as they take on teams with losing records (Spurs, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings) in their next three games. Miami has now won four consecutive games and is 8-2 in their last 10 games.