A familiar face just might return to the Miami Heat this upcoming season.
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that the Heat and free agent forward Dorell Wright have maintained contact with one another, and Miami has expressed the willingness to continue talking in the near future. Jackson states the following in his weekly Sunday column:
“The Heat has maintained contact with the representation for Portland and former Heat free agent forward Dorell Wright and expressed willingness to continue talking. But Miami has not made an offer to this point.
“If the Heat decides to offer a minimum deal in September and he accepts, Wright would be the favorite over James Ennis (who has a non-guaranteed deal) for the 15th roster spot, barring trades.”
This becomes an interesting development because James Ennis no longer has a guaranteed contract at the moment. It is well-known that Ennis struggled drastically during the summer league to the point where both Ennis and the Heat agreed to alter his contract so that his salary wouldn’t become guaranteed at the beginning of August.
Wright previously played with the organization from 2004 until 2010. He was initially selected by Miami as the 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft straight out of high school. His best year came during the 2010-11 season with the Golden State Warriors when he averaged 16.4 points on 37.6 percent from three-point range.
Outside of the Heat and Warriors, Wright has also played with the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers. During the 2014-15 season, Wright appeared in just 48 games with two starts for the Blazers while averaging 4.6 points on 37.9 percent from the field.
Though he has played 11 seasons in the NBA, Wright remains just 29 years of age. Due to his familiarity with coach Erik Spoelstra and the organization, the veteran small forward could immediately step in and become a key member of the rotation.
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