The Miami Heat’s signing of free agent guard Kendrick Nunn in April didn’t get a great deal of attention, largely because he had yet to play in an official NBA game.
However, a new report indicates that his offseason work ethic is getting attention, which could make him a player to watch this season.
Hearing a lot of great stuff about Kendrick Nunn from Miami offseason workouts. His name comes up regularly about guys who look good. Always take summer reports with a grain of salt, but when you hear the same name enough, it catches attention. Could be in Heat rotation mix.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 22, 2019
The 24-year-old Nunn played four seasons at the collegiate level, beginning with three seasons at the University of Illinois before then transferring to Oakland University for the 2017-18 season. During that last season, he averaged 25.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Nunn was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, but was signed by the Golden State Warriors as a free agent one month later. During the team’s training camp, they released him, but kept him around to play for their G League team.
Nunn played for the Santa Cruz Warriors, seeing action in 49 games. He averaged 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, coming off the bench in all but one of his appearances.
One likely reason why Nunn has garnered such attention is because the Heat tend to put a premium on players who are willing to embrace the franchise’s focus on work ethic.
Nunn is signed to a 2019-20 contract that is scheduled to pay him $1.42 million, though only $150,000 of that amount is guaranteed. The Heat have a team option for the 2020-21 campaign that would pay him $1.66 million.
Other facets of his contract include a guarantee this season of $300,000 if he’s not released by the team’s opener against Memphis on Oct. 23, and $450,000 if not cut by Dec. 1. He’s also guaranteed an extra $300,000 if not waived by the team’s first regular season game next year.
The Heat’s five-game preseason schedule begins on Oct. 8, when they take on the San Antonio Spurs.
