Max Strus and Gabe Vincent may be gone from the Miami Heat, but it seems that their brotherhood remains intact. Vincent recently held a basketball camp, with Strus showing his support and seemingly making an appearance based on his Instagram story.
The two 27-year-olds have had quite inspiring NBA journeys. Both entered the league as undrafted players and have become successful at the professional level.
Vincent first tried his luck in the G League, where he was able to showcase his outstanding potential. He seemingly impressed the Heat front office, which signed him to a two-way contract in the middle of the 2019-20 campaign. The University of California, Santa Barbara product never looked back, slowly carving a key role in Miami’s rotation over the years.
The 2021-22 season saw Vincent become a part-time starter for the Heat, starting in 27 of his 68 regular season appearances and eight of his 18 playoff appearances. In last season’s playoffs, he was promoted to a full-time starter.
On the other hand, Strus’ NBA debut didn’t come in a Heat uniform, as his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, gave him a shot in the 2019-20 season, using a two-way contract. Incidentally, the marksman’s first NBA match was against Miami.
Like Vincent, Strus showed dedication to his craft, earning a two-way spot with the Heat in the 2020-21 campaign and winning a role in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, thanks in large part to his outside shooting.
The former Heat players were essential to the franchise’s run to the NBA Finals in the 2022-23 campaign. Without them, it’s unclear if Miami would have been able to get through the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks or Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for Miami, their performances also served as their audition pieces for their current teams.
The Heat probably would have loved to retain them, but it seems the organization couldn’t afford them anymore, considering how big Strus’ and Vincent’s contracts with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers are.
It remains to be seen how Miami will address losing two playoff starters. But for now, the franchise still seems focused on acquiring a bigger fish in Damian Lillard.