The Miami Heat reportedly are adding a guard and bringing back a forward with the signing of Alondes Williams to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract and re-signing of Jamal Cain.
The Miami Heat are signing former Wake Forest standout guard Alondes Williams to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Williams appeared in one game for Nets last season and averaged 13.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 2.9 APG for G League Long Island.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 11, 2023
Miami Heat forward Jamal Cain is signing his qualifying offer and returning on a two-way contract, Shayaun Saee of @OneLegacySports tells ESPN. Cain played 18 games as an undrafted rookie last season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 11, 2023
They are among the few roster moves the Heat have made this offseason as they await a resolution to Damian Lillard’s trade request from the Portland Trail Blazers and his desire to wind up with Miami.
Williams played one game for the Brooklyn Nets while spending most of last season with the Long Island Nets in the G League. The guard recently turned 24 years old and played for Miami during NBA Summer League, averaging 6.4 points per game in five appearances.
Cain played 18 games for the Heat in his NBA rookie season, averaging 5.4 points per outing. The 24-year-old contributed to Miami’s Summer League performance by averaging 15.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in six appearances.
An Exhibit 10 contract is for the league minimum salary and allows teams to be able to waive players and either designate them for the G League or turn the deals into two-way contracts.
Williams is an intriguing prospect, having been the 2021-22 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year at Wake Forest University. He will look to become the latest undrafted success story for the Heat, joining Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Caleb Martin, among others.
Vincent and Strus moved on from Miami this offseason, securing lucrative contracts in going to the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively, after raising their profiles while helping the Heat reach the 2023 NBA Finals.
Cain did not play for the Heat in the 2023 playoffs. The forward appeared in three regular season games in April after being recalled from the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The Heat have been trying to replenish their roster depth while at the same time waiting out the Lillard trade scenario this offseason. Miami and Portland have yet to come to a deal for the 33-year-old, with the Heat’s latest trade package reportedly consisting of multiple first-round picks, expiring contracts, a young player (possibly Nikola Jovic), Tyler Herro going to a third team for assets and potentially more.
Even if Lillard does arrive, there could be opportunities for both Williams and Cain to contribute as the Heat try to contend for another championship.
