The full implications of the Miami Heat signing Zyon Pullin to a contract

peter2dewey@yahoo.com'
3 Min Read
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat signed guard Zyon Pullin to an Exhibit 10 contract on Monday, paving the way for the young guard to potentially end up with Miami’s G League affiliate.

According to Heat insider Ira Winderman, Pullin will likely receive some guaranteed money from the Heat, and he cannot be signed away by another team. This clears the path for the Heat to keep Pullin as an option in the G League instead of him joining another franchise this offseason.

Pullin entered Summer League on a two-way deal with the Heat, but Miami ended up waiving him in order to sign former first-round pick Josh Christopher to a two-way deal.

Christopher had a massive showing in Summer League and helped lead Miami to a title in Las Vegas.

Now, Pullin will get another chance to impress the Heat coaching staff and front office, and he could eventually earn a deal with the franchise in a future season or in the 2024-25 season if the Heat open up a roster spot for him.

For now, it appears the most likely path for the former University of Florida guard is the G League.

During the 2023-24 season at Florida, Pullin put up some impressive numbers. He averaged 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from beyond the arc.

After beginning his collegiate career at the University of California, Riverside, Pullin showed that he can produce at a high level in a bigger conference during his one season at Florida. A two-time All-Big West selection and a one-time All-SEC selection, Pullin certainly has an impressive resume as he enters the professional ranks.

The Heat have a knack for finding undrafted players that end up contributing to their rotation, and Pullin could be the next player to join that club.

In fact, Miami has found a solid guard from the Big West Conference before, as guard Gabe Vincent played in the conference for four seasons at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Vincent ended up helping Miami reach the NBA Finals in the 2022-23 season and eventually signed a major contract in free agency with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Heat would love it if Pullin can prove himself on his Exhibit 10 contract and eventually find his way onto their roster as a contributing player.

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Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.