On Thursday, the Miami Heat and Summer League star Josh Christopher agreed to a two-way deal.
The 22-year-old reacted to the news on social media by thanking the Heat and sharing that he’s ready to get to work.
Christopher was named the MVP of the Summer League title game in Las Vegas after he helped the Heat win the championship. In the title game, he dropped 24 points, four rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocks while shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 6-for-10 from deep.
In six Las Vegas Summer League games, Christopher averaged 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per contest. He knocked down 54.1 percent of his shots from the field and 52.5 percent of his shots from 3-point range.
Christopher has some legitimate NBA experience under his belt thanks to his time with the Houston Rockets. He was a first-round pick by the Rockets in 2021 and appeared in 138 regular-season games with them in two seasons.
During that stretch, he averaged 6.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from deep.
In the 2023 offseason, the Rockets moved on from Christopher, sending him to the Memphis Grizzlies, who later waived him. He didn’t see any action in the NBA in the 2023-24 season but did in the G League, even spending some time with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
After showing some potential last season with the Skyforce and then having a strong Summer League showing with the Heat recently, he’s now going to get a chance to prove that he belongs in the NBA once again.
It’s no secret that the Heat have a knack for turning overlooked players into gems, and Christopher could become the latest success story for Miami. In some ways, he seems like a textbook Heat project.
The youngster may or may not play a significant role for Miami in the 2024-25 season, but if his recent Instagram story is any indication, he’s ready to work hard to make the most of his opportunity. He can now use the rest of the offseason to prepare for what the new campaign will hold.