Plenty of things can be taken away from the Miami Heat’s decision to sign Dru Smith after trading Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets. The biggest one: Head coach Erik Spoelstra is planning to play small.
Potentially really small.
Yes, the Heat went from (an injured) Highsmith to bringing back Smith in part because it fit with their plan to get under the luxury tax. They also didn’t need to cut payroll. They have until the end of the 2025-26 season calendar to shave dollars and cents off the bottom line.
Signing Smith is more of a deliberate decision than incidental offshoot.