TROUBLE BREWING IN MIAMI: Why Heat Faces NBA Rule Problems Bringing Back Familiar Two-Way Player

With the Miami Heat involved in rumors this offseason, the team has also made some lateral moves in signing young players to two-way contracts. One player the Heat signed to a two-way contract was former FAU basketball center Vladislav Goldin, and the other was Myron Gardner, a Summer League standout, but the expected third slot is now shadowed in mystery.It seemed most likely that the third and final two-way spot would go to Dru Smith, who has been with the organization for a few seasons, and before the season-ending injury he suffered last December, had impressed with his play. However, an NBA rule states that Smith can not sign another two-way contract with Miami since he was on such a deal with the team “during three different salary cap years,” according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.While Smith is eligible to sign a two-way contract with any other team in the league because he has fewer than four years of NBA experience, he’s not eligible to sign another two-way deal with the Heat because he has already been on a two-way contract with Miami during three different salary cap years,” Chiang wrote.According to the latest collective-bargaining agreement, ‘no team may sign or convert a player to a two-way contract, or acquire a two-way contract by means of assignment, if, as a result, the player would or could be under a two-way contract for any part of more than three (3) salary cap years with the same NBA team,’” Chiang added