What Does Signing Myron Gardner Mean for The Heat Now and Future?
With the promotion, Gardner is now eligible to play in the postseason. While a playoff berth is not guaranteed, the Heat are 29-27 and sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are four-and-a-half games ahead of 11th-place Chicago. There are also two games back of the sixth-place Philadelphia 76ers.
Also, Miami now has 15 players on standard contracts. Gardner will earn the prorated portion of the veteran minimum. However, the Heat are still well enough below the luxury tax that they could potentially add another veteran via the prorated minimum, according to Ira Windeman of The South Florida Sentinel.
“The shift of Gardner to a standard contract leaves the Heat with enough room under the punitive NBA luxury tax to add another player to the standard contract on a similar prorated share of the veteran-minimum salary, should [Terry] Rozier be waived,” Windeman said. “Such a salary slot potentially could go to a player on the NBA buyout market. Players waived by March 1 are eligible to sign elsewhere for playoff eligibility.”
Gardner has started four games this season. All of his starts have come recently, and most have come with either Andrew Wiggins or Pelle Larson sidelined. So, when the Heat are healthy, Gardner will likely be out of Spoelstra’s rotation, either as the ninth or 10th man.
More significantly, Gardner’s deal means that Miami has 11 players under contract for 2026-27. However, Gardner is not guaranteed as his deal is conditional.
“Can confirm that the Heat has converted Myron Gardner’s two-way contract to a standard contract, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald tweeted. It’s a three-year deal, with conditional guarantees in the second and third seasons, according to a source.
Even if Gardner is on the roster, the Heat will be around $36 million under the projected luxury tax by the end of June. Norman Powell is their key free agent, and Wiggins has a $30.1 millio.n
