{"id":155156,"date":"2025-08-17T12:31:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T16:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=155156"},"modified":"2025-08-17T12:31:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T16:31:40","slug":"why-heat-picked-dru-smith-over-locksmith-haywood-highsmith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/17\/why-heat-picked-dru-smith-over-locksmith-haywood-highsmith\/","title":{"rendered":"Why The Heat Picked Dru Smith Over ‘The Locksmith’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apparently, the Miami Heat’s decision to trade defensive specialist Haywood Highsmith<\/a> wasn’t just about reducing their payroll heading into the season. That’s what it seemed like on the surface<\/a> after they shipped him and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. However, on the heels of that deal, they offered a three-year contract to Dru Smith<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why The Heat Picked Dru Smith Over Haywood Highsmith<\/h2>\n

With a total value of $7.9 million, Smith’s average annual value (AAV) of his contract will be $2.6 million, less than half of what Highsmith is making in 2025-26 ($5.6 million). Thus, from that standpoint, the Heat have still managed to trim down their expenses. In fact, Miami got underneath the luxury tax by trading Highsmith, per Third Apron cap expert Yossi Gozlan.<\/p>\n

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The Miami Heat are signing guard Dru Smith on new a three-year contract, sources tell ESPN. Smith has developed within the Heat program and has overcome season-ending ACL and Achilles tendon injuries in each of the past two years. pic.twitter.com\/q4wjv89FrS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n