the heat waived Jamaree Bouyea and Caleb Daniels to sign Jon Elmore and Check Dialloinformed the team of a press release. Elmore was then released to make room RJ Hamptonwho will take the two-way slot of Bouyea.
Maybe it’s no coincidence that Miami has all of these moves lined up after the team didn’t trade for Damian Lillard. The longtime star of the Trail Blazers was surprisingly sent to the Bucks in a blockbuster three-team.
A former first-round pick (24th overall in 2020), Hampton was sent to Orlando from Denver during his rookie season as part of the Aron Gordon trade. Last fall, the Magic declined their fourth-year team option on the young guard, and his playing time was reduced.
Orlando waived Hampton after the February trade deadline and acquired the Pistons, but his two-year contract is only guaranteed through the remainder of 2022/23. Detroit released him in late June before his ’23/24 salary became guaranteed, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Overall, Hampton averaged 6.4 PPG and 1.9 RPG on .430/.353/.750 shooting in 47 games (16.0 MPG) last season. He has appeared in a total of 162 games with the Nuggets, Magic and Pistons during his three seasons in the NBA.
Still just 22 years old, the Heat will take a flier on Hampton and see if they can turn him into a more consistent player. 2023/24 will be his final season of eligibility for a two-way contract. Hampton’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and make him eligible for 50 regular season contests.
As for Diallo, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract and will compete for a roster spot in training camp, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). A native of Mali, Diallo has five years of NBA experience with the Pelicans, Suns and Pistons, appearing in 183 regular season games with career averages of 5.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG from 2016-22. .
Last season, Diallo played in Japan and Puerto Rico. The 27-year-old big man was the 33rd overall pick in 2016.
As previously mentioned, Bouyea is on a two-way deal. It’s possible he received a $75K partial guarantee as part of his contract — that’s the maximum protection a two-way player can get in ’23/24. Either way, that number doesn’t count against the Heat’s salary cap. The 6’2″ point guard appeared in five NBA games as a rookie last season with Miami and Washington, both on 10-day deals.
Daniels and Elmore likely received Exhibit 10 contracts, which would make them eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Miami’s NBA G League affiliate, Sioux Falls Skyforce. Elmore, who has international experience, was a rotation regular for the Skyforce last season. Daniels, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Villanova in June.
As our tracker shows, Miami’s roster remains at an offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, with 12 players on guaranteed standard deals and all three two-way slots filled.