NBA

Heat sign SF Andrew Wiggins to three-year, $64 million contract

The configuring around Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami begins.

Wiggins had a $30.2 million player option for next season, which he opted into as part of this contract. He’ll also now have the same option in 2028, after two years of this new pact.

Wiggins, 31, isn’t the volume scorer he was with the Timberwolves or even the Warriors, but he’s still a solid starter. The swingman should form a solid frontcourt trio with Antetokoumpo and Bam Adebayo, especially on the defensive end. Wiggins isn’t the high-end stopper he was expected to be entering the NBA, but he can still hold his own on the perimeter.

Miami is now tasked with adding low-cost role players around its core. In particular, the Heat need shooting to offset the team’s cramped spacing. Miami would be best served adding spacers in the backcourt, as it already has Bobby Portis to serve the role of stretch big.

I called the Heat a contender when I wrote about the Antetokounmpo trade. I retract that statement, but Miami should still be very competitive in the Eastern Conference. It’s still one or two impactful moves away from realistically battling the Thunder, Spurs and Knicks, however.

Nets sign C Day’Ron Sharpe to two-year, $20 million contract

The Nets declined Sharpe’s team option before inking him to this new deal. Previously, Brooklyn and the center agreed to push back the decision date on the option.

The 24-year-old has evolved into a decent backup center. Sharpe is one of the best rebounders in the sport, though his offensive game has been slow to come along. This season, he shot a career-best 60.1 percent from the floor, so there’ve been small signs of improvement.

He’ll need more than just slight improvement to be worth this contract, however. The Nets entered this summer with significant salary cap space, and they wouldn’t be using some of it on Sharpe if they didn’t believe he can continue to get better. The center becoming a top-30 or so player at his position would certainly match what Brooklyn is hoping for.

Nets sign PF Josh Minott to two-year, $9 million contract

The second season of this two-year pact is a team option.

Minott’s career has already been a bit of winding road. Drafted with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 draft, the Memphis product started his career with the Timberwolves. Minott never really found his footing in Minnesota, as the most minutes he averaged per game across three seasons was just 6.4.

Last year, however, represented a leap for the 23-year-old. He played meaningful minutes for a good Celtics team before being dealt to the Nets. Minott then played even better for Brooklyn, averaging 10.8 points and shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range. His defense has always been high-effort based, though his length and versatility offer further upside on that end.

The Nets, thanks to the second-year team option, are in full control of Minott’s development. If he continues to get better, picking up the option for 2028 will be a no-brainer. If not, Brooklyn can cut the forward loose. In reality, the only opportunity cost lost is a small amount of salary cap space, which the Nets still have a fair bit remaining.

Cavaliers sign C Thomas Bryant to one-year, $3.52 million contract

Bryant is returning to Cleveland for the veteran’s minimum.

The center adequately served in a backup role for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. There’s almost certainly no upside remaining for Bryant, 28, but he’s a decent 13th or 14th man.

The problem, however, is that Cleveland needs someone better than that to play as the a third big behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Bryant can capably eat regular-season minutes, but the Cavaliers can’t trust him in the playoffs, where he averaged just 4.6 minutes per game this year. Bryant isn’t a complete waste of a roster spot, but this is an uninspiring signing.