The Miami Heat announced on Friday that veteran attacker Haywood Highsmith was undergoing a successful operation to restore a meniscal tear in his right knee.
Haywood Highsmith will probably miss the beginning of 2025-26
Highsmith sustained the injury during a recent training session outside the season in his hometown Baltimore. He will immediately start rehabilitation and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks, according to Hoopshypes Michael Scotto.
Per Anthony Chiang from the Miami HeraldThe 35-minute procedure was carried out by heat teamarts Dr. Harlan Selesnick in Doctors Hospital Surgery Center in Miami.
Since Highsmith is set aside for at least two months, this means that he will probably not be ready for the start of the training camp and can still be set aside before the start of the regular 2025-26 season.
According to Basketball referenceHighsmith was released in 213 regular seasonal matches (80 Starts) and played in 35 Play-Off Games (zero Start) during his first four seasons with the heat.
The 28-year-old Highsmith is preparing for his sixth NBA season.
Highsmith joined the heat during the 2021-22 season
After playing in 100 g competition matches and spending the 2020-21 season in the German basketball Bundesliga, Highsmith joined the heat to a 10-day contract during the 2021-22 season.
The Wheeling University product then concluded a three-year deal with the team after setting up solid figures, on average 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds while shot 34.8%.
The role of Highsmith in Miami has continued to grow since then, and last season he has established career heights in games played (74), Starts (42) and minutes per match (24.6).
Moreover, on average he had a career-high 6.5 points and 1.5 assists to go with 3.4 rebounds while shooting 45.8% of the floor and 38.2% of deep.
Miami has signed 14 players for standard contracts
Per PlaceThis coming season, Highsmith owes $ 5.6 million in the second and final year of his contract. He will become an unlimited free agent next summer.
Highsmith is one of the 14 players signed by the heat to standard contracts. Miami still has one open standard schedule place because 15 players on standard contracts are the regular seasonal limit.
In the meantime, Myron Gardner and Vlad Goldin have been signed with two -way contracts. The third two -way slot remains open and may be filled by a training camp player.
An exhibition 10 contract in the NBA is a minimal salary contract of one year with which teams can convert it into a two-way contract before the start of the regular season.
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