The Miami Heat head into the 2024-25 NBA season with momentum, having won their last four preseason games and showing flashes of brilliance that have fans buzzing about their prospects in the Eastern Conference. Yet, despite the optimism, head coach Erik Spoelstra and team’s management had to make a difficult choice regarding the final roster.
On Saturday, the Heat announced via social media: “OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have waived Nassir Little, Zyon Pullin, Isaiah Stevens, and Warren Washington.” The announcement came ahead of the NBA’s deadline for teams to trim their rosters to 15 players before the regular season.
While these moves were anticipated, it was still a hard pill to swallow for the players involved. All four saw action in Miami’s 114-109 preseason victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum last Friday: Little scored an impressive 15 points in 32 minutes, Pullin added 6 points, while Stevens and Washington had minimal contributions, each scoring two points.
What’s next for the waived players?
According to the Miami Herald, Zyon Pullin, Isaiah Stevens, and Warren Washington are expected to continue their development with the Miami Heat’s G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The organization seems keen on keeping them in the system, and all three are reportedly open to the opportunity.
As for Nassir Little, his five years of NBA experience with the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns may make him a target for other teams, although a stint in Sioux Falls isn’t off the table. Little had other offers before joining the Heat in September but chose Miami, citing the franchise’s strong interest during media day: “The vibe I got from here was that they wanted me the most… I just felt like it was a great fit for me, truth be told.”
The current Heat roster
With these latest cuts, the Heat have filled 14 of the 15 available roster spots for the upcoming season, in addition to three two-way contracts (Keshad Johnson, Josh Christopher, and Dru Smith). The core group includes: Bam Adebayo, Thomas Bryant, Alec Burks, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, Kevin Love, Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, and Kel’el Ware.