Former Sun Nassir Little signs veteran minimum deal with the Miami Heat

After one season and an untradeable contract, Phoenix stretched and waived him. He is now fighting for a spot in South Beach.

Not every story ends with Cinderella finding her prince. The magic slipper isn’t always left behind. And why didn’t that magic slipper disappear when midnight struck? I’ve always wondered that…

Last season, the Phoenix Suns were a part of a league-altering trade, one that included Damion Lillard going to the Milwaukee Bucks, paving the way for Jrue Holiday to land with the Boston Celtics. Boston went on to win a championship as a result. On the other side of the trade, as the Suns moved off of the Deandre Ayton contract, they received Keon Johnson, Jusuf Nurkic, and Nassir Little from the Blazers. Grayson Allen joined the team from the Bucks as well.

Johnson was cut, but the four-for-one trade opened the door to roster flexibility, at least within the confines of the second apron. Breaking Ayton’s large contract into smaller ones may not have been beneficial in the moment, but in the long run, it provided the Suns with options.

Of those remaining contracts, one was trouble. One was not a quality price-for-value-paid. It was the contract of Nassir Little, who signed a four-year, $28 million contract with Portland in the summer of 2022.

As a high-up upside player, Little never gained his footing in Rip City, and his luck in Phoenix wasn’t much better. He played in 45 games with the Suns, averaging 3.4 points on 46/30/85 splits. The team attempted to move him this offseason, but with three years left on his deal totaling $21.8 million, no one was biting. The team opted to stretch and waive him after failing to garner anything on the market.

After a little less than a month as a free agent, the 24-year-old wing has found a new home. He signed yesterday on a veteran minimum deal with the Miami Heat.

If there is any organization that has built its foundation on reclamation projects, it’s Miami. “Heat Culture”, right?

Little’s addition brings the Heat closer to the second apron, leaving them just $1.6 million below the ultra-restrictive mark. He’s joined the team on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. He will be fighting for a roster spot in South Beach, and training camp will be important as to whether or not he makes the final roster.