The Miami Heat finished their California Classic Summer League journey with a dominant victory against the Golden State Warriors.
The NBA Summer League is a golden opportunity for undrafted or out-of-league players to showcase their skills to organizations.
During the Miami Heat vs Golden State Warriors Summer League clash, one player did exactly that by leading his team to a 93-79 win.
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesKira Lewis Jr. shines in Miami Heat’s easy win over the Golden State Warriors
While Kira Lewis Jr. may be competing for a spot on the Heat’s roster, he was once a highly touted draft prospect.
This is evident from the fact that Lewis Jr. was selected as the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. In fact, he was picked eight spots ahead of Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.
Coming back to Lewis Jr.’s performance vs the Warriors, the 24-year-old guard led the game in scoring with 16 points to his name while shooting a remarkable 7-of-10 from the field.
In addition, he also had 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 29 minutes of playing time. One area that he still needs to work on is his ball handling.
After all, the former lottery pick finished the night with five turnovers, tied for the most in the game with his teammate, Keshad Johnson.
Kira Lewis Jr.’s NBA career
Being the former 13th overall pick in the league, it’s obvious that Lewis Jr. already has some NBA experience under his belt.
Well, it’s true as he has featured in 131 games while averaging 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
Stats2020-212021-222022-232023-24Points6.4 PPG5.9 PPG4.6 PPG3.2 PPGRebounds1.3 RPG1.6 RPG1.3 RPG0.9 RPGAssists2.3 APG2.0 APG0.9 APG1.3 APG
So far, Lewis Jr.’s four-year NBA journey has included playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, and Utah Jazz.
Keeping that in mind, Lewis Jr. cannot earn a two-way contract with the Heat due to his prior NBA experience.
As a result, the 24-year-old will need to further impress the organization to earn a permanent roster spot on the team ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.