The Miami Heat inked swingman Myron Gardner to a three-year standard contract this week. (Mandatory Credit: Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images)
Days before the Miami Heat will continue their post-All-Star break stretch, they converted forward Myron Gardner to a standard contract, filling up their 15th-and-final roster spot.
Gardner, 24, has been a breakout rotation player for Miami this season. Initially, Chris Haynes reported that the standard deal was a three-year contract, but HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto offered more clarity on the swingman’s new deal.
“The Miami Heat converted two-way guard Myron Gardner to a three-year, $5.07 million NBA deal, which is fully guaranteed for the rest of this season,” Scotto reported. “(He) has a $500K partial guarantee for the 2026-27 season, and is non-guaranteed for the 2027-28 season, sources told (Hoops Hype).”
Update: The Miami Heat converted two-way guard Myron Gardner to a three-year, $5.07 million NBA deal, which is fully guaranteed for the rest of this season, has a $500K partial guarantee for the 2026-27 season, and is non-guaranteed for the 2027-28 season, sources told @hoopshype
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 19, 2026
How Myron Gardner’s deal affects Heat cap:
(Mandatory Credit: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Gardner’s new deal will net him nearly $400K the rest of the season, inconsequential to the Heat’s current cap situation. Miami is still $893K below the luxury tax and $6.7 million below the first apron, which it’s hard-capped under.
The final numbers for Gardner’s deal have not been disclosed. But the second- and third-year minimum for players without any previous years of experience are $2.2 and $2.5 million, respectively.
The 6-foot-6 wing will be 11th player on the team’s books next season. Though that’s assuming the team exercises Pelle Larsson’s $2.3 million team option, Andrew Wiggins exercises his $30.2 million player option and Dru Smith’s contract becomes fully guaranteed.
Heat’s reward for Gardner is well-deserved:
The numbers don’t paint the full picture for Gardner, but this is a well-deserved contract.
Through 26 games (including four starts), he’s averaging 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds on 46.4 percent shooting. Additionally, he’s shooting 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 72.2 percent from the charity stripe. Obviously, this is on low volume, but he’s done a good job impacting the game and providing a necessary spark whenever he’s on the floor.
On a per-75-possession basis, Gardner’s averages buoy to 14.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals. He’s an effective spot-up shooter, solid wing defender and disruptive defensive playmaker. Most importantly, he doesn’t try to do too much and excels in a limited role.
Assuming he remains in the rotation, I’m excited to watch his growth and development. If there’s one organization who knows how to get the most out of under-the-radar talent, it’s this one.
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