MIAMI — While the Miami Heat have 17 players under contract at the moment, commitments actually are in place to 20, one shy of the NBA’s offseason roster limit, including summer-league prospect Steve Settle III.

Among the reasons not all already linked to the Heat have been signed is to give the Heat the ability to wind up with contractual commitments to more than 21 in the preseason, by staggering signings.

For example, while the Heat have been linked to camp commitments to undrafted Utah State guard Gabe Madsen and former Chicago Bulls two-way player Jahmir Young, those contracts remain on hold, as does one for Settle, according to an NBA source familiar with the Heat process.

By deferring such agreements, the Heat in the interim can offer similar Exhibit 10 contracts to players they would sign, immediately release, and then funnel to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce.

For example, a year ago the Heat on Sept. 11 announced they had re-signed Skyforce players Bryson Warren and Malik Williams and then the following day, less than 21 hours later, announced they had waived the two. The Heat later in their 2024 training camp brought in Caleb Daniels and Warren Washington, also funneling them to their G League roster.

Such maneuvering, which had the Heat juggling 25 contracts in the 2024 offseason, allows them to effectively guarantee a six-figure G League salary for such prospects without eating into the team’s NBA salary cap.

A team can have up to six players on Exhibit 10 contracts at any given time. The maximum Exhibit 10 guarantee is $85,000, a figure that also does not count against the NBA luxury tax, but rather requires such a player to then spend at least 60 days in the G League.

Among the reasons for the juggling is that for players previously not with the Skyforce when waived by the Heat to be classified as Heat G-League “affiliate players” they must spend more than half of the preseason calendar on an NBA team’s roster. The Heat’s preseason runs from Sept. 30 through Oct. 21.

The Heat’s G League affiliate for the second consecutive season will be guided by former Heat video coordinator Dan Bisaccio.

As it is, when it comes to players the Heat can bring to the Sept 30 start of the training camp at Florida Atlantic University, only one spot remains at the moment, when counting the deals to be finalized with Madsen, Young and Settle.

Of the maximum 21 players who can be under contract during the offseason, the Heat have:

14 under standard contract: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Davion Michell, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, Simone Fontecchio, Dru Smith, Keshad Johnson, Terry Rozier and first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis.

Two under two-way contract: Myron Gardner and Vlad Goldin.

One under an Exhibit 10 tryout contract: Ethan Thompson.

Agreements with three for Exhibit 10 contracts: Madsen, Settle and Young.

The Heat are expected to carry 14 players under standard contract at the start of the season, one spot shy of the NBA limit, due to their position close to the punitive luxury tax. The primary battle for camp is expected to be for the third and final two-way spot.

With all 14 currently on the standard roster under guaranteed contract, the only way those slots would be altered would be with a trade or by waiving a player. The NBA’s waive-and-stretch deadline is Friday.

As for Settle, the 6-foot-10 forward who went undrafted out of Temple, had an uneven run with the Heat during summer league, at times forcing the action rather than playing as the stretch four who attracted Heat interest.

Settle, 24, who played three seasons at Howard before his two seasons at Temple, had his best summer outing for the Heat in their finale at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League, when he closed with six points, four rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals in a 93-92 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Originally Published: August 24, 2025 at 5:58 PM EDT