The Miami Heat completed their roster with the official announcement of the signing of guard Delon Wright on Sunday. This move was anticipated after Wright agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards on Friday, becoming a free agent. However, he had to clear waivers before the Heat could secure his signing.
Wright’s addition brings the Heat’s roster to the NBA maximum of 15 players on standard contracts, alongside the maximum of three two-way contract players.
With the NBA trade deadline passing on February 8, any further additions to the roster must come through free agency for the remainder of the season. Should the Heat wish to make another addition, they would need to release a player to create room.
As a nine-year NBA veteran, Wright boasts an impressive career record, having appeared in 494 NBA games with 84 starts. His career averages include 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.22 steals, and 20.8 minutes per game, with shooting percentages of 45.3% from the field and 80.5% from the foul line.
Drafted 20th overall in 2015, Wright has excelled in defensive contributions, totaling 337 steals off the bench since the 2018-19 season. This places him second in the NBA for steals by any reserve during that period. In the previous season, he averaged 1.84 steals per game, ranking second in the league, just ahead of Jimmy Butler in third place.
Wright’s defensive prowess is further highlighted by his 18 games with at least three steals last season, the fourth-highest in the league. In the current season, he has recorded nine multi-steal games, including a standout performance with five takeaways on January 5 against Cleveland.
Recent milestones for Wright include reaching his 600th career steal on February 7 against Cleveland and notching his 1,500th career assist on January 15 against Detroit.
Adding a personal touch to his association with the Heat, Wright’s older brother, Dorell, was drafted by the team in the first round (19th overall) in the 2004 Draft and was part of the Miami Heat’s 2006 NBA Championship team.