Former KU guard Marcus Garrett secures two-way contract with NBA’s Miami Heat
Former Kansas combo guard Marcus Garrett will sign a two-way contract with the Miami Heat, his agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday.
Garrett, a 6-foot-5 native of Dallas, was not selected in the 60 player, 2021 NBA Draft. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami in the immediate aftermath of the draft which only guaranteed him a spot at training camp.
After playing well in NBA summer league games in Sacramento and Las Vegas, Garrett snared the two-way deal that allows him to split time during the 2021-22 season between the Heat and the Heat’s NBA G League team in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. According to the Miami Herald, Garrett can be on the Heat’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games.
Garrett is represented by Mike George of One Legacy Sports, who revealed news of the deal to ESPN.
Garrett averaged 11.0 points on 17-of-26 (65.4 percent) shooting in four full games with the Heat this summer. He hit 3 of 7 threes for 42.9%. He also grabbed 5.8 rebounds per contest. He also had 13 steals and four blocks in his his four full summer league games. He was removed early in the fifth game because of illness and did not play in any more games.
The 22-year-old Garrett had six steals in his pro debut against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“He’s a heck of a defender,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Malik Allen told the Miami Herald recently. “He’s tough and he has a great feel defensively. His toughness is the first thing. He takes the challenge on the ball and off the ball. He likes to play defense.
“He just has a great sense and nose for the ball and anticipation, and he’s always around the ball. We saw it in practice. Right away, it was like: ‘Oh, man. That kid can really, really defend.’ You notice him very, very quickly,” Allen added.
Heat guard Max Strus cited Garrett’s defense as a strength.
“He guarded me in practice the first day and he was everywhere,” Strus told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I couldn’t even get open. So he’s definitely got that about him. He gets through screens so easily and he’s strong. You think he looks really skinny and frail, but he’s strong and he gets through screens easily. He doesn’t really ever get hit. And he’s got super-long arms that help him. He wants to be a great defender, so that’s the biggest part of it,” Strus added.
According to hoopsrumors.com, Miami will have 16 players under contract heading into training camp, with deals likely for Javonte Smart, Micah Potter and RJ Nembhard. The Heat, according to the website, will have an open competition for the squad’s other two-way opening.
“I feel like the things I do on the offensive end are sometimes overlooked because I don’t take a lot of shots or make a lot of shots,” Garrett told the Sun Sentinel. “I feel like I can get downhill, whether it be a screen or whether it be me just trying to break my man down. That’s kind of my game, is getting downhill and making plays for my teammates.”
Of his defense he added: “It’s kind of natural. It’s something I’ve had my whole life. If I’m going to go in, I’m going to play defense.”
Garrett averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals as a senior in 2020-21 at KU. He hit 45.9% of his shots and 80.8% of his free throws. He was 23-of-66 from three for 34.8%.
He was college basketball’s Naismith, ESPN and Big 12 Conference defensive player of the year after his junior season at KU (2019-20).
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Former KU guard Marcus Garrett secures two-way contract with NBA’s Miami Heat."
