On Thursday, Summer League standout Josh Christopher and the Miami Heat agreed to a two-way contract.
The 22-year-old expressed his gratitude to the Heat on social media and stated that he is eager to get started.
Christopher earned MVP honors in the Summer League championship game in Las Vegas, leading the Heat to victory. In the title game, he scored 24 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out one assist, made three steals, and blocked two shots, shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Throughout six Las Vegas Summer League games, Christopher averaged 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. He made 54.1 percent of his field goals and 52.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
Christopher has garnered some valuable NBA experience during his stint with the Houston Rockets. Drafted in the first round in 2021, he played 138 regular-season games over two seasons with the team.
During this time, he averaged 6.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from three-point range.
In the 2023 offseason, the Rockets traded Christopher to the Memphis Grizzlies, who later waived him. He didn’t play in the NBA during the 2023-24 season but did compete in the G League, including a stint with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
After demonstrating his potential with the Skyforce and delivering a strong Summer League performance with the Heat, Christopher is now set to prove he belongs in the NBA again.
The Heat are known for turning overlooked players into valuable assets, and Christopher might be their next success story. He embodies the characteristics of a typical Heat project.
Whether he plays a significant role for Miami in the 2024-25 season remains to be seen, but his recent Instagram story shows he’s ready to work hard. He now has the rest of the offseason to prepare for the upcoming campaign.