Of those on the Miami Heat roster linked to possibly being sent out in a trade for Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Jamaree Bouyea is not one of them.
And yet his status going forward from the completion of summer league undeniably is intertwined.
If the Heat send out both Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro for Lillard, the opening could be there for a young speed guard, with Bouyea, 24, as close to that definition as anyone in the Heat’s current realm.
If either Lowry or Herro, both not both, are sent out in a Lillard deal, an undersized combo guard in the Bouyea mold might not be viewed as necessary.
And if there is no deal for Lillard, it might have the Heat looking elsewhere for a roster replacement for Gabe Vincent, who was lost in free agency, a player with greater NBA credentials than the five games Bouyea spent in the NBA last season as a rookie.
Against that backdrop, Bouyea basically accomplished all that could have been asked amid a Heat summer schedule ending with Sunday night’s game against the Trail Blazers at the NBA2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas.
He has scored, including 20 points in Friday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets’ summer roster.
He has run the offense, with 10 assists in Thursday night’s victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
And he has filled the box score, with seven points, nine assists and nine rebounds in last Monday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns.
“This is my second year in summer league and I’m definitely getting more comfortable out there on the court and also with the staff and all my teammates, as well,” said Bouyea, who was signed to a two-way contract on the eve of summer league. “They gave me an opportunity last year and they gave me another one this year, so just trying to take advantage of this moment and do what I can and put my best foot forward.”
A year ago, after going undrafted out of the University of San Francisco, Bouyea made such a strong impression in summer league that he was invited to training camp. A shift to the Heat’s G League affiliate followed, as did a Heat 10-day contract with the Heat on Feb. 8 and then a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards on March 3. From there, he returned to the Skyforce for the G League postseason, averaging 15.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.67 steals in those playoffs.
Able to push the pace as a scorer, his role at San Francisco and largely in the G League, the goal these past two weeks has been to show the ability to play as playmaker, an NBA necessity with his 6-foot-2, 180-pound build.
“I feel comfortable with the ball,” he said. “At Sioux Falls, I had the ball a lot in my hands; I was a starting point guard. And then my 10 day with Miami, as well, I had the ball in my hands and did some things.
“So just keeping faith in myself. They have trust in me to play basketball and play the right way and do the right thing. So I know if they put me out there, they know that I’m ready, and I know I’m ready, as well.”
As the Heat roster thinned through typical summer-league attrition, Bouyea picked up his scoring out of necessity, a reminder of standing fifth all-time in scoring at San Francisco, a school whose lineage included Bill Cartwright. Quintin Dailey, Winford Boynes, Ollie Johnson, and, of course, Bill Russell.
“When the game gets tight or I need to score,” Bouyea said, “in college I was known as a scorer. I can score the basketball, I know I can score.”
With the goal now to follow in Vincent’s footsteps, of making it the hard way, undrafted, through the G League.
“Gabe was a great mentor when I was there for preseason and all of the 10-day stuff, as well,” Bouyea said. “Just taking every day seriously, grinding, nothing’s going to come easy. And for Gabe, it paid off. Obviously he’s got some money coming his way, but he’s just a good individual, a good guy, someone I’ve looked up to and his career is definitely inspiring.”
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Miami Heat's Jamaree Bouyea again intrigues in summer league - South Florida Sun Sentinel
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