Dru Smith’s promising NBA comeback has come to a devastating end, with the Miami Heat guard suffering a torn left Achilles tendon that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
The injury happened during Monday’s game, and it was clear right away something was seriously wrong. Smith’s wife joined him as he made his way to the locker room – never a good sign during a game.
It’s an especially cruel blow for Smith, who had just fought his way back from a torn right ACL that cut short his 2023-24 season last November.
The 26-year-old guard had been playing the best basketball of his career lately. In his last eight games before the injury, he was putting up impressive numbers: 9.3 points, nearly 3 rebounds, and more than 2 steals per game. Even better, he was shooting lights out – making over 53% of his shots and an incredible 56% from three-point range.
Smith’s path to the NBA wasn’t easy. After going undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, he spent a year grinding in the G League before getting his first shot with the Heat on a two-way contract.
His defensive skills had really caught Miami’s attention recently. In fact, there was talk that the Heat were about to upgrade him from his two-way contract to a full NBA roster spot.
Now the Heat have some decisions to make. They’re already short-handed after trading Thomas Bryant to Indiana, and NBA rules say they need to add a 14th player by December 29.
They’ve got several options:
– Promote one of their other two-way players (Keshad Johnson or Josh Christopher)
– Call up someone from their G League team, like Isaiah Stevens
– Sign a veteran free agent
Because Smith was on a two-way contract, the Heat can’t get an injury exception to add another player.
For Smith, it’s back to rehab – this time recovering from an Achilles tear just months after coming back from ACL surgery. It’s a brutal setback for a player who was finally showing he belongs in the NBA.
