Heat expected to waive former first-round pick

R.J. Hampton

The Heat are expected to cut R.J. Hampton, opening up one of their two-way contract slots, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Hampton, who turned 23 on Wednesday, has battled injuries this season and has only seen action in 17 games between the NBA and the G League combined. In eight appearances for the Heat, he has recorded 10 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in 76 total minutes of action, making just 4-of-14 shots (1-of-8 three-pointers).

The former first-round pick has been a little more effective for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, averaging 11.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 4.7 APG with a .429/.273/.609 shooting line in nine regular season and Showcase Cup contests (28.0 MPG).

As Chiang notes, the plan will be to fill Hampton’s two-way slot with another developmental prospect.

Skyforce guard Alondes Williams looks like one contender for that opening, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes Williams is averaging 20.3 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 5.2 RPG on 49.9 percent shooting in 32 games (37.0 MPG) for Sioux Falls. Skyforce guard Jamaree Bouyea is another candidate to watch, tweets Chiang.

Hampton will receive his full two-way salary from the Heat and will become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team, if and when he clears waivers. Once he’s officially cut, Miami will have two open spots on its 18-man roster — one standard and one two-way.

Want more articles like this? Follow Hoops Rumors on MSN to see more of our exclusive NBA content.

More must-reads:

Trending slideshow: The 25 most notable one-time NBA All-Stars (Provided by Yardbarker)