Heat Provide Disappointing Update On Haywood Highsmith Injury

Haywood Highsmith has undergone surgery to repair a meniscal tear, as reported by the Miami Heat on X. The 28-year-old forward reportedly suffered the injury while working out.

Highsmith is expected to be out of action for the next 8-10 weeks. He will then need to begin rehabbing his knee and rebuilding his conditioning. Unfortunately for the Heat, that could mean that Highsmith misses the team’s preseason preparations and training camp.

However, Highsmith should be back in the rotation during the early stages of the new season. He was a key part of Erik Spoelstra’s rotation during the 2024-25 campaign, playing in 74 games and starting 42 of them. Highsmith averaged 6.5 points, 1.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game last season.

The news will likely be a blow to a Heat fanbase that hasn’t had much to shout about over the last 10 months. Since Jimmy Butler left Miami, the franchise has struggled to remain competitive, and after missing out on Kevin Durant this summer, it will likely be a play-in team in the new campaign.

Highsmith will likely continue to have a sizeable role within the rotation once he’s recovered from his surgery. However, missing preseason will likely mean that he will need a little longer than usual to find a rhythm and reach his usual level.

Heat Are Not Expected to Contend

In a recent episode of the “All NBA Podcast,” ESPN’s Tim Legler explained why he doesn’t expect the Heat to show much improvement next season, despite the addition of Norman Powell.

“He’s going to bring something to their team because he had his best year of his career offensively,” Legler said. “He’s always been a guy who plays hard defensively. I guess on that alone, maybe you think there’s an uptick because they were at 37 last year. They add Norman Powell, so you think 38.5 should do it. You know what it is for me? I think I’m just a little bit bored with the Heat.”

Legler continued.

“I’m going to go under, and I will probably be wrong on that because they won 37 and they added Norman Powell,” Legler continued. “That alone should be enough, and Kel’el Ware had a very good rookie year. Maybe he just comes out of the gate like a monster.”

Miami doesn’t have a high-level star to lead a potential deep playoff push. As such, Legler’s prediction is likely correct. Nevertheless, when it comes to a Spoelstra-coached roster, we’ve learned never to count them out.

Powell Pleased to Join Heat

During an introductory news conference with Heat media on July 9, Powell expressed his excitement about joining the Miami Heat.

“I’m really excited,” Powell said. “I was competing against them throughout the years, having the conversations on and off the court with Bam in passing and things like that. I like what they’re building…They compete every single night. No matter who’s healthy, who’s in or out of the lineup. They’re scrappy, they’re gritty and they’re competitive.”

It’s going to be an interesting season for Miami. Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Powell are a strong enough core for the team to be a tough out. However, Riley may need to swing for an All-Star if he genuinely wants to give the roster a shot at being a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference next season.