The Miami Heat waived Yante Maten ahead of his Thursday guarantee date. Had the forward remained on the roster through August 1, he would have been set to earn the next portion of his staggered contract.
The release of Maten, which the team announced on its website on Monday, frees up a roster spot for the Heat who figure to have a difficult time navigating a roster logjam with financial restraints on what they’re capable of.
The hard-capped Heat are likely to enter 2019-20 with just 14 players versus the typical 15, so waiving Maten allows the team to retain Derrick Jones Jr. and Kendrick Nunn, both of whom had at least parts of their own contracts guaranteed on Thursday.
Maten saw limited action for Miami in 2018-19 after signing a late-season deal but thrived with the team’s G League affiliate averaging 23.5 points per game for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
