The Miami Heat have waived former Kentucky guard DeAndre Liggins after one preseason game.
Liggins, who was just signed on Sunday, scored 10 points and dished out 2 assists Wednesday night. He was waived Thursday.
Here are details from the Heat:
MIAMI, Oct. 11 – The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed guard Rodney Purvis and forward Raphiael Putney and waived Charles Cooke and DeAndre Liggins. As per club policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Purvis split last season between the Orlando Magic and their G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic. He appeared in 39 games (all starts) with Lakeland, averaging 20.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.41 steals and 38.0 minutes while shooting 42.5 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from three-point range and 77.8 percent from the foul line where he was named to the 2018 G League All-Star Team and was an All-Rookie First Team selection. He also appeared in 16 games (two starts) with Orlando and averaged 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.1 minutes of action. He led the team in scoring twice, including a 19-point game vs. Philadelphia on March 22.
Putney appeared in 46 games (36 starts) with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League last season and averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.33 blocks, 1.7 assists, 1.17 steals and 28.8 minutes while shooting 45.7 percent from the field. After his stint with the BayHawks, he played professionally in Puerto Rico and France, appearing in 15 total games (12 starts) averaging 11.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.80 blocks and 23.0 minutes while shooting 45.7 percent from the field.
Charles Cooke, who was signed by the HEAT on October 7, appeared in one preseason game with Miami on October 10 vs. New Orleans, totaling one point, two rebounds and a block in 10:37 minutes of action.
DeAndre Liggins, who was signed by the HEAT on October 7, appeared in one preseason game with Miami on October 10 vs. New Orleans, totaling 10 points, two assists and a steal in 16:13 minutes of action.
Bam Adebayo skies for the rebound and kicks it out to DeAndre Liggins for the 3. pic.twitter.com/EJWUPVPBHJ
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) October 11, 2018
DeAndre Liggins drives past Darius Miller and hits the scoop shot. pic.twitter.com/QvBsWKT4wm
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) October 11, 2018
NBA teams often add players and quickly release them at this stage of the preseason, which allows them easier paths to their G League affiliate. These moves allow players like Liggins to receive a $50,000 bonus if they stay in the G League for two months, in addition to the $35,000 G League salary for the season.
According to most reports, Liggins is expected to team up with Marcus Lee in the G League:
“We’re excited about our development program in Sioux Falls,” he said. “Both of them, we think, fit our personality, our culture. Putney we’ve been trying to get for a couple of years. If I had heard his name one more time from Nevada [Smith, coach of the Skyforce] and D.C. [Heat assistant Dan Craig, a former Skyforce coach] without us getting him, I would’ve been upset. And Rodney is someone that has been on our radar. We think that his ability to put the ball in the basket is something we could use.”
Purvis and Putney are expected to be waived in short order, with NBA teams required to cut to a regular-season maximum of 15 players by Monday’s deadline, a total that does not include players on two-way contracts.
The Heat currently have 14 players under guaranteed contracts, plus undrafted forwards Duncan Robinson and Yante Maten on two-way contracts.
With their end-of-roster maneuvering, the Heat are positioned to designate Lee, Newman, Liggins and Cooke as affiliate players for the Skyforce, therefore not exposing them to the G League draft.
