Roger Mason Jr. announced on Twitter on Friday that he has joined the Miami Heat just as training camps tip off across the NBA. Though the Heat are sitting above the 15-man roster limit, Mason Jr. could very well make the squad.
Miami Heat invite free agent Roger Mason Jr. to camp
The Miami Heat added to their guard depth by inviting veteran Roger Mason Jr. to camp, and he has a good shot at making the opening day roster.
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Mason Jr., who is the National Basketball Players Association vice president, is joining Miami on a non-guaranteed contract, reports the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman.
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Miami is especially thin at shooting guard and could use the nine-year veteran behind the injury-prone Dwyane Wade and 38-year-old Ray Allen. Mason Jr. was last with the New Orleans Hornets and in decent minutes off the bench averaged 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 2012-13. Stretching the floor and allowing LeBron James to find spot-up shooters is a big part of the Heat's offense, and Mason Jr.'s career 38 percent accuracy from three-point range fits into that mold.
As of now, Miami has a 19-man roster and with 13 guaranteed spots. Former first-round pick Michael Beasley is on a non-guaranteed, make-good contract and big man Jarvis Varnado will have a partially guaranteed deal if he's not cut before the season.
Mason Jr. could be fighting for a spot with rookie point guard Larry Drew II, swingman Eric Griffin and center Justin Hamilton, all of whom have been invited to the Heat's training camp.
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