Heat's Wayne Ellington: Still not taking contact

Coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed Friday that Ellington (thigh) remains without a definitive timeline for a return, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. "[Ellington] still hasn't been able to participate in any of these kind of [contact] workouts," Spoelstra said. "He is getting better, but he hasn't progressed to contact work."

Analysis:

With Ellington apparently not close to practicing, it looks like his season debut could still be several games or more away. The Heat are back to full health at shooting guard with Josh Richardson (knee) returning to action over the weekend, so Ellington may not have a rotation spot waiting for him once he's ready to play again.