The Miami Heat have joined the NBA's D-League plunder party, which kicked off earlier this month with the introduction of 10-day contracts, signing Sioux Falls Skyforce guard Tyler Johnson to just such a deal Sunday, according to RealGM's Sham Charania.
The Heat had a roster spot available after waiving undrafted rookie Andre Dawkins last week.
Miami has found success and staying power with their recent D-League forays, having signed Hassan Whiteside in November before partially guaranteeing his contract for the remainder of the season. Whiteside's PER (21.8) and per-36-minute averages (14.4 points and 13.4 rebounds) look awfully impressive through 12 games, and even without adjusting for playing time, his 1.8 blocks per game lead the team by a mile.
With Dwyane Wade's health a perpetual question mark, the Heat will take any help they can get in the backcourt. They'll hope to get similar lightning-in-a-bottle type production from Johnson, a 22-year-old out of Fresno State who's averaged 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 46.3 percent from 3-point range for Sioux Falls this season.
Johnson also played for the Heat's Summer League squad in Las Vegas, averaging 12.5 points and three rebounds in 10 games, and dropped 17 points in his one subsequent preseason game with the club.
