Miami Heat guard Dru Smith will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon.
Smith was injured on a non-contact play during Miami’s 110-95 victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and needed assistance to leave the court.
Smith had worked his way back into the lineup after recovering from a torn ACL just over one year ago while with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“You don’t want to see anybody get hurt,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But we all have such incredible deep respect for his journey, what he’s had to overcome. I’ve been in the building all those times the last year, when nobody else was here and he was doing all the extensive treatment and rehab around the clock. He just has incredible fortitude. So you end up absolutely rooting for guys like Dru.”
Smith, who turns 27 on Monday, was averaging 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game this season. He has played in just 38 NBA games (14 this season) over three seasons with the Nets and Heat.
In the wake of Smith’s injury, the Heat converted forward Keshad Johnson from a two-way contract to a standard two-year NBA contract, ESPN reported. Johnson has played less than seven minutes in each of his three appearances with the Heat this season, but averaged 21.2 points with 8.2 rebounds in 13 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the G League.
