Heat assign G Shabazz Napier, C Hassan Whiteside to D-League
The Miami Heat assigned guard Shabazz Napier and center Hassan Whiteside to the team’s NBA Developmental League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced Saturday.
Both players will still count toward the Heat's active roster limit of 15 players.
Napier has appeared in 23 games for the Heat this season, averaging 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while averaging 21.4 minutes. Last month, he had a stretch of double-digit scoring efforts in six straight games, the longest streak by a Heat rookie since Michael Beasley did so in eight consecutive games in 2009.
• Trends: Comparing M.J. vs. Kobe
Whiteside was signed by the Heat on Nov. 24 and appeared in three games. In nine minutes of play, he scored six points and pulled down four rebounds. Earlier this season, he appeared in three D-League games with the Iowa Energy, averaging 22 points, 15.7 rebounds and 5.33 blocks per game.
The Heat enter the weekend 11-12, seventh in the Eastern Conference. Miami defeated the Utah Jazz 100-95 on the road Friday night. Napier played 24 minutes, scoring four points with three assists.
- Mike Fiammetta
