Former Bruin Settling in With Heat, Turns in Season-High Performance

Former UCLA Bruin guard Kyle Anderson has settled in fairly quickly with the Miami Heat after being dealt in a blockbuster trade last week. He posted a season-high and first double-double in his new threads.

Feb 10, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Kyle Anderson (20) shoots the basketball against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Former UCLA star Kyle Anderson has finally shined in his new uniform after being involved in one of the more surprising trades of the recent deadline. The newest Miami Heat member had himself a season-high performance on Thursday night in a 118-113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Anderson was involved in the blockbuster trade that sent former Miami Heat shooting guard Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors with Anderson being dealt in return. It marks the fifth NBA team that Anderson has played on over the 10 seasons he has been in the league.

After a poor performance in his debut with one of the more historical franchises in NBA history, Anderson played just 10 minutes, logging zero points on 0-5 shooting in an 18-point loss to the Boston Celtics. He could not have responded better and is settling in nicely with his new team.

Anderson made his fourth start of the season and first with the Heat in just his second game with the organization on Thursday night. He may be given a starting role a bit more often after posting a season-high 15 points, earning his first double-double of the season by adding 10 rebounds.

Averaging just 15 minutes in 36 games with Golden State this season, Anderson played 27 minutes against the Mavericks and is looking to have a much larger role with the Heat in the second half of the season. He took 4.7 shots per game with the Warriors and has risen to 5.0 since joining Miami.

The Fairview, New Jersey native played just two seasons with the Bruins from 2012 to 2014, averaging 12.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the 30th overall pick in 2014 and has been an integral piece of several organizations over the past decade.

It is quite impressive that even in his 10th season, Anderson is still continuing to impact the game at a high level. According to NBA.com, the average lifespan of an NBA career is 4.5 years. The fact that Anderson has played nearly 700 career games with over 4,000 points speaks to his talent level.

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