Agent: Delon Wright to Sign Heat Contract After Agreeing to Wizards Buyout

Veteran guard Delon Wright plans to join the Miami Heat after allowing the Washington Wizards buy out his remaining contract, Wright's agent told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wright, 31, is on an expiring $8.2 million deal. He will need to clear waivers before he can sign with the Heat.

The Wizards looked into trading Wright ahead of the deadline but stayed pat after receiving "underwhelming" offers for the nine-season guard, according to The Athletic's Josh Robbins.

Wright averaged 4.1 points and 2.5 assists per game in 33 games off the bench for the Wizards. He will add veteran depth to the Miami backcourt behind Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier as the Heat look to make their second deep playoff push in as many seasons.

After beginning his career by spending three full seasons with the Toronto Raptors, Wright has since played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks before joining the Wizards on a two-year contract in 2022-23.

That campaign marked one of the most consistent shooting seasons of Wright's career. The guard shot 47.4 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from behind the arc as he averaged 7.4 points in more than 24 minutes per night. He was also a reliable defensive presence for the Wizards as he averaged a career-high 1.8 steals per game.

Although still averaging at least one steal per game for the eighth consecutive season in 2023-24, Wright's playing time shrank with the suddenly rebuilding Wizards. He was utilized for less than 14 minutes per game as the team prioritized building its young stars.

He is likely to see those minutes spike as he joins in a Miami backcourt thinned by injuries. The Heat will be missing both Rozier, who is sidelined by sprained right knee, and Josh Richardson, who is recovering from a dislocated right shoulder, on a week-to-week basis. Those holes in the guard rotation will present Wright with more minutes per night to adjust to his new team.

The Heat reportedly weren't the only team interested in pursuing Wright after his buyout. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported earlier Friday that "several playoff contenders," among them the Phoenix Suns, were monitoring Wright's buyout status.