Tony Snell Joins Heat G League Affiliate After Celtics Trade Returning Player Rights

The Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat's NBA G League affiliate, announced Wednesday they acquired the returning player rights for veteran guard Tony Snell.

Sioux Falls relinquished its player rights for forward Cheick Diallo to the Maine Celtics to facilitate the deal.

In the G League, teams maintain the roster rights for any player who was with them within the previous two seasons.

Snell signed with Maine in January 2023 and rejoined the Celtics ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. In 50 combined regular season appearances, he averaged 7.0 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 41.1 percent overall and 37.8 from the perimeter.

The 32-year-old also suited up in all five of Maine's playoff games last year as the team finished runner-up to the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League Finals.

Prior to resurfacing in the G League, Snell spent nine seasons in the NBA across spells with the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans.

In June 2023, Snell told Today's Craig Melvin he and his son, Karter, had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. He only discovered his own diagnosis after first learning Karter was autistic and remembering how he had behaved similarly as a child.

Extending his basketball career has taken on a larger significance as a result. When players have 10 or more years of service time, their spouse and children receive healthcare benefits through the NBA pension plan.

"I didn't make it this far to make it (just) this far," Snell said to Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal in August. "I'm really trying to get that 10th year to take care of my family for life."