Heat Promote Gardner to Standard Contract Post-Break

The Miami Heat return from the NBA All-Star break with their standard roster now at the maximum of 15 players, following the conversion of forward Myron Gardner's two-way contract to a three-year standard deal. The team, currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-27 record, resumes its schedule Friday night in Atlanta against the Hawks, aiming to build consistency in the final 26 games and avoid a fourth straight appearance in the play-in tournament.

Gardner's promotion, confirmed by league sources, rewards his recent contributions amid the Heat's injury challenges. The 24-year-old undrafted free agent out of Little Rock impressed with relentless energy during a seven-game stretch before the break, averaging seven points, six rebounds, 1.7 assists and one steal in 17.6 minutes per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range. He started four of those contests and has appeared in 20 of Miami's last 25 games after limited action earlier in the season.

"It's a great thing to watch," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier this month. "This guy is just fighting and scrapping for everything and earning everything that he's getting...