The Heat signed Richards to a one-year contract and then reached a two-way contract agreement with Johnson.

The Miami Heat announced on Thursday that they have officially signed free agent center Nick Richards. According to a previous report by ESPN's Shams Charania, the two sides reached a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.

After settling in Miami, 28-year-old Richards will be entering his seventh NBA season. A second-round pick (42nd overall) in the 2020 NBA draft, he previously played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, and Chicago Bulls.

To date, Richards has played 305 regular season games, averaging 7.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 17.6 minutes per game, with a field goal percentage of 62.1%. He also played for the Greensboro Bees in the G League, where he averaged 17.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

With the arrival of Richards, the Heat now have 14 players on standard contracts. Richards is expected to become an important rotation player in the Heat's frontcourt during the regular season, further enhancing the team's bench depth and immediate impact at a relatively low cost.

In addition to Richards, the Heat also re-signed Keshard Johnson to a two-way contract. This move marks Johnson's third NBA season, and he will continue his role in the Heat's frontcourt rotation.

The 25-year-old Johnson is a 1.98-meter-tall, 102-kilogram small forward who will enter the NBA in July 2024 as an undrafted player. To date, he has played 48 regular season games for the Heat, averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 7.9 minutes per game, and won the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.

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