Rookie wing Myron Gardner described his recent promotion to a standard three-year contract with the Miami Heat as a “dream come true” after spending most of the season on a two-way deal.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra said Gardner earned the opportunity through steady improvement and consistent effort, according to Adam Lichtenstein of The Sun Sentinel.
Spoelstra explained that Gardner’s path to a full contract required patience and persistence, noting that the organization first became interested in evaluating him during the summer before watching his development continue throughout training camp and the season.
“He had to do it the hard way,” Spoelstra said. “We wanted to take a look at him this summer. And then in the summer there were some intriguing things, and preseason was a little bit up and down. And then he just continued to work, and every opportunity he had, either in practice and then eventually in the games, he just made us watch him.
“And you couldn’t not notice his energy. I mean, it’s relentless, whether he’s just crashing the glass or crashing into people. And it just intrigued us to be able to say, all right, can we develop the fundamentals and the details to be able to harness some of that energy and direct it in a positive way? And he’s been able to do that.”
Heat Notes: Herro, Jovic, Gardner, Keels https://t.co/0Qr58rqp9I pic.twitter.com/ygd1QyHScs
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 20, 2026
