The Wizards want both Nikola Jovic and Haywood Highsmith from the Heat in a potential Bradley Beal trade

The Wizards want both Nikola Jovic and Haywood Highsmith from the Heat in a potential Bradley Beal trade.

We are very motivated to come here and take the series back to Miami. That’s the main focus for us right now. Everyone is ready to play. We’ve had a lot of tough moments this season like losing the first game of the Play-In and then beating the Bulls when we were down by six with three minutes left. We’ve done it the hard way. When the Celtics came back from 3-0 down to 3-3 and we won Game 7. So everything we’ve gone through the hard way, we’ve talked about it, it’s just moving forward.

Miami is the underdog in this fight and it’s because of players like Haywood Highsmith who fuel the dream. Similar to other players who were not drafted, he too came from a different path and joins a team of seasoned players that have a winning mentality and have come back from a 3-1 championship series.

Meanwhile, the South Florida team remains optimistic, even among players who have not seen action in the series. One of them is Haywood Highsmith, who talked to MARCA about what lies ahead for the Heat.

How is the mood inside the locker room right now in such a borderline situation? After playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018-2019, Highsmith plied his trade overseas for a few seasons in Germany and Italy. The 76ers again came calling with a 10-day contract but released him before the start of the 2021-2022 season.

Then, after a string of COVID absences, the Miami Heat signed him to a series of short-term contracts. He didn’t get much burn, but they clearly saw something they liked in him, and he signed a three-year deal (with team options) in March of 2022.