Oct 24, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa (5) walks onto the court prior to the game against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Miami Heat's Precious Achiuwa Deal Will Have NBA Teams Watching

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 7:37 PM ET

Precious Achiuwa’s free agency ended recently with a return to the Miami Heat.

For roughly one month, Achiuwa was linked to the Heat as a potential addition, but it was reported that Miami would likely wait a while to bring him in. Well, they didn’t wait too long.

With that said, there is a key detail in his return to the Heat. He signed an Exhibit 9 contract, which makes it clear that his spot on the Heat’s roster is not guaranteed for the 2025-2026 NBA season.

via @KeithSmithNBA: Precious Achiuwa's deal with the Miami Heat is an Exhibit 9 contract, a league source told @spotrac.

It's a non-guaranteed camp deal with limited injury protection. The contract also doesn't count towards the cap/tax/aprons unless Achiuwa makes the opening night roster.

Precious Achiuwa's deal with the Miami Heat is an Exhibit 9 contract, a league source told @spotrac.

It's a non-guaranteed camp deal with limited injury protection. The contract also doesn't count towards the cap/tax/aprons unless Achiuwa makes the opening night roster.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 27, 2025

While Achiuwa’s free agency ended, it could be back on at the end of the NBA preseason. The veteran center/forward is fighting for a spot throughout the Heat’s training camp.

Miami has an idea of what they get with Achiuwa. Back in 2020, they brought the former Memphis prospect into the NBA by selecting him 20th overall in the draft.

During his rookie season with the Heat, Achiuwa appeared in 61 games. Just four of those appearances were starts. Achiuwa averaged 12.1 minutes of action, making 54 percent of his shots from the field and putting up 5.0 points per game. He also came down with 3.4 rebounds per game.

An August 2021 trade between the Heat and the Toronto Raptors moved Achiuwa up North. Miami was star hunting for Kyle Lowry, who struck a sign-and-trade to land with them. Achiuwa went to the Raptors and played in 73 games for them, averaging 9.1 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Achiuwa spent three seasons with the Raptors. During year three, he was dealt to the New York Knicks, alongside OG Anunoby. He finished the 2023-2024 NBA season with 49 appearances, averaging 24.2 minutes per game.

Last year, Achiuwa appeared in 57 games for the Knicks. He produced 6.6 points per game, while coming down with 5.6 rebounds per outing. It seemed a return to the Knicks wasn’t out of the question, but Achiuwa did not get a ton of attention from New York when it came down to it.

The preseason will serve as an opportunity for Achiuwa to state his case to remain with the Heat. If that fails, there could be some outside interest, based on how Achiuwa’s training camp and preseason play out.