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Gabe Vincent was one of several players to get axed in the Miami Heat's efforts to clear cap space for Damian Lillard. Vincent was able to go back home to the West Coast and went on to sign a three-year deal with the LA Lakers. On the other hand, the Heat eventually missed out on Lillard, who was acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Vincent recently spoke with Sportskeeda's own NBA insider Mark Medina. One of the things they discussed was his experience with free agency. The former Heat guard received a three-year, $33 million deal from the Lakers.
"Things moved quickly for me when June 30th hit," Vincent said. "I tried to find the best situation for me and my family. Luckily, I landed here in LA and I'm looking forward to it. I'm here to compete and try to help this team win."
"Being a California kid, I'm excited to be back out West. I'll do what I can to help this prestigious organization."
Gabe Vincent was born and raised in Modesto, California and went to St. Mary's High School in Stockton. Vincent played collegiate basketball for UC Santa Barbara, but went undrafted in 2018. He spent the first two years of his professional career with the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League.
The Miami Heat signed Vincent to a two-way contract midway through the 2019-20 NBA season. He slowly became part of Erik Spoelstra's rotation as he embraced the famed Heat Culture. He had his best year last season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Vincent was even better in the playoffs, putting up 12.7 points and 3.5 assists in the Heat's run to the NBA Finals. He certainly earned his current deal with the LA Lakers and will likely play a vital role for them this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, the Heat's efforts to free up cap space were all for nothing when they failed to acquire Damian Lillard. The saga ended on Wednesday when the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a huge three-team deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns.
What's next for the Heat after failed pursuit of Damian Lillard?
The road back to the NBA Finals just got harder for the Miami Heat after failing to procure Damian Lillard this offseason. The Heat lost two of their valuable role players in Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. The team will likely hope for Josh Richardson to step up, and pray that Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are ready for important roles.
The Heat are also banking on Caleb Martin to replicate his success in the playoffs, while their relationship with Tyler Herro needs to be repaired. It will be an interesting campaign for Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and the rest of the Heat.
Can they return to the NBA Finals even if they didn't make a lot of improvements? Only time can tell, with the start of the 2023-24 season only a few weeks away.
