What happened to Dru Smith? Latest injury update on Miami Heat star

The defending Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat, are a man down after guard Dru Smith was diagnosed with a third-degree ACL sprain and will be out for the remainder of the season.

The Heat made the announcement on Friday, two days after the 25-year-old incurred the injury while contesting a shot by former Miami player Max Strus in their road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Dru Smith was a key personnel in the rotation of the Heat this season prior to the injury. In the nine games he played, he was good for 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 15 minutes of play.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra lamented what happened to one of their young players just as he expressed concern over the design of the Cavaliers court, which is slighted and elevated. He said it contributed to Smith’s injury.

He said by way of Sports Illustrated:

"It's a dangerous floor. I don't [know] the history of injuries here but we've had a couple near scares in previous years when guys are closing out in that corner. Thankfully, nobody's been injured before but it's an accident waiting to happen. You close out and all of a sudden you're going off a cliff. It's just so dangerous. As soon as he stayed down, we all knew that's probably what happened."

Dru Smith went undrafted in the 2021 NBA rookie draft then spent time in the G-League. He played for the Brooklyn Nets last season before signing with the Heat this year.

When is Drew Smith expected to return?

The knee injury that Dru Smith sustained took place midway into the second quarter of their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was closing out on the corner to contest a shot by Max Strus. Upon landing near the Cavaliers bench, his left leg slipped down the lower level of the elevated court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

Dru Smith immediately clutched on his right knee in pain and was helped out of the court after.

The injury will require surgery. As per published medical reports, full recovery from an ACL injury may take six to 12 months, rendering Smith unavailable until the start of the 2024–25 season.

Smith was on a two-way contract with the Heat in training camp before being elevated to the standard 15-man roster ahead of opening night, receiving a two-year, minimum-salary deal that included a $425K partial guarantee.