Tracing Gabe Vincent's NBA journey from undrafted prospect to Miami Heat's crucial member

Gabe Vincent's emergence with the Miami Heat continues this season after the Nigerian-American basketball player's solid run. Vincent's story in the NBA wasn't as smooth as many other players in the league. He had a decent college career with the UC Santa Barbara team between 2014 and 2018.

Vincent averaged 12.8 points across 113 games. The Heat's reserve point guard made himself eligible for the 2018 NBA draft. However, he went undrafted. Vincent had a pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings, but they didn't acquire him in the draft. Instead, they offered him an Exhibit-10 contract.

Gabe Vincent was waived by the Kings. He then played for their G-League Affiliate, the Stockton Kings. Vincent impressed with his performance with the team. He averaged 8.8 points, playing 16.6 minutes in his debut season in 2018-19.

After receiving more minutes the following year, he produced 23.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 20 appearances (three starts), shooting on 47/41/90 splits. Vincent earned a two-way contract with the Miami Heat, who signed him in January 2020.

He made his NBA debut just days later against the Orlando Magic. Vincent continued playing in the G-League during his time with the Heat. He averaged 20.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest across 31 games. The Nigerian international was named G-League Most Improved Player of the Year that season.

Gabe Vincent's sophomore year in the league was with the Miami Heat, where he continued playing on a two-way contract. The following season (2021-22), he signed a standard contract after representing the team in the Summer League.

That was the turning point in his career. He averaged 8.7 points and 3.1 assists per game across 68 appearances that season, starting 27 times. He was a reliable backup for starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who spent most of the year on the sidelines due to injury.

Vincent's decent contributions helped the Heat achieve the #1 spot in the East. He also came in handy when the team was shorthanded in the playoffs. Vincent played all 18 games for the team in the postseason, starting eight times, averaging 8.0 points.

Gabe Vincent's contract details with Miami Heat

The Miami Heat decided to offer Gabe Vincent a two-year standard deal ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. He signed a $3.48 million contract, with $1.6 million guaranteed at the time of signing. Vincent's contract became guaranteed on June 29, 2022. He is owed $1.8 million this season.

He continues to be among their reserve guards and has done an excellent job covering for Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro. Vincent is averaging a career-high 24.3 minutes per game this year, tallying 8.1 PPG.