The Miami Heat have reunited with their first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, big man Precious Achiuwa, after he last played for the team in the 2020-21 campaign.
Achiuwa has reportedly agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Heat. The five-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 7.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist per contest across 320 career regular-season contests.
Free agent C/F Precious Achiuwa has agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat, sources tell ESPN. A reunion for the Heat’s No. 20 pick in the 2020 NBA draft after productive stints in New York and Toronto. pic.twitter.com/QAE1vkuWYX
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1970850325444858075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1970850325444858075%7Ctwgr%5E2a07517bb3c11b195dfc75a5c34a389e204682cd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheatnation.com%2Frumors%2Freport-pat-riley-hated-seeing-precious-achiuwa-leave-miami-heat%2F
According to a report, longtime Heat president Pat Riley “hated” seeing Achiuwa leave Miami years ago. He got moved to the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 offseason as part of the transaction that landed floor general Kyle Lowry with Miami.
Pat Riley hated seeing Precious Achiuwa leave Miami. The Heat have tried to bring him back multiple times since. Reunion was inevitable.
https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds/status/1970857381287604469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1970857381287604469%7Ctwgr%5E2a07517bb3c11b195dfc75a5c34a389e204682cd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheatnation.com%2Frumors%2Freport-pat-riley-hated-seeing-precious-achiuwa-leave-miami-heat%2F
Achiuwa adds some much-needed depth at the big man spot for the Heat ahead of the coming season. He gives Miami someone who can eat up minutes at the power forward and center positions behind the likes of Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. His deal is said to be non-guaranteed, but one has to imagine that he’s going to have a chance to make an impact.
It’s a fully non-guaranteed one-year contract for Precious Achiuwa, a source confirms. So no move to the standard roster is needed now to stay under the tax.
But Heat will need to cut one of its Exhibit 10 players to open a spot on its preseason roster for Achiuwa. https://t.co/H9HQDVhGkY
https://twitter.com/Anthony_Chiang/status/1970853216100475041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1970853216100475041%7Ctwgr%5E2a07517bb3c11b195dfc75a5c34a389e204682cd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheatnation.com%2Frumors%2Freport-pat-riley-hated-seeing-precious-achiuwa-leave-miami-heat%2F
The 26-year-old will kick off his second act with the Heat organization not long after he was part of a New York Knicks team that enjoyed its most successful playoff run in decades and reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025. Although his playoff role was limited, he ranked in the top four among all Knicks in offensive, defensive and total rebounds per game in the regular season.
His rebounding flair should come very much in handy for the Heat, who certainly know the value of closing out possessions on the glass defensively and earning extra possessions on the boards offensively.
It may be within the realm of possibility that Achiuwa ends up as one of the first big men off the pine for the Heat when they open their season a little less than one month from now with a bout against the Orlando Magic. His acquisition doesn’t move the needle for the Heat in the sense that it elevates them a tier in the Eastern Conference landscape, but he’s a tried and true piece who will likely prove to be a positive presence for Miami throughout the long season if he sticks around.
