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MIAMI (AP) — Dion Waiters is about to take a big step toward returning to the Miami Heat.
The Heat said Friday that they are sending Waiters to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, their G League affiliate. The plan is for Waiters to practice with the Skyforce and potentially return to Miami in time for Sunday's game against Minnesota.
Waiters last appeared in an NBA game on Dec. 22, 2017. He sprained his long-problematic left ankle that night and expected to miss only a few games.
More than a year later, he's still sidelined. Waiters had surgery on Jan. 23 to repair the instability in the ankle, along with a broken bone on the inside of his foot.
Waiters' issues with the ankle go back to March 17, 2017 when he initially was lost to a sprain. He missed the final 13 games of that season, then labored through his 30 appearances last season — averaging 14.3 points, but shooting only 31 percent from 3-point range.
For his career, Waiters is a 13.3-point scorer. This is the seventh NBA season for the former Syracuse guard.
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