Kenny Hasbrouck

Why Randolph and Hasbrouck have been brought back, and with such a large amount of guaranteed money, is not clear. Both were on the team for the end of last season, yet Hasbrouck didn't play a minute with the team, and Randolph played only 3 games. Both are decent players; Randolph in particular is a good energy with a mid-range jumpshot who sticks around in the NBA for a reason. Yet neither is going to make the team, and so the money Miami gave them just seems excessive. Them being here for a combined five weeks for a combined cost of half a million dollars is essentially the basketball equivalent of making it rain. Slightly overzealous spending by some rather generous and highly satisfied executives, maybe. But good luck to them.

After the Jones buyout came their renouncements. With the team option on Mario Chalmers exercised, the team promptly renounced everyone other than Dwyane Wade [sic] and Joel Anthony. This meant that 10 free agents from the previous season were renounced; Jermaine O'Neal, Quentin Richardson, Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, Yakhouba Diawara, Rafer Alston, Carlos Arroyo, Jamaal Magloire, Shavlik Randolph and Kenny Hasbrouck. Some free agents from previous seasons were also still clogging up cap space; namely, Alonzo Mourning, Steve Smith, John Wallace, Wang Zhi Zhi, Gary Payton, Bimbo Coles, Christian Laettner, and Shandon Anderson. In total, before these renouncements took place, Miami's free agent cap holds amounted to a total of $88,184,132, $24,166,800 alone was for Jermaine O'Neal.

- Kenny Hasbrouck

Siena graduate Hasbrouck was going to sign with the Miami Heat for training camp. He originally joined the team for their summer free agent camp - boringly, they didn't enter a summer league team - and he had the Heat staff raving about him. The contract looked - was - inevitable. However, Hasbrouck got injured just before camp started, and he never signed with the team. The injury was supposed to take about a month to heal, but actually took a lot longer than that, and Hasbrouck did not reappear until late January when he resurfaced in the D-League. From there, he was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and in 10 games for them Hasbrouck has averaged 16.9 points and 2.9 assists on 50% shooting.

The Heat are going to call him up later today as a replacement for Rafer Alston, who has been suspended for the remainder of the season. Alston walked out on the team last week after the Heat told him he would be out of the rotation for the remainder of the season, and also after his sister attempted suicide. He is said to be contemplating retirement. The Heat are not said to be contemplating Mike James.