The Heat waived Achiuwa on Friday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
The Heat don't have a ton of depth behind Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, so this move is somewhat surprising. Achiuwa is a solid rebounder and defender, so he should be able to find another contract with an NBA club.
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Heat's Precious Achiuwa: Logs nine minutes in preseason loss
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Achiuwa totaled four points (2-4 FG) and six rebounds in nine minutes during Monday's preseason loss to the Hawks.
After agreeing to a one-year deal with the Heat during the offseason, Achiuwa will likely be battling for backup center minutes. Across four preseason appearances, Achiuwa has offered very little during his time on the court, averaging 4.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks.
Achiuwa agreed to a one-year deal with the Heat on Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
After stints with the Knicks and Raptors, Achiuwa returns to the franchise that drafted him with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Achiuwa will give the Heat some much-needed depth behind Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. The versatile big man holds career regular-season averages of 7.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.7 blocks.
Achiuwa closed with no counting stats in two minutes during Saturday's 125-108 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Achiuwa logged minutes in garbage time during Saturday's elimination game. He made three appearances during the club's 4-2 series loss to the Pacers, averaging 0.7 points and 0.7 rebounds across 3.3 minutes per game. The 25-year-old big man missed an extended period to start the season due to a hamstring injury but saw an uptick in playing time when Mitchell Robinson was sidelined due to an ankle injury. Achiuwa finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks across 20.5 minutes per game in 57 regular-season outings (10 starts). He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Sees nine minutes in Game 6
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Achiuwa had six points (2-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and three rebounds over nine minutes during Friday's 119-81 win over the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Achiuwa was hobbled by an ankle injury coming into this game, but he was able to see some rare minutes in garbage time. The Knicks have used a very tight rotation in the playoffs, and that's likely to be the case against Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Available to play Friday
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Achiuwa (ankle) is available for Game 6 against the Knicks on Friday.
Achiuwa was initially listed as questionable for Friday's game due to a sprained right ankle, but the big man will end up being available. That said, he's not expected to see a lot of minutes since he's essentially a depth piece in the frontcourt. Achiuwa is averaging a mere 3.8 minutes per game in the series.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Questionable for Game 6
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Achiuwa is listed as questionable for Friday's Game 6 against Boston due to a sprained right ankle.
The ankle injury is a new concern for Achiuwa, who is in jeopardy of missing his first game due to injury since March 6. The 25-year-old's potential absence shouldn't cause any significant waves in the rotation, as he has averaged 3.8 minutes per game across four second-round appearances.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Coming off bench Saturday
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Achiuwa is not in New York's starting lineup for Game 1 against Detroit on Saturday, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Achiuwa started in the regular-season finale against the Nets, as multiple Knicks starters rested, and he finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 33 minutes. He finished the regular season averaging 20.5 minutes per game, so he should have a prominent role off the Knicks' bench during the playoffs.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Starting Sunday
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Achiuwa will start Sunday's game against the Nets, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
With Jalen Brunson (ankle), Josh Hart (knee), OG Anunoby (thumb) and Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) all sidelined, the Knicks will start Achiuwa, Cameron Payne, Miles McBride, P.J. Tucker and Mikal Bridges, though Bridges figures to play only a few minutes to keep his consecutive games played streak going. As a starter this season (nine games), Achiuwa has averaged 12.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks in 35.6 minutes per game.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Will start vs. Detroit
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Achiuwa will be in the starting lineup for the Knicks on Thursday against the Pistons.
Achiuwa will make his ninth start of the season Thursday. The 25-year-old big man has averaged 11.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 54.2 percent from the field across his eight previous starts.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Records double-double in start
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Achiuwa finished with 18 points (8-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals over 40 minutes in Thursday's 115-106 loss to Detroit.
Achiuwa did a little bit of everything as a starter in Thursday's battle, leading all Knicks in blocks to go along with a team-high-tying rebound mark in an all-around double-double performance. Achiuwa has hauled in 10 or more boards in eight outings, posting a double-double in three of those contests. He has now tallied at least 15 points in four appearances.
Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Strong showing off bench in loss
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Achiuwa provided 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal over 21 minutes during Wednesday's 124-105 loss to the Cavaliers.
Achiuwa provided a nice lift on both ends of the floor in Wednesday's outing, recording a team-high pair of blocks while leading all bench players in scoring and rebounds in a balanced outing. Achiuwa has reached the double-digit scoring mark in 13 contests this season, adding six or more rebounds in seven of those outings.
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