Bez Mbeng (21) spent last season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Utah Jazz.
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The Miami Heat continues to fill out its roster ahead of the start of training camp.
With the Heat set to hold media day at Kaseya Center on Monday before opening training camp on Tuesday next week, it claimed developmental guard Bez Mbeng off waivers on Tuesday with the intention of signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to a league source.
Mbeng, 23, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets on Sept. 8, but he was waived by the Hornets on Sunday prior to being claimed by the Heat on Tuesday.
An Exhibit 10 contract is essentially an invite to training camp/preseason and protects players from being signed away by another team. Mbeng is expected to take part in training camp practices with the Heat next week.
Mbeng (6-foot-4 and 185 pounds), who went undrafted in 2025 out of Yale, spent most of last season with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 49% from the field and 26.7% on 1.8 three-point attempts per game in 41 appearances with the Skyforce last season.
Mbeng also signed two 10-day contracts with the Utah Jazz last season, averaging 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 50% from the field and 6 of 31 (19.4%) on threes in 15 games (five starts) with the Jazz last season. Mbeng opened eyes when he recorded a triple-double stat line of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the Jazz’s April 10 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Those were Mbeng’s only 15 NBA appearances during his first NBA season.
Mbeng went on to sign a multi-year contract with the Jazz toward the end of last season, but the Jazz declined his team option this offseason to make him an unrestricted free agent.
Mbeng also signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat last year prior to the start of last regular season and was then waived a few days later before being transitioned to the Skyforce.
The Heat’s Exhibit 10 players will have an opportunity to compete for a two-way contract with the team during the preseason. Even with Miami’s three two-way contract slots currently filled with guard Tre Donaldson, center Vlad Goldin and forward Keshad Johnson, two-way deals are allowed to be swapped out at any time.
If the Heat’s Exhibit 10 players don’t get a two-way contract, Miami will waive them before the start of the regular season and likely try to move them to its G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
During Mbeng’s four-year college career at Yale, he was named the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2025. He was also selected as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year three times from 2023-25.
Mbeng joins forward J’Vonne Hadley as the two players who the Heat currently has committed Exhibit 10 contracts to. Miami is expected to sign at least one more player to an Exhibit 10 deal before the start of training camp.
The Heat also formally announced Tuesday that it signed guard Pelle Larsson to an extension. Larsson’s extension, which begins with the 2027-28 season, is worth $60 million over four years and includes a mutual option to opt-in for the fourth year.
Where Heat’s roster stands
NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 21 players under contract in the offseason and preseason. Rosters must be cut to a maximum total of 18 players (15 on standard contracts and three on two-way contracts) by the start of the regular season.
The Heat currently has 19 players signed to contracts (14 on standard deals, three on two-way deals and two on an Exhibit 10 deal).
The 14 players who the Heat has signed to standard contracts are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Bobby Portis, Davion Mitchell, Tim Hardaway Jr., Klay Thompson, Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio, Nick Richards, Pelle Larsson, Myron Gardner and Ryan Conwell.
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Anthony Chiang covers the Miami Heat for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and was born and raised in Miami.