The Heat guard was ruled out Thursday with a strained right calf, a injury expected to sideline him for a couple of weeks. He will miss Miami's season opener at Toronto on Saturday.
What happened
Dru Smith was listed as out on the injury report issued Thursday, Oct. 1 at 12:18 PM ET, with a strained right calf. No previous status had been logged for him. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that Smith will miss a couple of weeks with the injury. The report lists an expected return of Oct. 16.
What it means for the Heat
Miami opens its 2026-27 season at the Raptors on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:00 PM ET on NBA TV, and Smith will not be available. Last season he played 70 games off Miami's bench, averaging 16.3 minutes, 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. With him out, backcourt minutes figure to go to Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson, who logged 28.6 and 26.4 minutes, respectively, in recent box scores. The Heat have not yet played a regular-season game this season, so there is no with-or-without-Smith record to cite.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Smith's calf status changes. His expected return is listed as Oct. 16, which would put him on track to miss Miami's opening stretch of games, starting with the opener at Toronto. Nothing beyond that timeline has been announced.
Is Dru Smith playing at Raptors on Sat, Oct 3?
No. Smith is listed as out with a strained right calf and will not play in Miami's season opener at Toronto.
When will Dru Smith be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Oct. 16. Ira Winderman reported he will miss a couple of weeks with the calf strain. No further timeline has been announced.