Dru Smith moved from out to day-to-day on Thursday's injury report with a strained right calf. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Smith will miss a couple of weeks.
What happened
The Heat updated Dru Smith's status on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 12:33 p.m. ET, moving him from out to day-to-day with a right calf injury, listed under leg. He had been out with the same calf issue earlier that day before the report changed. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Smith will miss a couple of weeks with the strained right calf. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 16.
What it means for the Heat
Miami opens its 2026-27 season at the Raptors on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV, and Smith is unlikely to be available. Last season he averaged 16.3 minutes, 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists over 70 games. With him out, guards Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson are among the rotation pieces positioned to absorb backcourt minutes, alongside Tyler Herro and Norman Powell at the perimeter. The Heat are 0-0, since the 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no with-or-without-Smith record yet.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Smith's day-to-day tag holds through the opener at Toronto on Saturday. The report lists an expected return of Oct. 16, which would put him in range for Miami's early-season schedule rather than the opener itself. Expect updates on his status in the reports leading into and after the Raptors game.
Is Dru Smith playing at Raptors on Oct 3?
He is listed day-to-day with a strained right calf. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Smith will miss a couple of weeks, which covers Miami's Oct. 3 opener at Toronto.
When will Dru Smith be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 16, 2026, for the strained right calf.