From first-round pick to out of NBA, a ‘hungry’ Josh Christopher impressing with Heat summer team

Just four years ago, Josh Christopher was a five-star high school basketball recruit heading to Arizona State. Just three years ago, Christopher was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. Now, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound guard is trying to work his way back into the NBA.

After spending last season in the G League, Christopher, 22, has been working with the Heat in Miami since May. Still without an NBA contract, Christopher has immersed himself in the Heat’s player development program for the past two months with nothing promised but an opportunity to showcase his talent on Miami’s summer league team.

“Just to do what I’m asked and just show that I trust them and just apply the things that they have been teaching me since May,” Christopher said of his time with the Heat. “That’s the big goal. Just keep getting better and do the things I’m asked.”

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That work is paying off, as Christopher has made teams around the NBA notice him in Las Vegas.

In the Heat’s first Las Vegas Summer League game on Saturday, Christopher totaled 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 shooting on threes, two rebounds, three assists and three steals to help the Heat defeat the Boston Celtics’ summer league roster.

In the Heat’s second Las Vegas Summer League game on Monday, Christopher recorded 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range, three rebounds, two assists and one steal to lift the Heat to a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder’s summer league squad. Christopher exploded for 20 points in the fourth quarter behind 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc and a few highlight-worthy dunks in the period.

Christopher will look to impress again in the Heat’s third of at least five Las Vegas Summer League games on the UNLV campus Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks (3 p.m., ESPN2 and Bally Sports Sun).

“He’s worked incessantly behind the scenes,” Heat summer league head coach Dan Bisaccio said of Christopher. “He stayed in Miami since May with us, constantly asking us what else can I do, what more can I do? I need to do more, I want to be better. I want to be challenged.”

What has been the Heat’s challenge to Christopher? To develop and grow the parts of his game — like one-on-one defense and three-point shooting — that would make him a quality NBA role player.

“Really just, one, to take ownership of being an animal on defense and taking my shots,” Christopher said of the Heat’s plan for him. “Shooting my three and trusting the work that I’m putting in and just being able to play off the ball and play in a whole new role and being one of those three-and-D guys.”

That’s an adjustment for Christopher, who entered the NBA three years ago as a first-round pick known for his scoring ability.

“You realize that you aren’t bigger than the NBA once you get there,” Christopher said. “For some people, it may take them a little longer to realize that. But you really have to buy all the way in and do what you’re asked. That’s how you create longevity. I guess that’s the fun part, being a part of a team and a culture.”

Christopher’s basketball journey to this point in his career has been a winding one. From entering the NBA as a first-round pick with the Rockets, being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, getting waived by the Grizzlies, signing a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz before then being waived by the Jazz in January.

Christopher appeared in 138 regular-season NBA games (four starts) during the first two seasons of his professional career. He logged more than 30 minutes in an NBA game six times during that span, scoring 20 or more points in three of those games.

But Christopher did not play in an NBA game in his third NBA season last season, instead appearing in 23 G League games. He began last season with the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, before moving to the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, midway through the season.

Christopher has been with the Heat ever since, working in the team’s facility at Kaseya Center since last season came to an end and now thriving with the Heat’s summer league team in Las Vegas.

“I’m extremely hungry,” Christopher said after Monday’s summer league win. “I have pushed myself to exhaustion and I’m in the gym every day. You put in the work, it’s going to show like that. So I was in the gym up here yesterday at 12 a.m. getting jumpers with my brother, just us two. I ended up running into Jamal Crawford, too. So, shout out to him.”

Crawford, a three-time winner of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award who played 20 seasons in the NBA, confirmed that story on social media after Christopher’s excellent summer league performance on Monday.

“What most didn’t see was the work he put in the night before,” Crawford posted on X. “Saw him in the gym at 11 p.m. the night before getting up hundreds of shots. Keep running your race Josh. Respect.”

Christopher’s race continues in hopes of earning an NBA contract.

Whether Christopher’s next NBA opportunity comes with the Heat remains to be seen. With no room under the second apron to sign a 15th player to a standard contract and all three two-way contract slots currently occupied, the Heat would need to waive a player to add Christopher to its NBA roster.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to where I need to be because I know I belong,” Christopher said. “I’m extremely hungry.”

HEAT COACHING NEWS

On Tuesday, the Heat announced Bisaccio will be the Skyforce’s new head coach.

Bisaccio, who initially joined the Heat as a video intern for the 2014-15 season, has been with the organization for the past 10 seasons. He spent last season as a Heat player development coach before serving as the summer league head coach this year.

The Heat also announced Tuesday that former Skyforce head coach Kasib Powell will move to the Heat’s staff as a player development coach. Powell served as the Skyforce’s head coach for the past three seasons.