Fox Sports' Chris Tomasson reported earlier that the Miami Heat have signed Mickell Gladness to a second 10-day contract, giving the rookie 7-footer another chance to earn a full-time gig with Miami.
Gladness was originally signed by the Heat on December 10th and was a surprise addition to the opening day roster. After seeing just 28 minutes of playing time, Gladness was waived on February 7th, before his contract would've become guaranteed for the entire season. The Heat signed Gladness to a 10-day contract on February 12th, and the center earned mop-up time in each of Miami's next two games. Still, the Heat chose to let Gladness' initial 10-day contract expire and it appeared as though he might sign with the Warriors, who also offered a 10-day deal. Gladness said he chose Miami over Golden State out of loyalty, telling Tomasson that he preferred the Heat because, "They were the first ones to give me a chance."
Gladness said team president Pat Riley was honest with him throughout the process. Addressing the elephant in the room (the fact that the Heat don't want to commit to Gladness for the rest of the season without first exploring potential buyout additions), Gladness told Tomasson, "They want to keep their flexibility in case they find a veteran big man who can contribute to them winning a championship more than I can. They look at me as a guy they’re still developing. So I guess if they don’t find someone by the trade deadline, that would look good for me (as far as staying with the Heat the rest of the season)."
At the conclusion of this second 10-day contract, Miami will have to either sign Gladness to a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season or cut ties with the center. The CBA prevents teams from signing individual players to more than two 10-day contracts during the season. Gladness would be free to sign subsequent 10-day contracts with other organizations.
Gladness was a prolific shot blocker during his collegiate career at Alabama A&M, averaging 4.66 blocks per game. He still holds the NCAA single-game record for blocks, recording 16 in a game against Texas Southern in 2007.
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