Dion Waiters says he tweaked troublesome ankle

Dion Waiters had a forgettable season opener after signing a four-year, $52 million deal with the Miami Heat this past summer. We may know why.

In the locker room following the Heat’s 116-109 loss to the Orlando Magic Wednesday, Waiters revealed that he tweaked his troublesome left ankle three times in the game. He briefly went to the locker room in the third quarter to have it re-taped.

During the Heat’s training camp, Waiters said that he considered having surgery on the ankle in the off-season — the same one that kept him out of Miami’s final 13 games of the 2016-17 season — but opted against it because it would have kept him out for eight to 10 months.

Waiters scored seven points in the fourth quarter, one of the rare moments Miami showed intensity Wednesday night, but committed three turnovers and shot 7-of-17 from the field. It’s also worth pointing out that Waiters suffered through nagging injuries during the early stages of last season before getting healthy when the Heat’s 30-11 run started.

Let’s hope Waiters’ ankle isn’t a cause for concern and that he plays well in the Heat’s home opener Saturday.