With Omer Yurtseven expected to undergo ankle surgery, Heat makes move to add frontcourt depth

Miami Heat center Omer Yurtseven intends to undergo surgery on his injured left ankle this week, barring a change of heart, multiple league sources told the Miami Herald.

Yurtseven has already missed each of the Heat’s first 13 regular-season games, including Saturday night’s 132-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets at FTX Arena. And now he’ll miss another extended stretch with the Heat (6-7) set to close its four-game homestand on Monday against the Phoenix Suns (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun), but the team’s hope is that he’ll return to play at some point this season.

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The expectation is the recovery from the impending surgery will keep Yurtseven out for up to three months. Based on that timeline, he may be able to return by March.

The Heat made a move on Sunday to prepare for the reality of Yurtseven missing a large chunk of the season, waiving guard Dru Smith from his two-way contract to create room to sign developmental center Orlando Robinson to a two-way deal to provide frontcourt reinforcement. Robinson is expected to be with the Heat for Monday’s game against the Suns.

Robinson, who went undrafted out of Fresno State this year, played for the Heat’s summer league team and took part in Heat training camp before he was waived just before the start of the regular season. But the 22-year-old Robinson (6-10 and 235 pounds) has remained in the Heat’s developmental program, averaging 20 points on 54.1 percent shooting from the field, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and one block in four games with Miami’s G League affiliate this season.

Robinson joins rookie forward Jamal Cain as the Heat’s two two-way contract players. Two-way deals allow for players to be on their NBA team’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games, with Robinson eligible to be on the Heat’s active list for the prorated amount of 43 regular-season games since he was signed nearly four weeks into the season.

Two-way deals can be swapped out at any time and do not count toward the salary cap, which allows the Heat add another center in Robinson to the roster without entering the luxury tax. Using the one open spot on its 15-man roster to sign a replacement for Yurtseven would make the Heat a luxury tax team, as it stands just about $200,000 away from the luxury tax threshold.

The injury keeping Yurtseven out has been labeled by the Heat as a left ankle impingement. A source classified it as a bone-spur issue in his ankle.

Yurtseven, 24, considered a few different solutions for his ankle injury and sought multiple expert opinions. But in the end, it appears that surgery will be required.

Yurtseven’s only game action since the start of training camp was in the Heat’s preseason opener, when he recorded 11 points and nine rebounds on Oct. 4. He missed the rest of the preseason schedule and has not played yet this regular season.

Yurtseven, 24, is set to be a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

With the 6-11 Yurtseven set to miss another extended stretch, the Heat’s frontcourt depth is limited even after it adds Robinson. Behind starting center Bam Adebayo, Miami has used veteran center Dewayne Dedmon as the backup with Yurtseven out.

But Dedmon has been battling left foot plantar fasciitis early this season, which again has him listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Suns. Dedmon, 33, has been available for 11 of the Heat’s first 13 games.

Behind Adebayo and Dedmon, the only other center on the 15-man roster is the injured and unavailable Yurtseven. Other Heat options to fill in at center if Adebayo or Dedmon are unavailable are Robinson, 6-foot-8 veteran Udonis Haslem, 6-foot-11 rookie Nikola Jovic or even the 6-foot-7 Cain.

Prior to the injury, Yurtseven was vying for a spot in the Heat’s rotation after flashing his potential as a rookie. While Adebayo missed time because of a thumb injury last season, Yurtseven grabbed at least 12 rebounds in 11 straight games for the longest such streak in Heat history before falling out of the rotation when Adebayo returned.

The Heat also remains without guard Victor Oladipo, who has yet to play this season because of left knee tendinosis. The team has not given a timetable for Oladipo’s return.

▪ Along with missing Oladipo and Yurtseven on Monday, Tyler Herro (left ankle sprain) and Dedmon (foot) are listed as questionable for the Heat’s matchup against the Suns.

Phoenix has ruled out Jae Crowder (not with team), Cameron Johnson (right meniscus tear) and Landry Shamet (concussion protocol) for Monday’s game in Miami. Chris Paul is questionable because of right heel soreness.

THE ADEBAYO EFFECT

The Heat has been a better team when Adebayo has been on the court this season. That’s not a surprise since he’s one of the best players on the roster.

But just how much better the Heat has been when Adebayo is playing is eye-opening.

The Heat has been 18 points per 100 possessions better with Adebayo on the court compared to when he’s been on the bench through the first 13 games, according to Cleaning The Glass. Among the players who have logged more than 350 minutes this season, Adebayo’s on/off differential ranks eighth-best in the NBA.

The driving force behind Adebayo’s positive impact has been his defensive influence. Miami has allowed 106.1 points per 100 possessions when Adebayo has been on the court for a defensive rating that would rank second-best in the NBA for the season, but have allowed 117.3 points per 100 possessions when Adebayo has been on the bench for a defensive rating that would rank second-worst in the NBA.

“He really is unique defensively. He’s special,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Adebayo.

The second-best on/off differential on the Heat roster belongs to forward Caleb Martin. The Heat has been 13 points per 100 possessions better with Martin on the court this season.

“Whatever lineup he’s in tends to defend better and he’s doing a lot of things for us defensively, guarding other teams’ better players and he’s also very good in our zone,” Spoelstra said of Martin. “Then offensively, he knows how to fit in with the two lineups. I think he also, because of his work ethic and his age and his commitment to the whole process, he’s going to continue to get better as the season goes on.”