This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat as Miami Heat's Dru Smith Ahead Of Schedule, Close To Playing 5-on-5.

The Heat opted to sign Smith instead of a backup center such as Kai Jones, who auditioned for Miami last week, or veteran center Trey Lyes, who also has been linked to the Heat. Miami isn’t expected to add a backup center in free agency anytime soon, though it’s conceivable that could be addressed with another trade.