The Miami Heat added assurance to their frontcourt depth as they recalled forward Jarnell Stokes from their National Basketball Association Developmental League (NBA D-League) affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Stokes joined Miami earlier this month and was part of the trade deal that sent veteran point guard Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Stokes was the second round pick (35th overall) of the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft and was traded to the Grizzlies.
Playing for the Grizzlies in his first season (2014–15), the 21-year-old forward appeared in 19 regular season games which included two starts and averaged three points and 1.8 rebounds in 6.6 minutes of action per contest.
Along with his stint for Memphis, Stokes also played in the NBA D-League for the Iowa Energy in the 2014–15 season.
This season, the former Tennessee Volunteer played two games for the Grizzlies and averaged one rebound in two minutes of action per outing, before being traded to the Heat.
When Stokes joined the Heat, they assigned him to the Skyforce where he played well, helping the team to a 3–0 start to the season.
According to the report on the Heat's website, Stokes was averaging 23 points, 9.7 rebounds, one steal, and one block in 28.1 minutes played per game in his stay with Skyforce.
The report added that in two of those three games, Stokes recorded double-double performances.
CBS Sports reported that the addition of Stokes to the Heat's lineup improves their frontcourt depth since Chris Andersen and Amar'e Stoudemire are ill and out of action.
Stokes will be available to play when Miami begins a four-game home stand today, Monday, taking on the Boston Celtics.
But CBS Sports added in their report that despite Andersen and Stoudemire expected to be out against the Celtics, it is unlikely that Stokes will see lengthy minutes on the court.
