The Heat have a hard decision to make — should they retain center Nick Richards, who has a non-guaranteed deal? His $3.1MM salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on Miami’s roster on opening night unless the guarantee terms in his contract are amended before then, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes.

“I just take it one day at a time,” Richards said. “Ultimately, it’s their decision. I mean, I think I come out here every single day, do my best, play the hardest, try to play as hard as I can play. I just take it one day at a time.”

Coach Erik Spoelstra indicated Richards hasn’t hurt his chances of making the roster during training camp.

“I like what he’s been bringing,” he said. “And that’s not only in the games when he’s gotten his minutes, but in practice. He’s a very good rebounder. He can rebound in traffic. He can rebound above the crowd. He can rebound balls that are slightly out of his area. “And he’s a big, big. So he’s good in pick-and-roll coverage. For his coverage, we still have to shore some things up with that. But he provides something a little bit different than all the other bigs provide. And I like what he’s done.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

• Wizards wing Kyshawn George averaged 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Wizards last season. With an improved roster, George isn’t assured of a starting spot but the tradeoff is a much more competitive team. “We’re playing for something real,” George told Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com. “Got a whole bunch of talent, and it’s always fun to come in here and be confident in the guy next to us, be confident in what’s going on.” George is extension eligible next summer.
• Magic guard Anthony Black is progressing well from his right ankle sprain, coach Sean Sweeney told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Black is eligible for a rookie scale extension until the season opener. In another update (Twitter link), Beede reports forward Jonathan Isaac, who missed Orlando’s first two preseason games due to personal reasons, has returned to the court.
• Zuby Ejiofor, the 23rd pick of the June draft, put together a solid performance for the Hawks with several regulars sitting out against Oklahoma City on Monday. Ejiofor had 15 points and nine rebounds and looked the most at ease he has this exhibition season, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. His physicality was also a huge plus with smart screens that opened up shots, Williams adds.