Lakers lose another target! Haywood Highsmith has signed with the Suns, with the second year of the contract partially guaranteed.

On February 15th Beijing time, insider Shams reported that the Suns will sign free agent forward Haywood Highsmith to a multi-year contract. Suns reporter John Gambadoro verified this information and mentioned that the second year of Highsmith’s deal includes a partial guarantee.

Shams revealed that prior to Highsmith’s decision to sign with the Suns, multiple playoff contenders were chasing him. Over the past week, both the Lakers and 76ers were linked to him. In particular, the Lakers had reportedly targeted Highsmith and Thomas in the buyout market; now Thomas has joined the Bucks, and Highsmith has gone to the Suns.

Highsmith has yet to play in any game this season. He underwent right knee meniscus tear surgery in August and experienced setbacks during his October rehabilitation. However, recently, agent Dyanis told Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype that his client has fully recovered and was originally scheduled to make his 2025/26 season debut on February 12 before being waived by the Nets.

Standing 6 feet 5 inches (about 1.96 meters), versatile forward Highsmith appeared in 140 games across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, averaging 22.7 minutes, 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game. He spent four seasons with the Heat before being traded to the Nets during the offseason.

Known for his tough, all-around defense, Highsmith has also made significant improvements in his outside shooting in recent years. The 29-year-old has shot 38.8% from three-point range over the past two seasons.

The Suns currently have one open spot on their 15-man roster, so signing Highsmith did not require any corresponding roster cuts.