What is Haywood Highsmith’s net worth?
| Net Worth: | $2.3 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 25 |
| Born: | December 9, 1996 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.96 m |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional NBA Player |
| Last Updated: | November 29, 2022 |
Introduction
Haywood Highsmith is an American professional basketball player who is currently a small forward for the NBA’s Miami Heat.
One of the few players in the NBA to attend a Division II college, Highsmith went undrafted out of Wheeling University in 2018.
As of February 2023, Haywood Highsmith’s net worth is estimated to be $2.3 Million.
Haywood Highsmith Facts
- Attended Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Played college basketball at Wheeling Jesuit University for four seasons.
- Highsmith was named to the All-MEC team twice during his college basketball career and was the 2018 MEC Player of the Year.
- Started his professional basketball career through a local G-League tryout with the Delaware Blue Coats.
- Made his NBA debut in January 2019 with the Philadelphia 76ers with three points in five minutes.
- Signed with the Miami Heat prior to the 2021-22 NBA season.
Early Life
Haywood Lee Highsmith Jr. was born December 9, 1996 in Baltimore, Maryland where he also grew up.
A standout basketball player growing up, Highsmith attended the private Archbishop Curley High School but didn’t draw interest from Division I colleges.
Highsmith decided to attend Wheeling Jesuit University where he played all four seasons and had an immediate impact on the team in his freshman season.
During his college career, Highsmith earned several honors, including the MVP of the MEC Conference Tournament, but was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Career
Following the draft, Highsmith attended a local NBA G League tryout for the Delaware Blue Coats and averaged 13.7 points per game after making the team.
Highsmith signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and scored nine points over five NBA games in the 2018-19 season.
Over the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Highsmith played for both the Blue Coats, as well as the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim in Germany and Vanoli Cremona in Italy before rejoining the NBA.
Highsmith signed with the Miami Heat prior to the 2021-22 season and has remained with the team ever since, starting in one game during his first season.
Haywood Highsmith’s Career Earnings
There have been times in Haywood Highsmith’s career where his salary was only slightly above the American average due to being undrafted.
Highsmith had to prove himself on minimal contracts before he was able to ink his first seven-figure deal, signing his richest contract thus far in 2022.
The figures of Haywood Highsmith’s earnings are based on his publicly announced contracts, but are not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Here’s an estimated overview of Haywood Highsmith’s career earnings:
- Haywood Highsmith’s Salary In 2018 – $77,250
- Haywood Highsmith’s Salary In 2019 – $1.4 Million
- Haywood Highsmith’s Salary In 2020 – $50,000
- Haywood Highsmith’s Salary In 2021 – $547,701
- Haywood Highsmith’s Salary In 2022 – $1.7 Million
Following the 2022-23 NBA season, the Miami Heat have a team option on Highsmith’s contract that would give him $1.9 million if exercised.
Currently, Highsmith is the tied as the lowest paid player on the Miami roster with center Omer Yurtseven, but his multiyear contract gives him guaranteed income.
Haywood Highsmith’s Net Worth Annually
NBA players that go undrafted tend to have a minimal net worth at the start of their careers until they prove that they belong on an active roster.
Haywood Highsmith is one of those players that has proved they belong, and has seen his net worth increase as a result.
The figures of Haywood Highsmith’s net worth are estimated in regard to his NBA salaries and endorsements and are not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Here’s a breakdown of Haywood Highsmith’s annual net worth:
- Haywood Highsmith’s Net Worth In 2018 – $50,000
- Haywood Highsmith’s Net Worth In 2019 – $1 Million
- Haywood Highsmith’s Net Worth In 2020 – $900,000
- Haywood Highsmith’s Net Worth In 2021 – $1.2 Million
- Haywood Highsmith’s Net Worth In 2022 – $2.3 Million
Highsmith’s hope is that the Miami Heat are willing to pick up the 2023-24 team option on his contract as it would nearly double his net worth in just one year.
For the 2024-25 season, the Heat are able to place a qualifying offer on Highsmith that would be worth over $2.3 million but could be worth more if another team is willing to pay him a higher amount.
Personal Life
Highsmith is the son of parents Brenda Highsmith and Haywood Highsmith Sr. who raised him in Baltimore, Maryland.
The elder Haywood Highsmith played college basketball at Fairmont State University and made the school’s Hall of Fame for his basketball career.
Highsmith is married to Miami native Mel Diaz Carrasco, and the couple had a daughter who was born in October 2021.
Haywood Highsmith is active on social media with an official Instagram account and official Twitter account, with the Instagram updated more frequently.
Awards & Achievements
As a bench player in the NBA, Highsmith doesn’t qualify for many awards, but he has collected quite a bit of hardware.
Highsmith was one of the most dominant players in Division II basketball in college where he collected most of his awards.
Here are some of the awards and achievements from Haywood Highsmith’s career:
- Named as a Division II All-American in 2018.
- In the same year, Highsmith was named the MEC Player of the Year.
- Highsmith was selected to two All-MEC Teams (2016, 2018).
- Selected as MEC Tournament MVP in 2018 as the team qualified for the Division II NCAA Tournament.
- Scored a career-high 16 points for the Heat in December 2019.
As Highsmith starts to get more playing time with the Heat, he hopes to be eligible for more awards at the NBA level.
Among the goals for Highsmith in his career are making an NBA All Star Team and getting the Heat back to the NBA Finals.
How Does Haywood Highsmith Spend His Money?
Due to signing smaller contracts early on in his career, Highsmith isn’t among the richest NBA players in the world but does have a lot of money coming his way.
Highsmith is known for being one of the thriftier players in the league, staying away from the most expensive houses and most expensive cars, opting for more affordable living.
With a young daughter as part of his family, Highsmith is more interested in using the contract he received from one of the richest NBA teams to invest in her future.
Miami Heat players like Jimmy Butler are able to spend due to massive contracts, but Highsmith signed a deal that pays much less and has to be wise with his money.
Highlights
As one of the best players that the NCAA’s Division II has seen so far in the 21st century, Haywood Highsmith already has several awards to his name.
Along with his college accolades, Highsmith is out to make a name for himself in the NBA as he gets more playing time.
Here are some of the best highlights of Haywood Highsmith’s career:
- Reached the 2018 NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament.
- Named as a First-Team All-American during his senior season at Wheeling.
- Selected as the MEC Player of the Year, MEC Tournament MVP and All-MEC team member in 2018.
- Averaged a double-double during his final college season with 22 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.
- Made his NBA debut with three points for the Philadelphia 76ers on January 8, 2019.
Highsmith is a contributor for the Miami Heat and has plenty of team achievements that he’s setting out to accomplish.
Since he wasn’t a member of the 2019-20 Miami Heat team that made the NBA Finals, Highsmith is looking for his first championship appearance.
Favorite Haywood Highsmith Quotes
Haywood Highsmith has overcome a lot to make it to the NBA after receiving almost no recognition from Division I schools.
As a result, Highsmith has talked about his path to the NBA and has had some memorable things to say.
Here are our favorite quotes from Haywood Highsmith:
- ” I thought to myself, ‘You could go professional with this,’ and it has always been a dream of mine, so it was nice to think like that.” – Haywood Highsmith
- ” Good things come to those who wait. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Haywood Highsmith
- ” When you have a family support system like I do, they always encouraged me and kept making me feel positive.” – Haywood Highsmith
- ” There were definitely some ups and downs throughout the path to where I am now.” – Haywood Highsmith
- ” If (the NBA) is your dream you have to go out and make that dream a reality.” – Haywood Highsmith
3 Amazing Lessons From Haywood Highsmith
Haywood Highsmith has always had the size to be a great basketball player, but many questioned his talent to become a professional.
Instead of taking those people to heart, Haywood found a path for himself and kept plugging away until he achieved his dreams.
Now that you know all about Haywood Highsmith’s net worth, many can learn from the relatively unknown player that found a role in the NBA.
Here are some of the best success lessons to learn from Haywood Highsmith:
1. It Isn’t Where You Start
Even though he was one of the top high school basketball players in Maryland, there weren’t any Division I schools that wanted Haywood Highsmith.
As a result, he went to a small Division II school and became a standout, but the lower division usually doesn’t produce NBA players.
Despite not being drafted and playing at Wheeling, Wheeling tried out for the professional ranks anyway and has made a career out of basketball.
2. The Mentally Strong Survive
Since he wasn’t recruited very much out of high school or college, Highsmith had to take any opportunity he was given to play in the NBA.
The number of times that Highsmith bounced up and down between the G League and the NBA can take a mental toll, but Highsmith remained strong.
Highsmith surrounded himself with his family, sticking to his plan of making the NBA, and that belief in himself landed him on the Heat roster.
3. Hard Work Pays Off
Because of his size, Highsmith was one of the more dominant high school players in his region, but had to adjust in college.
When Highsmith got to Wheeling, he was a bit lackadaisical, but quickly turned into a very hardworking basketball star.
Putting in all of the extra work it requires to be a valuable player put Highsmith on the map and earned him a path to make it into the NBA.
Summary
Haywood Highsmith is in the prime of his NBA career, meaning that he should get more playing time for the Miami Heat.
Highsmith has already defied the odds of making it to the NBA despite not playing Division I basketball and will have an impact on Miami’s roster.
Role players are incredibly important in the NBA, and Highsmith fits that spot for the franchise as they look to win a championship.
As of February 2023, Haywood Highsmith’s net worth is estimated to be $2.3 Million.
