Former Jayhawk Tre White signs with Miami Heat as undrafted free agent

Tre White signed with the Miami Heat on June 25 as an undrafted free agent, turning a one-year Kansas run into an NBA chance that is far from guaranteed. The former Jayhawk forward’s next stop could come as early as July 3, when Miami is scheduled to open California Classic play at Chase Center in San Francisco.

White’s path gives Miami a proven college wing at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, but also underscores how narrow the margin is for undrafted players trying to stick. His deal does not come with the security of a drafted rookie contract, so the coming weeks in Summer League will matter as much as any point he scored in Allen Fieldhouse.

At Kansas, White produced the best statistical season of a college career that also included stops at USC, Louisville and Illinois. He started all 35 games for the Jayhawks, averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds, and shot 40.3% from 3-point range. ESPN lists his career totals at 1,461 points and 745 rebounds across those four programs.

That shooting jump is part of why White got a real NBA look. KU associate head coach Jeremy Case said on Hawk Talk that White can hit corner 3s, defend and rebound, which is the profile Miami often values in a role player. White’s improvement from the perimeter gave Kansas a reliable spacer and gave scouts a reason to project him as a 3-and-D wing.

His Kansas season also came with defining moments that showed he could swing a game. White hit five 3-pointers in a home win over Iowa State that helped revive the Jayhawks in mid-January, then delivered 23-point outings against Houston and Kansas State. Even so, his production dipped at times during the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments as Darryn Peterson’s role expanded.

Bill Self made clear he valued White’s season, saying on Hawk Talk, “The only thing that disappointed me was Tre didn’t get anything,” after Big 12 postseason honors were announced. White also sharpened his case at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

For Lawrence fans, the immediate test is whether White can translate that broad college résumé into a summer that leads somewhere permanent. The NBA’s California Classic runs July 3, 5 and 6 at Chase Center and includes Miami, with the full Summer League stretch in Las Vegas set to follow. White’s signing adds another KU-to-pro storyline, but this one will be judged on whether his shooting, defense and rebounding can survive the jump.