The Miami Heat elected to draft James Ennis with the No. 50 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, knowing that based on his late selection, his development was going to be a slow one. LeBron James‘ departure last season expedited Ennis’ injection into the small forward rotation, averaging a steady 17.0 minutes a game as the second option off the bench.

Based on how well he fared throughout the season, averaging 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and shooting over 84 percent from the free throw line (led all rookies in this category), Ennis was bound to have an even more productive summer. Instead, the still inexperienced and slightly injured small forward was abysmal throughout the entire Summer League, averaging under 5.0 points a game and shooting well under 26.3 percent from the field and 0-for-14 from beyond the arc. This massive drop in production has led many to wonder if Heat management will give up on their three year project player in hopes of clearing roster room once the regular season starts.

Releasing Ennis would be a huge mistake by the Heat organization based solely on his potential and how cheap his contract truly is. Depth is a premium all title contending teams must have, and although Ennis has struggled mightily throughout the summer, he still has the potential to be a terrific two-way wing player.

Even with Luol Deng and newly signed Justise Winslow in the rotation, Ennis could still find quality minutes under Erik Spoelstra’s lineup changes. Wing defense was one of the Heat’s primary focuses throughout the offseason, and although Winslow fits that bill, Ennis has more experience and could provide the Heat with in-house talent at a relatively cheap cost.

Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google