MIAMI — A day after trading forward Haywood Highsmith to ease their situation against the punitive NBA luxury tax, the Miami Heat on Saturday re-signed guard Dru Smith to a three-year contract.

The Heat opted to sign Smith instead of a backup center such as Kai Jones, who auditioned for Miami last week, or veteran center Trey Lyes, who also has been linked to the Heat. Miami isn’t expected to add a backup center in free agency anytime soon, though it’s conceivable that could be addressed with another trade.