When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Gabe Vincent to a three-year, $33 million deal, fans of the Purple and Gold were delighted. After all, Vincent was the starting point guard for a Miami Heat team that only recently made the NBA Finals, and his skillset makes him quite the good fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Vincent is yet to reach similar heights with the Lakers, which has led some to believe that he's simply a product of the Heat's famed culture and ecosystem under head coach Erik Spoelstra. Nevertheless, the 27-year old combo guard acknowledged that moving to LA was the only rational decision he could have made given the Heat's financial situation, which made keeping him a very tricky endeavor.

“I think I had a good playoff run, and I think that changed my value. I think once that changed, it just became more difficult. I think Miami wanted me to be there. I think I was naturally looking to return to the team I just had a Finals run with and the team I had been with for the last three or four seasons. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out. But my value had changed,” Vincent explained, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Gabe Vincent fit that gritty Heat team to a T; he was a comfortably above-average defender at the point of attack, he kept the ball moving, and he was also capable of making some difficult shots off the dribble. It surely would have been more convenient for him to stay as it wouldn't have required him to adjust drastically like he's doing with the Lakers.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Heat’s Kel’el Ware has honest takeaways from impressive Summer League performance
Heat adds Summer League standout on 2-way contract
NBA rumors: Disney, ESPN working on 2020 ‘The Bubble’ documentary
What Heat Summer League standout Pelle Larsson learned from Udonis Haslem

But the Heat were in salary cap hell, pushing up against the second luxury tax apron without even making moves yet in free agency. (This also precluded them from going all-in on Bradley Beal.) Thus, Vincent is definitely justified in going with the best offer possible, especially when he's made just around $3.5 million during his time in Miami.

Currently out for at least the next two weeks with a left knee injury, Gabe Vincent should now focus on regaining his health and giving it his all for the Lakers once he's back from injury.