Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow has just earned himself a contract extension.
Justise Winslow, the fourth-year, former All-American Duke Basketball star has just extended his contract with the Miami Heat, ultimately looking to keep his talents in South Beach for at least three more seasons.
Entering the last year of his rookie contract, Winslow recently signed a $39 million, three-year contract extension, with a team option for the third year.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Winslow and his Roc Nation team agreed to the deal with the Miami Heat, just days before his contract would’ve ended and made him a restricted free agent in the 2019 offseason.
Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow has agreed to a three-year, $39M extension, league sources tell ESPN. Roc Nation and Heat completed work on rookie extension ahead of Monday’s deadline.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 13, 2018
Winslow signed a four-year rookie contract with the Heat back in 2015, and has been an up-and-coming asset to the team on both offense and defense.
Last year, he averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists a game, while also shooting 38 percent from behind the arc.
In fact, his 3-point shooting and rebound percentages were the highest of his career, and both show signs that he’s getting stronger on both ends of the court.
Since being picked tenth in the first round of the draft, Winslow’s Heat career has certainly had its ups and downs.
During his rookie year, he appeared in 78 games and averaged 6.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per contest, in an average of 28.6 minutes.
His efforts even earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2016.
However, unfortunately the next year, Winslow sat out most of the season, after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder; he played in only 18 games, but ended up coming back for Miami’s 2017-18 season, bigger and better.
In regards to his contract extension, Winslow is excited and ready to continue his career with the Heat, grateful that the extension was completed before the season starts.
"Justise Winslow Post-Game Interview, nba.com, October 12, 2018“I’m just excited,” Winslow told reporters after the Heat’s preseason game Friday night. “I’m invested in this team, in this city. It’s nice to get it done before the season so I can just go out there and play, open mind, open heart. I’m committed to this team and committed to this city.”"
While as with almost every announcement of a new NBA deal, there is definitely some debate over whether or not Winslow deserved $39 million, Heat Nation is glad to have No. 20 back nevertheless.
Winslow is the third 2015 NBA fourth-year to sign an extension, and his contract keeps him a Miami Heat player until 2022-23.