As expected, the Miami Heat re-signed Udonis Haslem on Tuesday, bringing the veteran back to South Beach for one more season on the roster.
To the surprise of nobody, the Miami Heat and Udonis Haslem came to an agreement for one more year on South Beach. On Tuesday, Haslem re-signed with the Heat for a one-year minimum contract.
According to Shams Sharania of The Athletic, the deal is done:
Forward Udonis Haslem is signing a one-year deal to return to the Miami Heat for a 17th NBA season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 6, 2019
It’s been expected for some time that he would be back for his 17th season with the Heat, and became all the more likely after the team released Yante Maten at the end of July in order to clear salary and open a roster spot for a veteran. That veteran was in fact destined to be the 39-year-old Haslem.
All 16 years of Haslem’s career have been with the Heat, although the last several seasons have consisted of him being more of a coach on the sidelines than an active player. He’s played just 77 games over the last four seasons, averaging just seven minutes per game when he does get on the floor.
Haslem was an important contributor for all three Heat championships, in 2006, 20012 and 2013. He played in both of the key eras in franchise history, with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, and with LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Wade.
Just a season after giving Dwyane Wade a worthy send-off following a long and glorious career in Miami, the Heat are going to get the opportunity to do the same (albeit on perhaps a smaller scale) for Udonis Haslem in the 2019-20 season.
As for whether this final season will turn into more down the road, only time will tell, but the Heat will be better off for having his leadership in the locker room for another season.