Miami Heat: The Athletic values Dewayne Dedmon at a minimum contract
By Jack Simone
Dewayne Dedmon played his role to a tee last year with the Miami Heat. He stepped up and took over as the backup center for the majority of the season.
Kelly Olynyk was traded at the deadline and the Heat had no other playable big men on their roster outside of Bam Adebayo. Dedmon signed with the team in early April and did exactly what the team needed him to do.
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He averaged 7.1 points, 5.4 rebounds in 16 games with the Heat. Dedmon shot 70.8% from the field and averaged 13.1 minutes per game.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old big man will now enter free agency. His value, however, is projected to be in line with what the Miami Heat would have likely offered him anyway.
John Hollinger of The Athletic created a system called “BORD$,” which projects how much a free agent will be worth on the open market. According to the equation, Dedmon is worth a veteran minimum.
This news should cause cheers of delight throughout South Beach. Dedmon did exactly what he was asked to do during his time in Miami, and re-signing him to a minimum deal should be a no-brainer.
Ideally, the Miami Heat should be able to find a better backup center in free agency this summer. In that case, Dedmon would be the third big man off the bench in case they need him.
However, if Miami is unable to sign a quality backup center, Dedmon can handle an uptick in minutes next year. He played super well in the 13 minutes he got last season, and at only 32 years old, there’s no reason he can’t play upwards of 20.
His energy and hustle impressed Heat fans last year. All they ask of their players is that they leave everything out on the court, and Dedmon certainly did that.
There may be a small market for him elsewhere, though. As teams around the league search for big man depth, his performance with the Heat last season may cause him to get some attention this summer.
Though he’s not the best defender in the world, his efficient offense could warrant some other veteran minimum offers around the league. At that point, it’s just a matter of where Dedmon wants to play.
Miami should not overpay to keep him around. As good as he was, there are other centers that can produce similar numbers for a minimum deal.
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That being said, if he’s willing to come back to Miami, the mutual interest will surely be there. Re-signing Dedmon to a minimum deal at the end of the offseason would be great for the Miami Heat.