Haslem returns for 15th Heat season
MIAMI — The captain is back. Udonis Haslem will return for a 15th season with his hometown team, with the Miami Heat confirming the agreement Thursday.
Even before the Heat made the announcement official, owner Micky Arison tweeted out Haslem's initials and a celebratory emoji.
Haslem, 37, who acknowledged he is at the year-to-year stage of his career, signed a one-year contract at his veteran minimum of $2.3 million for 2017-18.
“It is a great, great, day to have Udonis Haslem sign a contract for his 15th season with the Miami Heat,” Heat President Pat Riley said in a statement. “He isn’t just Mr. 305, he is a true patriarch of the team. Today we are proud to announce that he is back to lead the Heat again.”
Utilized more as mentor than player last season, he appeared in only three games over the second half of last season, including none between Feb. 6 and the April 12 season finale, when he was granted a curtain call. Haslem figures to set up a similar role.
“He’s invaluable in so many aspects on the court, off the court, in the locker room, with the players,” Riley said at the start of the offseason.
Despite a crowded roster than already includes 14 players, one below the NBA regularseason maximum, Riley continually has stressed that Haslem would not be left behind.
The Heat were allowed to exceed the salary cap to add the minimum salary, a figure that mostly will be paid from a league fund for minimum salaries. The Heat still retain their $4.3 million mid-level exception to further bolster their roster.
Haslem said previously he would have regretted not attempting to play another season.
“I've come a long way and I've sacrificed a lot and had a lot of success and would love to finish my career here,” he said earlier this offseason. “This window is very short. The last thing I want to do is have regrets — you know, ‘I wish I would have done this or would have done that.’”
The product of Miami High School is the Heat's all-time leader in offensive, defensive and total rebounds. He is the first undrafted player in NBA history to become his team's all-time leader in rebounds.
Haslem joined the Heat as a free agent in 2003, after going undrafted out of Florida in 2002 and then spending the 2002-03 season in France.
He immediately emerged as a undersized physical presence in the power rotation, helping contribute to Heat championships in 2006, 2012 and ’13.
Haslem has served as a team captain since the 2007-08 season, a role he has shared since with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. With Bosh waived earlier this month, Haslem stands as the last remaining member of the roster with a Heat championship ring.
Haslem appeared in 16 games last season, with 31 total points and 36 rebounds, in a total of 130 minutes.
The Heat already feature a crowed power rotation, when counting centers Hassan Whiteside, Bam Adebayo and A.J. Hammons, as well as power forwards James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk, with Justise Winslow and Okaro White also capable of minutes in the power rotation.
Haslem's 14 seasons are not only the most for any player in the Heat's 29 seasons, at the end of this past season, the only players with longest tenures with the same team from the start of their careers were Dirk Nowitzki with the Dallas Mavericks (19 consecutive seasons), Tony Parker with the San Antonio Spurs (16 consecutive seasons) and Manu Ginobili with the Spurs (15 consecutive seasons).
Haslem will enter 2017-18 25 games from tying Wade for most games with the franchise.
Haslem over his career has shared in five Eastern Conference titles, eight division titles and made 11 playoff appearances.
Haslem has been a presence around the team during the offseason, including addressing the summer-league roster.
“He was undrafted. He went to Europe for a year and came back here and made the team doing the things that some people don't want to do, whether it's fighting for a rebound or a loose ball,” Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn said of the lessons Haslem imparted during that session.
Among Haslem's assignments this season will be mentoring Adebayo, the No. 14 pick out of Kentucky. Asked what Haslem told him, Adebayo said, “When we step in here just make everybody better and just keep competing.”