In 2002, not a single team drafted Udonis Haslem.
For the last 15 years, the Heat haven’t been able to quit him.
Heat:
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
Free agent Udonis Haslem has signed a one-year, minimum deal to return to the Miami Heat, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 20, 2017
Haslem isn’t receiving another $4 million windfall like he got last year. He’ll earn $2,328,652 – $1,471,382 paid by the Heat and $857,270 covered by the league (as is done on one-year minimum deals for veterans). An NBA contract, even for the minimum, might be enough of a reward at this point.
To whatever extent Haslem still has a position – he has played just 390 minutes in the last two years – he’s probably a center. The Heat have Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo and maybe A.J. Hammons ahead of him. But this isn’t about getting the 37-year-old Haslem on the court, at least not beyond rare spot minutes, where can still be useful as a defender and rebounder.
The Heat want Haslem’s toughness and veteran leadership. He reinforces their culture, and that might be worth a roster spot.