AUGUST 25TH, 3:58pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
AUGUST 19TH, 2:44pm: Benson is getting a one-year deal for the minimum salary without any guaranteed money, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It has limited injury protection, Pincus adds, so it appears it’s an Exhibit 9 contract.
AUGUST 14TH, 6:33pm: Unrestricted free agent center Keith Benson has agreed to a deal with the Heat, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the agreement are not yet known, but Charania describes it as a training camp deal, which means that it is likely for the minimum salary and may contain a small partial guarantee, though that is merely my speculation.
The 6’11”, 27-year-old, was a second round pick of the Hawks back in the 2011 NBA Draft. His only NBA regular season action came during the 2011/12 campaign when he went scoreless in three appearances for the Warriors. Benson played his college ball at the University of Oakland, notching career averages of 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists, and owning a slash line of .558/.379/.679. The big man spent last season playing overseas for both Neptūnas of Lithuania and the Estonian club BC Kalev/Cramo.
The addition of Benson will give the Heat a roster count of 16 players, 12 of whom possess fully guaranteed contracts.
Bye to birdman? Hopefully
Chill out on Birdman who did a great job last season at 36.. The man has energy and rides for the heat…The man is a Heatlifer
Agreed
What is the purpose for this guy, need to pick up, some good second and third string players
It’s a training camp deal, Heat can carry 20 players into camp before needing to trim down roster to 15 before the start of the season. As far as needing to add 2nd or 3rd string players. Most NBA rotations are at best 10 deep and Heat already have a pretty good 10 man rotation. Barring trades here’s your 10 man rotation:
PG: Dragic and Rio
SG: Wade and Gerald Green
SF: Deng and Winslow
PF: Bosh and McRoberts
C: Whiteside and Amare
That doesn’t include the guaranteed contracts of JRich or Birdman, which would already make them 12 deep. If Bird and Rio are kept your looking at a pretty deep team.
Sorry other guaranteed contract is Haslem’s not JRich
Haslem team mascot
Wade and Winslow, Deng and green. Winslow is 6’6″, green is 6’7″ and has more experience at the 3.
Very deep team very few teams have have a 12 man rotation and if anything spo is good at is his lineups
You absolutely right
For every right move we make to wrong moves are made . doesn’t make any sense should have kept Bill Walker aka Henry
Tristan Thompson is still available under 8mill, he’s refusing to sign with the Cavaliers
Lol Tristan is looking for at least 80mill over 5 years, no way he signs for under 8 mill.
Birdman is one of the few real ring defenders of the league – play fearless all the time – with high energy and is very knowledgeable of basketball game.
Further is irreplaceable when the knees of Stoudemire begin to complain after game 20 of next season.
So better Pat Riley who praises defensive above all be mindful about the advantage of Whiteside – Stoudemire – Birdman no other team has in the league.
Sorry to disagree with John’s comment earlier : on Rio – Chalmers is really, the reason unknown, decrease his game in quality & results. Slow down the offensive so much and misses many clear fastbreak opprtunities, uses too much time with the ball at play making and do not weaken the opposite team defense as he does not move quickly and effectively threatening penetration to the paint. There are so many aspects he has lowered the level.
So my friend it is Dragon – Johnson or Richardson the best options to rotate point guards for the Heat.
It is dangerous for the heat that there is no team getting him alone in a trade – forcing a package. But disastrous for the Heat would be packing him up with Birdman ( as any opponent would want ).
Hope Pat will pack him up with Benson & $$ or even McRoberts who has been nothing great so far and whose offensive role can be split among the many other offensive players of the team : wade bosh Deng Winslow, etc.
This option saves more and affects less than losing a rebounder and defensor like Birdman really scarce within the league.
please use better grammar.
Khem Birch!!!
Khem Birch!!!
Khem Birch!!! He should be given a chance…
Khem Birch!!! How can he be out of the conversation?
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