Udonis Haslem Wants Another Season In Miami

Veteran forward Udonis Haslem hopes to play at least one more season and he wants to stay with the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

The 37-year-old, who has spent his entire 14-year career in Miami, was motivated by the team’s near miss in its run at a playoff spot.

“I would love to be here,” Haslem said. “I would love to be a part of these guys’ process and maturation. And when the time does come, I want to be in a situation where I was able to help those guys get to the playoffs. Not making the playoffs is not the way I want to end. I’ve still got a lot of gas in the tank. We will see what happens.”

Haslem played sparingly this season, getting into just 17 games and averaging 7.6 minutes per night. But he understands his role as a mentor on a rebuilding team and is willing to continue it to remain in Miami.

Haslem is the last link to the Heat teams that dominated the Eastern Conference in the early part of the decade. He says he was never tempted to look elsewhere, even after Dwyane Wade departed for the Bulls last summer.

Haslem played this season on a one-year, $4MM contract, but will probably have to take a cut in pay if he returns. Between the Heat’s cap concerns and the salary structure in the new CBA, Winderman states that Haslem can expect something close to the veteran minimum of $2.3MM next season.

Keeping a roster spot open for Haslem could also be an issue, depending what happens with the Heat’s large contingent of free agents. However, coach Erik Spoelstra loves having what amounts to a player/coach on hand and is expected to be an advocate for keeping Haslem.

“I love U.D. … How else can I say it?” Spoelstra said. “He’s the last one, the last Samurai from the championship years. He has always embodied everything that we want from a Miami Heat player.”

Haslem will spend the summer working with James Johnson and Dion Waiters, even though they are headed toward free agency, as well as Tyler Johnson.