Miami Heat veteran forward Udonis Haslem has announced that he’ll be returning to the team for the 2020-21 season, which would mark his 18th season in the league.
Haslem and the Heat have been synonymous since the Miami native signed with the Heat as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Florida.
During his 17 seasons with the Heat, Haslem has been a part of all three of the franchise’s NBA titles and evolved into a trusted elder statesman because of his strong leadership.
In recent years, Haslem’s leadership has overshadowed his minimal time on the court. During the interrupted 2019-20 campaign, Haslem played in only four regular season games, but helped offer the team a valuable clubhouse presence as it reached the NBA Finals.
Haslem will no doubt be making the veteran’s minimum salary for the Heat, which means that his presence on the team won’t have a major impact on the team’s salary cap.
The NBA’s regular season is set to start on Dec. 22, with that quick start something that Haslem has already expressed his displeasure about.