Report: Udonis Haslem expected to return to Heat for 14th season
One Heat player is still a Heat-lifer
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
Well, Dwyane Wade may be gone, but at least there's one player who remains a Heat lifer. The Associated Press reports that Udonis Haslem will return for a 14th season with the club.
Udonis Haslem is in the process of completing deal to stay with the Miami Heat for a 14th season, AP is told.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) July 10, 2016
Haslem was instrumental in helping to sign LeBron James in 2010, and took less money to make sure the super-team could come together. His role diminished over time, but he's also always stepped in when needed due to fit or injury, and is the kind of emotional rock that players need. With a younger roster next year headlined by Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow, it's good to have players like Haslem around to help bridge that gap.
It will be weird to see Haslem without Wade. The two won three titles together before Wade left for Chicago earlier this week. But Haslem didn't decide to join Wade in Chicago or head elsewhere to ring chase. He won't go down as one of the best player in Heat history, but he's proven himself to be the most dedicated and quietly, one of the most important figures in franchise history.
