The Miami Heat missed the playoffs narrowly last season, but even so their season was fairly good. The team finished 9th in the Eastern Conference with a solid 41-41 record, and the fans were happy to see the Heat fight all the way to the end. American Airlines Arena was fully packed almost every time the Heat played at Home, and it looks now like the team is headed in the right direction. They re-signed Dion Waiters to a multi-year deal earlier this summer, and the team also signed Kelly Olynyk as a free-agent. The coure group of players from last season will be back next season as well, and there's no doubt that the Heat will be relevant in the Eastern Conference.
The fans were also happy to hear that Udonis Haslem will be a part of the Miami Heat roster for at least one more year.
Haslem not retiring yet
Shams Charania of The Vertical reported the news on Friday, and it looks like Udonis Haslem believes he can still play in the NBA. Apparently the Miami Heat agree, since they've agreed to sign him on a one-year deal worth $2.3 million.
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) 20. srpnja 2017.
The president of basketball operations for the Miami Heat, Pat Riley, said this about Haslem's re-signing with the team: ""It is a great, great, day to have Udonis Haslem sign a contract for his 15th season with the Miami Heat." Haslem has spent his entire career with the Heat, as Miami signed him as a free agent in 2003.
Haslem's best year was during the 2007/2008 season when he averaged 12.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. Last season he only played 16 games for Miami and averaged 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Udonis has won three NBA titles with the Heat, and it seems that his leadership and experience is invaluable to the team. It's hard to expect that he will get significant playing time next season, but his presence in the locker room will mean a lot for Miami.
Haslem is the only player in Miami Heat history to have played 15 seasons for the team. The 6-foot-8 power forward from Miami currently stands at the seventh spot on the Heat all-time scoring list. He is a true professional and a fan-favorite and his career will most likely end after the 2017/2018 season.
Larkin back in the NBA
The Boston Celtics continue to make roster changes this summer. After acquiring Gordon Hayward from Utah and Marcus Morris from Detroit, the Celtics have agreed to sign another free-agent. Chris Forsberg of ESPN reported on Thursday that the Celtics have agreed to sign Shane Larkin, the 5-foot-11 point guard from Cincinnati. Larkin was the 18th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. During the 2016/2017 season Larkin played in Spain for Saski Baskonia, and averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 assists per game. The last time he played in the NBA was during the 2015/2016 campaign, when he played for the Brooklyn Nets. Larkin has played 202 games in the NBA so far, and holds career averages of 5.8 points and 3.2 assists per game.
