"I have a lot of things that I had to really, really think about" - Udonis Haslem reflects on his career with the Miami Heat, discusses uncertainty around his return
Udonis Haslem has exclusively spent his 19-year career with the Miami Heat. As the 2022 NBA season inches closer, it is unclear whether or not Haslem plans to stay with the Heat.
In an article by Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel, Haslem, after a presentation of his foundation, spoke about his career with the Heat and his potential return. He said:
“I don’t know, We’re thinking about it. But either way, I’m always going to be a part of the Heat family. I ain’t going nowhere, whether I play or not. I’m always going to impact that organization.
Udonis Haslem remains noncommittal regarding 20th season with Heat, "Thinking about it." sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… "But either way, I’m always going to be a part of the Heat family. I ain’t going nowhere, whether I play or not. I’m always going to impact that organization."
“For me,” he said, “it’s just a lot going on. I have a lot of things that I had to really, really think about. Twenty years is a conversation I had with my father."
Haslem's father passed away last year at the age of 70.
“It’s still something that I battle with,” Haslem said, “because it’s something that we talked about and it’s something we wanted to do in a specific way. Things changed when he passed, but we’ll figure it out.”
In his career with the Miami Heat, Haslem has averaged 7.5 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game and 0.8 assists per game. He now exclusively serves a player-mentor role on the Heat's roster.
Miami Heat's 2022 season preview
The Heat's offseason has been lackluster besides the looming prospects of Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell becoming available for a trade.
However, the Heat didn't need to make drastic moves anyway. The core of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo has served Miami well enough for them to make the conference finals. If it wasn't for Jimmy Butler's injury, the Heat would have made it to the NBA finals twice in three seasons.
The Heat finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference in 2022 and pose a significant threat despite having the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
Jimmy Butler led his team 1 game away from the NBA finals, averaging 27 a game in the playoffs just to have the NBA say we’d rather watch Julius Randle and RJ Barrett
The acquisition of Kevin Durant would resolve Miami's issues in the power forward position. It is still unclear who starts in that spot for the Heat next season.
Tyler Herro could emerge as a promising starter, along with Lowry and Robinson eyeing more competitive personal seasons.