Udonis Haslem may have the cushiest gig in all of sports. Haslem, who the Heat have kept on their payroll as a veteran mentor in recent years, will return for his 19th NBA season in 2021-22, pocketing $2.6 million in the process.
While it’s not Steph Curry money, that’s pretty good dough for a career 7.6-ppg scorer who hasn’t seen meaningful minutes since the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh closed shop in the mid-2010s. In fact, the Miami lifer appeared in all of one game last season, netting four points in three minutes of court time before getting tossed for his role in an altercation with then-Sixers big man Dwight Howard on May 13th.
Though the University of Florida alum has arguably overachieved since debuting as an undrafted rookie in 2003 following a brief stint overseas, even in his prime, Haslem was largely a role player, clogging the paint while milking his considerable 6’8,” 235-pound frame for every last drop. Haslem has totaled a combined 49 points (one fewer than Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied in Milwaukee’s title-clinching win over Phoenix) over his last four seasons, earning a robust $9.69 million during that span.
It’s certainly an unusual allocation of resources, though obviously the Heat see value in the 41-year-old as a locker-room leader and sounding board for coach Erik Spoelstra (who, remarkably, has been in the organization longer than Haslem). Either that or team president Pat Riley is exceedingly loyal to Haslem, a three-time champion and one of the longest-tenured players in the NBA.
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