Udonis Haslem returning for 20th NBA season. What it means for Haslem and Heat roster

Udonis Haslem has decided to do something not many NBA players have done before.

Miami Heat’s 2022-23 schedule is out: Full list of games and things to know

Haslem, who turned 42 on June 9, announced Sunday afternoon that he intends to return to the Miami Heat for a 20th season before retiring. The Miami native will sign a one-year deal at the NBA veteran minimum of $2.8 million to play one final season before moving into the next phase of his life, with a formal announcement from the Heat expected soon.

“I have decided to follow through with what me and my father had talked about, and I will finish what I started and I will play 20 years,” Haslem said, as he sat at midcourt at Miami High, his alma mater. “I will play this year, because I talked about that with my father. And that’s what we said we would do. It won’t be the same, won’t be as easy. But the goal still remains the same. Win. Win a championship. Leave it on the line and hold your head high when it’s all over.”

Haslem told the Miami Herald last November that he had a goal of reaching the 20-season mark because of the historical aspect of it and it’s also a milestone his late father, Johnnie Haslem, wanted him to reach. Johnnie died nearly a year ago on Aug. 30 at 70 years old.

“This is something for me,” said Haslem, who made the announcement Sunday on the final day of his basketball and cheer kids camp held at Miami High. “I’ve never really asked for something for me. This is something that I want for me to be in that class of 20 years, to give my father what we talked about and what I promised. To follow through with that.”

How Heat’s Udonis Haslem became Mr. 305: ‘I’m literally living a dream’

Haslem will join a short list of players to play 20 or more NBA seasons — as long as he appears in at least one game this season — that currently only includes Vince Carter, Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Jamal Crawford. LeBron James, who is on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster, and Carmelo Anthony, who remains unsigned as a free agent, can also become part of that group this upcoming season.

In addition, Haslem has the opportunity to become just the seventh player in NBA history to appear in a game after their 42nd birthday. Nat Hickey (final game at 45), Willis (final game at 44), Parish (final game at 43), Carter (final game at 43), Dikembe Mutombo (final game at 42) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (final game at 42) are the only ones who have accomplished that rare feat.

Haslem said losing his father last year and not having either of his parents still alive forced him to re-evaluate things, which delayed this summer’s decision to return until late August.

“We had already planned it,” Haslem said, referring to his father. “We had already scripted this. We already planned out a 20th year. We already said, we were going to 20. We already talked about how we wanted it to end. We already talked about the press conference and him standing next to me. I wanted that for him so bad, man. So bad. He’s a very proud man. He deserved that. But God don’t make no mistakes and we’re alright.”

Haslem, who was born in North Shore Medical Center in Miami and grew up in Liberty City, has spent his entire NBA career with the Heat and currently holds the longest streak by any active player with only one team in the league.

Undrafted out of Florida in 2002, Haslem has played a role on each of the franchise’s three championship teams and is the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder. He’s the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds.

Along with holding the title of the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder, he’s also the team’s all-time leader in offensive and defensive rebounds and also ranks among Miami’s all-time leaders in games played (second), minutes (second) and field goals made (fifth). Haslem became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat in franchise history during the 2020-21 season.

But Haslem hasn’t played much in recent seasons. He has appeared in just 28 games since the start of the 2018-19 season and has not played in a playoff game since 2016, as he has moved into more of a leadership role while serving as the Heat’s captain in each of the last 15 seasons (the longest tenure in team history).

“This ain’t no damn charity case. This is a sacrifice,” Haslem said of returning despite knowing he likely won’t play much this season. “I’m sacrificing for the next generation. A the bearer of Heat culture, I take it serious. It’s not a game. It’s not a joke. I know people talk about it. People, they may have this stigma on what it is and what it’s not. But it’s real. It is real. The culture is real.

“The culture has saved very many guys, not just me. When you look at all these undrafted guys, these guys who were on their way out of the league and people didn’t believe in them and people didn’t give them an opportunity, the culture saved them. That’s why I come back. Because I’ve watched the culture save so many like it saved me.”

Haslem’s situation is unique and special, as he’ll become only the third player to spend an entire NBA career lasting at least 20 seasons with one team. That list includes Nowitzki (21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks) and Bryant (20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers), and Haslem will be the only one to do it in his hometown.

“I don’t think you’re going to see somebody like that come around again. Not here,” Riley said last year of Haslem. “With the Dan Marinos and the Dwyane Wades and the people who stay here, UD is going to be — once his basketball career is over — he’s going to be thought of as one of the great players and people that have ever come out of the area. He has never been a 20-time All-Star and all that stuff. But he’s so respected in this league, his voice is so respected by the players and that’s why he’s here.”

WHERE HEAT’S ROSTER STANDS

When Haslem signs his contract, the Heat’s roster for next season will stand at 14 players on standard NBA contracts: Jimmy Butler ($37.7 million), Adebayo ($30.4 million), Kyle Lowry ($28.3 million), Duncan Robinson ($16.9 million), Victor Oladipo ($8.7 million), Caleb Martin ($6.5 million), Tyler Herro ($5.7 million), Dewayne Dedmon ($4.7 million), Haslem ($2.8 million minimum counts as $1.8 million toward salary cap), Nikola Jovic ($2.2 million), Max Strus ($1.8 million), Gabe Vincent ($1.8 million), Omer Yurtseven ($1.8 million) and Haywood Highsmith (partially guaranteed $1.8 million).

With 14 players, barring a trade, the Heat’s roster to begin next season could be complete.

Entering the season with 14 players is one shy of the NBA regular-season maximum of 15 players but still acceptable under NBA roster rules. Miami has gone with 14 players in previous seasons when up against the luxury tax, like it is this season.

The Heat has about $150.1 million committed to salaries for next season with the NBA setting the 2022-23 salary cap at $123.7 million and luxury-tax threshold at $150.3 million. That leaves the Heat just about $200,000 away from entering the tax, which does not give Miami enough space to sign a 15th player to a standard contract without becoming a luxury tax team.

Avoiding the luxury tax would again push back the clock on the looming punitive repeater tax (when a team is over the tax at least three times during a four-year period). The last time the Heat finished as a tax team was in the 2019-20 season.

NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players under contract in the offseason and preseason, a total that includes standard deals, two-way deals and Exhibit 10 deals. Rosters must be cut to a maximum total of 17 players (15 on standard contracts and two on two-way contracts) by the start of the regular season.

The Heat’s roster for this upcoming season is nearly full with 19 players — 14 on standard contracts following Haslem’s commitment, Marcus Garrett and Darius Days on two-way deals, and undrafted prospects Jamaree Bouyea, Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson on Exhibit 10 contracts.

While involved in the ongoing Kevin Durant sweepstakes, the Heat has yet to make a trade or outside addition in free agency this summer. In fact, Miami is on track to bring back 13 players from last season’s season-ending roster.

The Heat is scheduled to hold its annual media day on Sept. 26 before opening training camp on Sept. 27 to kick off the 2022-23 season.

“I got one more [season] in me for Pop,” Haslem said. “Got one more in me for the city. Got one more in me for the team.”