Miami Heat: Complete 2017 offseason grades

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 23: Miami Heat President, Pat Riley and head coach, Erik Spoelstra introduce Bam Adebayo during a press conference at American Airlines Arena on June 23, 2017 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2017 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images /

Re-signing Udonis Haslem

While other notable players are synonymous with the franchise, no other player has been a member of the Heat for as long as Udonis Haslem. Another year is about to be added to Haslem’s long and storied tenure in South Beach as the Miami native signed a one-year, $2.3 million deal in late July this offseason.

At 37 years old, Haslem’s contributions on the court have been minimal at best and he’s been mostly relegated to an end-of-the-bench type of role in recent seasons. Last year, Haslem only made 16 appearances and only averaged eight minutes in the games he appeared in.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t carry significance to the team, as Haslem has played an instrumental role in setting the tone in the locker room and has been an upstanding proponent for the culture that has long been associated with the Heat for a number of years.

While you can easily paint it as a ceremonial signing on the Heat’s part, bringing back Haslem for what will be his 15th season is good business for a team that is still looking to establish a lasting and successful formula in a post-“Big Three” and Dwyane Wade era.

Whether it could end up as Haslem’s last season in black and red remains to be seen, but he will stand as the permanent fixture that he’s become for the Heat for at least one more year.

Grade: C-

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