NBA News Wire
Report: Heat’s Andersen to decline option
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated16 mins ago on April 19, 2024
Miami Heat center Chris Andersen will decline his $1.45 million player option for next season and become a free agent on July 1, Yahoo Sports reported Monday.
Andersen has been an asset for the Heat overall, but his play during the NBA Finals was subpar. He scored just 2.6 points per game on 25 percent shooting.
The Heat have several issues to address after losing the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs in five games, so Andersen’s future on the team is in doubt.
The team could experience significant changes to its supporting cast for next season. Eighteen-year veteran guard Ray Allen is considering retirement. Forward Shane Battier has already announced he is calling it a career after 13 seasons.
Point guard Mario Chalmers told Yahoo he wants to re-sign with the Heat, but the pending free agent struggled in the playoffs and lost his starting job in the deciding game against the Spurs. Small forward Rashard Lewis will also be a free agent and several teams looking for a player with his shooting touch will likely be interested in landing him.
Forward Udonis Haslem does have a contract option for next season.
