The Heat have a standing offer out to veteran big man Udonis Haslem, which means it’s up to the 42-year-old if he wants to return next season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel confirms in his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag.
Haslem has played fewer than 20 games in each of his past six seasons, but he plays an immense role in developing the team’s young players. He’s also served as a locker room leader, owning 19 years of NBA experience and winning three championships. He’s previously stated he has no interest in coaching.
Winderman also examined the topic of Duncan Robinson in his story. He believes Miami is more likely to trade Robinson in a large deal, rather than a small deal. With Robinson set to make $17MM this season, the Heat could use him for salary-matching purposes to acquire a major player.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- In a story for The Athletic, Josh Robbins projects the Wizards‘ rotation, depth chart and position battles ahead of the season. It’s reasonable to assume Monte Morris, Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis will start for Washington next season, but the other two starting spots may be up more up for grabs. Robbins, unsurprisingly, believes Will Barton and Kyle Kuzma are the current front-runners to start alongside the trio.
- James Edwards of The Athletic examines a number of Pistons-related topics in his mailbag, including what Killian Hayes needs to show the team. Hayes held per-game averages of 6.9 points and 4.2 assists last season, shooting only 38%. The 21-year-old was drafted No. 7 in 2020.
- The Pacers wanted to keep Duane Washington Jr. for training camp, Scott Agness of FieldHouse Files relays. Washington was seeking something better and recently signed a two-way contract with the Suns. He spent time with the Pacers on a two-way deal last season, earning a standard contract in April and getting waived earlier this month.
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