After a six-month stay in Miami, Birdman has decided to keep his nest in South Beach for another year.
The Miami Heat announced Wednesday that they have re-signed Chris Andersen to a one-year contract. Per club policy, details of the contract were not released.
Andersen joined the Heat on January 20 after signing a 10-day contract. He then re-signed to a second 10-day contract on January 30 before signing for the remainder of the season on February 8.
“We are ecstatic that Chris Andersen has decided to stay with the Miami Heat,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a team press release. “We would not have won the championship without him and we are looking forward to him having an even better season next year.”
Andersen played a pivotal role in the Heat’s playoff run that saw them win their second consecutive NBA championship, averaging 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in the postseason. The 35-year-old shot an astounding 80.7% from the field in the playoffs and played stellar defense on opposing big men such as Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert and Tim Duncan.
Although he only played in 34 regular-season contests, his minutes proved to be invaluable as he provided a spark for a Heat team that often became lackadaisical on the defensive end, particularly on the glass.
After winning back-to-back NBA titles, Riley and the Heat seem to be exerting their best effort to keep the championship squad together. Along with the re-signing of Andersen, the team will also have Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Rashard Lewis and James Jones returning with exercised player options.
