Free agency is right around the corner (July 1st) so what will happen to NBA champs Ray Allen & Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen?! Does the Heat want both of them back again? Do they want to return to the Heat?!
Find out what the Heat are thinking and what Birdman said about it (nothing from Ray Allen yet) after jump…
Via Michael Wallace at ESPN:
Soon after stepping off the double-decker buses that carried them through the city for Monday’s championship parade, the Miami Heat quickly shifted their focus to keeping Ray Allen on board for another title run.
Allen, the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history, could opt out of the second year of his two-year contract by this weekend and test free agency next month.
The Heat have made bringing back Allen, 37, their initial offseason priority after the 17-year veteran helped to save Miami’s title hopes with a clutch 3-pointer to send Game 6 of the NBA Finals against San Antonio into overtime. The Heat beat the Spurs in Game 7 to complete their rally from a 3-2 series deficit to win the title.
“I put the bug in his ear in the shower after the game,” Heat forward and co-captain Udonis Haslem said Monday, referring to a conversation he had with Allen after Game 7 on Thursday. “I told him, ‘I’m not going to put no pressure on you. I’m not going to ask you what you’re going to do. But just know that I’m thinking about what you’re going to do.’ ”
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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will give Allen a few days of space before outright trying to convince him to stay. But Spoelstra said the Heat began their recruiting pitch in earnest Monday by allowing Allen to see the impact he has on their success as they all relived the postseason run.
“We think the ultimate recruiting pitch is what we just did,” Spoelstra said. “But we won’t take that for granted. There will certainly be communication between us and Ray. He was such an important piece of what we did. We think even if it was just that one shot, it was worth it. There were so many things that he provided. And he fit. His personality fit. His professionalism fit. He helped guys get better.”
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Allen is one of two key members of the rotation who either will or could become free agents next week. Veteran center Chris Andersen will be an unrestricted free agent after signing midway through the season for a pro-rated portion of the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum. The Heat would also like to re-sign Andersen, but he might command more on the open market.
Andersen told fans Monday he’d like to return to “three-peat next year.”
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Via PBT:
Andersen’s agent confirmed to FOX Sports Florida the Birdman wants to re-sign with the Heat.
“He put it clearly,’’ said Mark Bryant. “(The Heat) gave him an opportunity and he absolutely wants to come back.’’
