Chris Andersen is a fan favorite in Miami for his rough style of play, the nickname Birdman and his many tattoos and after deciding to stay with the Heat for another season, the fans are happy, as is his fiancé and girlfriend Tina Wiseman.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Andersen signed a one-year deal worth $1.7 million and on Twitter his girlfriend expressed happiness about the deal. Andersen provided some tough defense and excellent rebounding and shot blocking down low for Miami as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the finals and now he will be back despite interest from some other teams. Andersen came off the bench and gave energy to the team throughout the postseason while averaging 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 81 percent from the field in the playoffs.
Last year he averaged 4.9 points and 4.1 rebounds off the bench in 42 regular season games and now he will get the chance to play a full schedule. Andersen comes back despite the team dealing with a high luxury tax bill and that is why they used the amnesty clause on Mike Miller. The team had a tough decision to make and while Pat Riley said he wanted to keep Miller, the team felt it was best to help save over $15 million in luxury tax money.
The team will still pay Miller $12.8 million over the next two seasons and the star said he understood why it happened and that the game is a business as well. Miller helped the team get to three straight finals and made some huge shots along the way as the Heat won back-to-back championships. The Heat front office was split on the decision and now the team is also looking to sign Greg Oden and they appear to be the front runners. The former number one pick has played in just 82 games due to his knee injuries and he could be a solid addition to the bench.
