NBA Rumors: Miami Heat unsure if Greg Oden will re-sign
By Bryan Rose
A few days ago noise broke suggesting that oft-injured big man Greg Oden wants to return to the NBA next season. Where exactly he’ll be playing however, is unknown.
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When Oden decided he wanted to return to the NBA for this past season, he had a handful of suitors interested in his services though few believed he’d sign anywhere other than Miami given their championship aspirations and the available playing time.
Those pundits were correct as Oden, despite more lucrative offers from teams like the New Orleans Hornets, preferred to join the Heat in South Beach in hopes of playing for a title.
That’s exactly what he did, though, he wasn’t as big of a contributor as he would have liked, only playing limited minutes in 23 regular season games and three postseason games. Still, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra liked what he saw from the former No. 1 pick as he praised the former Ohio State product at his end of season interview.
“[Oden] was one of the biggest success stories in the regular season and postseason,” Spoelstra said. “I loved having Greg around. I loved seeing him go through the process of putting himself back out there. He made incredible strides.”
As for a return to the Heat? Spoelstra wasn’t sure about that, though, didn’t seem to rule out a possible reunion.
Oden likely isn’t to see a ton of demand on the open market, though, I’m sure there will be a handful of teams willing to offer him a roster spot off size and promise alone.