The Miami Heat entered this offseason without much ability to make a splash in free agency like they did a year ago in a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry, as their main avenues towards improving the roster would come via trade.
That meant the impetus was on bringing back as much of their rotation as possible from a team that came up one game shy of another trip to the NBA Finals. After seeing one key member walk in PJ Tucker, Miami was able to lock down their backup center for two more years, bringing veteran Dewayne Dedmon back shortly after free agency opened, as first reported by Shams Charania.
Free agent center Dewayne Dedmon has agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, agents Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier of @steinbergsports tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
A career journeyman big, Dedmon carved out a role off the Heat’s bench last year, appearing in 67 games with 15 starts. Dedmon averaged 6.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game while shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three. His combination of rim protection and shooting ability makes him a very useful reserve big, capable of spot starting when Bam Adebayo is out. Miami clearly valued what he brought to the team, locking him down quickly before turning their attention elsewhere in both free agency and the potential trade market, as they were a top rumored destination for Kevin Durant.