Miami Heat forward Luol Deng might not leave in free agency after all. While speculation persists he will opt out of his contract after the season and test free agency, it may not be the case given Deng's admitted "love" for the Heat organization.
Deng turns 30 years old in two days, and the prevailing thought is the veteran will test free agency after the season to seek out a long-term deal. Long-term deals are favorable to veterans because of the security that guaranteed money gives, but Miami seems unlikely to offer any kind of significant payday to the aging veteran that would lock up future cap space - especially when the team is about to shell out big money to Goran Dragic this summer and to Hassan Whiteside next summer.
Deng, though, said he loved the Heat organization and suggested he may not seek out a new team this summer in free agency.
"I love this organization," Deng said, via the Palm Beach Post. "It's been top-class and everything. I've had one of my healthiest years. It was never anything serious. I've felt great about the medical staff.
"When you've been in the league 11 years, as soon as you start putting mileage on your body, you want a group that knows your body and you're comfortable with them. The organization has been great."
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Deng hasn't seriously started to consider his future beyond this season. In addition to being able to stay with an organization he loves, Deng would earn a hefty $10 million salary - a paycheck he's unlikely to get from another team - if he were to play out the final year of his deal next season with the Heat.
Deng has been productive, but his numbers - 14.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game - and his age hardly make him worth a long-term investment for the Heat. If he chooses to opt out this summer, I don't see team president Pat Riley bringing him back. Especially given the rumors Riley had Deng on the trade block earlier this year, and the fact signing Deng last summer was a knee-jerk reaction to put a Band-Aid over the 3-position that LeBron James's unexpected departure suddenly left open.
