The Miami Heat are expected to dangle backup center Chris “Birdman” Anderson in trade negotiations next season, but the big fella is taking a philosophical approach to his murky future.
Andersen, 37, says he’s not sweating the rumor mill and simply focusing on preparing himself for his next opportunity.
The Heat have an emerging young center in Hassan Whiteside and inked Amar’e Stoudemire this summer.
Per the Sun-Sentinel:
With the Heat at risk of having to pay the league’s “repeater” tax, which increases such payments to the NBA, the team could alleviate some of that penalty by moving the $5 million on the final year of Andersen’s contract, as has been widely speculated. […] “It’s a business, man,” Andersen, 37, said. “It doesn’t bother me one bit, I still wake up and have …”
There also has been speculation of the Heat dealing Andersen to lessen a potential glut in the power rotation, with the emergence of center Hassan Whiteside and the expected return of power forward Josh McRoberts from December’s season-ending knee injury. […] “Like the rumors that I’m going to get traded?” Andersen said, linked to a possible deal for disgruntled Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford, with their salaries matching up under the salary cap.
But Andersen said he embraced the free-agent additions of Stoudemire and guard Gerald Green as a means of bouncing back from last season’s lottery finish. […] “It’s all about progression, man,” he said. “We’re trying to improve ourselves and make sure that we set a precedent of coming into the league this season with a mindset of winning. And I think the guys and the moves that we made are heading in the right direction for us to accomplish our goals.”
