Birdman will return to Miami despite the departure of LeBron James.
While the break-up of the Big Three meant role players might not be back with the Miami Heat, Chris Andersen will return to South Beach on a multi-year deal, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Andersen was coveted by several teams, including the New York Knicks, but he instead chose to remain in the comforts of Miami. The 36-year-old has revitalized his career with the Heat over the past few seasons, playing a key reserve role on the two championship teams.
Andersen may not have been the youngest free agent big man on the market, but he's certainly a valuable backup center who can make a difference in spot minutes. The big man can suck defenses to the basket when rolling hard to the rim, opening the court for shooters or threatening opponents with his finishing ability at the rim. Of course, Andersen's biggest contributions often come on the defensive end, where he can handle drives to the hoop and block shots.
Andersen averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 64.4 percent from the field last year.