Oden decides to sign for the Miami Heat
Greg Oden, the former No. 1 draft pick will try one more time to play in the NBA. On Friday, Oden announced he would sign a two-year deal with the NBA Champion Miami Heat.
The Heat was one of just six teams on Oden’s list where he would like to play in his last attempt to return from nagging injuries that have allowed him to play just 82 games over six seasons.
Oden has held workouts for a number of teams in the NBA over the last few weeks trying to convince team management he could return to the form that helped him become the top pick in 2007.
The other five teams Oden was looking at were San Antonio, Sacramento, Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas.
Since he was waived in March of 2012 by Portland, Oden has been rehabbing for much of the time in Ohio, where he played and starred in just one season with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Miami will be able to bring Oden along slowly, as they re-signed Chris Andersen their veteran center to back up Chris Bosh the team’s starter. Therefore, Oden will not have be in top form at the start of the season as he tries work his way back into game shape.
Oden, who is just 25, has had bad luck since being drafted No. 1 by Portland in 2007. He was chosen one pick before Seattle took Kevin Durant.
Oden was injured his lone season with Ohio State, when he tore a ligament in his wrist requiring surgery, which kept him from making his debut with the Buckeyes until December.
He played much of that season one-handed, but led the team to the finals of the Final Four and was an All-American. The Buckeyes lost the National Championship to Florida and that was the extent of Oden’s college career.
He was injured before his rookie season even started in 2007 and then played sparingly for parts of the next two or three seasons. He has not played at all in the league for the past three seasons.
If he can return after such a long layoff and he can remain healthy, he just might give Miami that rebounding presence they lacked on many occasions during the regular season.
On the other hand, the Heat could have signed a player that will never play in another regular season game again. Stay tuned to see what happens this fall in south Florida.
