The Miami Heat are set to enter the 2019 season with a solid young core intact and look to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat have agreed to terms on an extension with one of their brightest assets: fourth-year man Justise Winslow. The extension reportedly will span three years for a total of $39 million.
Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow has agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension, league sources told ESPN.
The extension for Winslow, 22, underscores the Heat’s continued belief that he can be a key player on an Eastern Conference contender.
The Heat also confirmed news of the signing via their Twitter account.
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OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have signed forward Justise Winslow to a multi-year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/fDRtWsTXNz
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 13, 2018
This will be a well-deserved extension for Justise Winslow, who was a promising prospect out of Duke and has played well during his first three seasons as a professional.
Though he may not have exploded into a star just yet like many expected, Winslow certainly possesses the requisite traits to be a difference maker on both ends of the ball. He has proven himself to be a stout defender already but his offensive repertoire continues to lag behind.
Winslow has made strides as a spot-up shooter, but his inability to create offense individually caps his ceiling. At just 6-foot-7, Winslow should be able to take advantage of slower players on the wing but he simply doesn’t possess a polished scoring arsenal.
Regardless, Winslow will continue to be a key part of Miami’s frontcourt rotation for at least the next few seasons. The 22-year-old forward averaged 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in less than 25 minutes per game last season.
