NBA Rumors: COVID-19 Pandemic Places Haslem In Tough Spot

Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat is believed by many as possibly retiring after the 2019-20 NBA season. At 39 and hardly seeing action, the veteran has served more as a mentor and a locker room presence than someone who could be utilized by head coach Erik Spoelstra.

And while most see retirement happening soon, the least Haslem wanted was to finish his NBA career on a high note. Unfortunately, all that has been altered with the coronavirus outbreak. Like most athletes right now, the 6-foot-8 cager has been forced to isolate himself to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus.

There is a possibility that Haslem may no longer play a single NBA game. This could happen if the league would decide to call off the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The answer to that is far from everyone's mind, including the three-time NBA champion. It is all about the safety of everyone right now, a more pressing concern than basketball, The Sun-Sentinel reported.

“Yeah, I mean, everybody, obviously, it comes to mind. For me, I’m still maintaining hope that we can salvage some of the basketball season. So I haven’t gotten to that point yet. And in the midst of all this, there is a lot going on," Haslem said to Ira Winderman. “Right now, there are bigger things going on than basketball. So it’s really kind of hard to focus on basketball.”

If the NBA were to resume, Haslem will still be seen. The Heat are safely in the top eight teams destined for the 2019-20 NBA playoffs although seeing him in action may not hold promise. This season alone, the former undrafted player of the 2002 NBA Draft has played in only three games. He has managed only 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 points in 7 minutes of action per Basketball-Reference.com.

Haslem has technically been a non-factor in terms of numbers but his work goes beyond that. He continues to serve as a mentor to guys like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, possibly hinting he could be part of Spoelstra's coaching staff in the future.

The Heat will need to make room for additional players moving forward. Haslem could be in the final run of his NBA career and all he wants right now is to end it in the right way.