The Miami Heat wasted no time locking up their biggest asset. On Tuesday, the Heat signed center Shaquille O'Neal to a five-year, $100 million contract.
The deal was signed on the first day of the NBA's player-movement window under the new collective bargaining agreement.
According to Perry Rogers, O'Neal's agent, the contract will keep O'Neal as the NBA's highest paid player for at least the next two seasons.
'We wanted to make sure that Shaquille was being compensated well into his career,' Rogers told The Associated Press. 'We also wanted to make sure he was paid his value. And it was important the Heat had flexibility they need in the short-term to win a championship. It's about winning.'
O'Neal, who was vacationing in Rome Tuesday, was pleased with the deal.
'This contract allows me to address all of my family's long-term financial goals while allowing the Heat the ability to acquire those players that we need to win a championship,' O'Neal said.
Shaq averaged 22.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game for the Heat last season after coming over in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. He helped the Heat reach the Eastern Conference Finals where they were eliminated in seven games by the Detroit Pistons.
'This is one of those deals where everybody can be really proud,' Rogers said. 'In a day and age when it's only about the team using a player for the amount of time they'll think he'll be totally at his best, or a day in age when players want to get paid all they can right now, this was every party understanding the other's needs.'
The NBA should be put on notice next season: The Heat is on.
