Heat sign guard Arroyo, who spent last season overseas
Posted Oct 13 2009 11:27PM
MIAMI (AP) -- Carlos Arroyo is back in the NBA, and gets to stay home in Miami for that opportunity.
The Miami Heat signed Arroyo to a one-year contract Monday, which would be worth about $1.1 million if the 30-year-old point guard remains with the club all season.
Arroyo last played in the NBA for the Orlando Magic during the 2007-08 season, spending last season in Israel. The former FIU player still makes his home in Miami, and when the Heat called with the invitation, Arroyo was able to be at practice the very next morning.
"I always wanted to be part of the Heat," said Arroyo, whose wife is a South Florida native.
The Heat needed depth at point guard, and team officials met Saturday to discuss a number of potential candidates. They settled on Arroyo, who Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said is being brought in to play backup to starter Mario Chalmers. But, Spoelstra added, Arroyo "will contend for minutes."
"This is about bolstering our depth," Spoelstra said.
Chris Quinn, who backed up Chalmers last season, is expected to be sidelined for about another week with a right foot injury. Miami also has John Lucas in training camp; he, like Arroyo, is on a nonguaranteed contract.
And in just about every game, the Heat turn to reigning NBA scoring champion Dwyane Wade to play some point guard as well.
Arroyo has played for five other NBA teams in seven seasons, averaging a career-best 12.6 points in 71 games with Utah during the 2003-04 campaign. He's averaged 7.0 points and 3.3 assists per game in his NBA tenure.
He played for Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympic Games, scoring a team-high 24 points for his country when it stunned the United States 92-73 in an opening-round game.
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