MIAMI, June 29 – The Miami HEAT announced today that Luol Deng has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Deng spent last season with Miami appearing in 72 games (all starts) averaging 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 33.6 minutes while shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three-point range and 76.1 percent from the foul line. He led the HEAT in starts, minutes played and three-point field goals made while finishing second on the team in double-figure scoring efforts, field goals made, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and total rebounds. He scored in double-figures on 54 occasions, including 12 games with at least 20 points and one 30-point performance and topped Miami in scoring 10 times, in minutes 18 times, in steals on 14 occasions, in rebounds seven times, in blocks six times and in assists in four contests. He posted the first 25-8-8 game of his career after totaling 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 101-91 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day.
Last season, the two-time NBA All-Star scored his 11,000th career point vs. Milwaukee on November 16, recorded his 700th career steal at Memphis on December 7, played in his 700th career game at Brooklyn on December 16 and made his 700th career start vs. Charlotte on April 7. The 11-year NBA veteran has now appeared in 749 career games (703 starts) and averaged 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.00 steals and 35.6 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 77.2 percent from the foul line.