The Miami Heat signed veteran big man Amar’e Stoudemire today to a minimum contract, adding a bit of depth to a relatively top-heavy roster. Stoudemire is obviously not the player he once was, but getting him for the minimum isn’t a steal – it’s sheer larceny.

In 23 games with the Dallas Mavericks this season, Stoudemire put up some truly eye-popping numbers. He averaged 23.5 points per 36 minutes, and did so shooting 58 percent from the field! His PER of 22.3 would have ranked 15th over a full season.

Sure, Stoudemire only played 17 minutes per game in Dallas, but that’s just what the Heat need of him. He’ll be that spark plug they turn to when Chris Bosh heads to the bench, and that’s a role well worthy of a minimum contract.

The Heat have now signed Stoudemire and Gerald Green to great contracts, and fans have to love it. A knock on the team going in to the offseason was that while their starting five looked promising, the bench was a major issue. Pat Riley then went out and addressed these concerns like they were nothing, and the team is in great shape because of it.

Who knows how good Miami will be next season, as their success depends heavily on the health of Bosh and Dwyane Wade. But Stoudemire is a great pickup, and is the exact sort of player they’ll need if they want to make a deep playoff run.

Casey Sherman is the Toronto Raptors Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @shermham