Chris Andersen is ending his second 10-day contract with the Heat. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Miami Heat have signed forward/center Chris Andersen for the remainder of the season.

Andersen is coming off two consecutive 10-day contracts with the team, and will be added to the 15-man roster. His 6-10 presence has given the Heat a steady rebounder off the bench.

He averaged 3.7 points and four rebounds, while averaging 10 minutes in the six games he’s played since signing on Jan. 20. His last previous NBA stint was with the Nuggets in March of 2012.

Andersen gained a following and the nickname “Birdman” for his long arm span that made him one of the league’s most dynamic shot-blockers and his almost head-to-toe collection of colorful tattoos.

Andersen was banned by the NBA for just over two years after being flagged with substance-abuse problems. He also made headlines last May when his Colorado home was searched as part of an investigation into what was described as Internet-related crimes against children. The Nuggets excused Andersen from team activities to deal with the investigation, then used the amnesty clause to waive him in July.

Chris Andersen has signed with the Heat. (Noah Graham, Getty Images)

The Miami Heat have signed forward Chris Andersen to a 10-day contract, the team announced Sunday morning.

Andersen, popularly known as “Birdman” due to his leaping ability, hasn’t played in the NBA since being waived by the Denver Nuggets over the summer using the team’s amnesty clause. Andersen has played 10 seasons in the NBA, splitting time between the Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a bench player, Andersen has career averages of 5.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

The move is expected to improve the Heat’s frontcourt depth – an issue for the defending champs this season.

Chris Andersen could be joining the Heat. (Noah Graham, Getty Images)

The Miami Heat have been exploring all options in looking for help for their struggling frontcourt. Now, it appears their list includes former Denver Nugget Chris Andersen, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Andersen, popularly known as “Birdman” due to his leaping ability, has played a backup role for the Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets for all of his 10 season in the league. Of the 482 regular season games Andersen has played, he has started just 10, averaging 5.4 points, 1.6 blocks, and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Standing 6-10, Andersen’s biggest impact came not in stats but with energy and hustle provided off the bench – a role he filled for Nuggets playoff teams from 2007 until 2011.

A source told Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post that the Denver Nuggets will use the amnesty provision on center-foward Chris “Birdman” Andersen in order to sign C-PF Anthony Randolph, bringing to an end the run of a local folk hero.

The high-flying Andersen, who overcame drug problems (he was banned for two years) to return to the league, but has seen his playing time diminished, is due $9.3 million over the next two seasons. The team is still on the hook for the full amount, but it will not count against the salary cap.

Randolph, the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft out of LSU, has bounced around from the Golden State Warriors to the New York Knicks to the Minnesota Timberwolves in his four years in the league, although he has been involved in trades for David Lee and Carmelo Anthony. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds last season.

UPDATE: Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports has the details on Randolph’s contract:

Nuggets signed Wolves free agent forward Anthony Randolph to a three-year deal paying $6 million, source tells Yahoo! Sports.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 18, 2012