Earlier this week it was reported that contract extension talks had been put to a standstill when the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade could not come to an agreement. Wade is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he has already been discussing potential opportunities to join other teams. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
Dwyane Wade is in contract talks with the Knicks & Bucks and could schedule meetings next week, sources told ESPN.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 1, 2016
Knicks are in the market for a shooting guard and Wade has Milwaukee ties from time at Marquette.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 1, 2016
Wade, who has been with the Miami Heat for his entire 13 year NBA career, obviously is using his value in the free market to put the pressure on Miami to finalize a deal with him. Wade has taken pay cut after pay cut throughout his career in order to be a part of a winning team, and he’s had enough. Ramona Shelbourne elaborates:
Said a source close to Wade, “He wants to be compensated for his pay cuts” https://t.co/5u5yWzP20H
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2016
When LeBron James joined the team in 2010, he took a pay cut. When they had to re-sign Chris Bosh, he took a pay cut, and now with signing Hassan Whiteside to a 4-year, $98 million max deal, the Heat are expecting Wade to take yet another pay cut. So all in all, it looks pretty likely we won’t be seeing Wade in anything other than a Miami Heat jersey next season. Just Imagine a team-up between the likes of Derrick Rose, Melo, Noah, Kristaps and Dwyane Wade, which seems like the most unfair team to play against in NBA 2k17. With Wade interested in setting up meetings with both the Knicks and Bucks, he’s showing the Heat, he is not playing around this time.
UPDATE:
The Miami Heat reportedly only offered Dwyane Wade $10 million, compared to 4 teams that are negotiation $20 million a year deals with the all-star guard. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Bulls, Mavs, Nuggets and Bucks are all negotiating deals with Wade for an average annual salary of $20 million:
The Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks have started a courtship process that has included offers in length of two and three years and upward of $20 million a season – a salary the Heat so far have been reluctant to offer, league sources said.
The Nuggets and Bulls have been among the most aggressive pursuers of Wade, league sources said.
With the Heat having salary cap issues, after signing Whiteside to a 4-year, $98 million max deal, which is causing Dwyane Wade to look elsewhere for his next team.
