According to previous reports, Dwyane Wade, 33, may opt out of his current deal that will net him $16 million next season in search of a bigger payday in free agency. However newer reports now claim that there is a fairly sizeable gulf between what Dwyane Wade wants to get paid, and what the Miami Heat are willing to offer their franchise player.
The Miami Heat would like Wade to opt in for this season and then trust that they will take care of him once the salary cap jumps into the $90 million range. That way they could have enough money to pay Durant (Pipe Dream? I think so) as well as Goran Dragic, who is expected to re-sign with Miami, and phenom Hassan Whiteside, who will also be an unrestricted free agent at that time.
Per the Miami Herald:
A Wade associate has told people that Heat shooting guard (Dwyane)Wade would welcome a contract averaging $20 million annually over the next three years. (Note we said welcome, not demand.) If that’s true, it would be understandable, considering the year 13-15 pay ranges for Duncan and Nowitzki. Wade’s agent, Henry Thomas, politely declined to confirm that or anything regarding Wade’s specific financial expectations. […] We’ve heard the Heat would prefer Wade opt in for $16 million next season, then take a very significant pay cut over the following two years.
The Heat would love for Wade to take a reduced salary like two other Hall of Fame-caliber players have: Tim Duncan (who earned $10.4 million this season) and Dirk Nowitzki ($7.9 million). Wade apparently has no interest in making anything close to that low. So is that reasonable on Wade’s part? […] Absolutely. Here’s why: The comparisons between Wade and Duncan and Nowitzki aren’t fair at this point because the Spurs and Mavericks stars didn’t take big cuts until well beyond this point in Wade’s career.
The variable with Wade, of course, is that he missed 28 and 20 games the past two seasons, whereas Duncan and Nowitzki never missed more than seven in any of the four seasons before their 13th. […] The injuries concern the Heat, according to a Heat official, and that’s understandable, too.
Wade initially said he wouldn’t opt out this summer, but obviously, things have changed. The truth is Dwyane Wade isn’t worth $20 million a year anymore; and I think it’s really that simple. Miami needs to hold its ground completely when it comes to these negotiation and not destroy any chance of returning to title contention in their near future. Wade doesn’t have to make up his mind on opting out until the end of June, although it’s pretty clear the Miami Heat do not want to go into the free-agent process without knowing what will happen with their franchise player.
Wade, who has spent his entire 12-year career with the Heat, averaged 21.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 62 games last year.
