Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat have not coming to agreeing terms on his next contract. The Heat want Wade to opt-in for his $16 million player option next season, which recently became linked to a potential campaign for Kevin Durant in 2016.
In the event that Wade opts out of his deal, he’d be looking for a new three-year deal at $20 million per from the Heat. It was reported that Miami’s new offer for Wade would priced at under $10 million per year, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports a new three-year deal figure:
A friend of Dwyane Wade has been telling people that Miami’s preference is to give Wade $36 million over three years — $16 million this season, then $10 million and $10 million.
That’s quite a difference from Wade’s preference for $60 million over three, according to that friend. Neither the Heat nor his agent is confirming numbers. I would expect that gap to close somewhat, but the question is how much.
The potential of Wade as a wild card in free agency this summer is exciting. Besides the conditions of loyalty and birthing his legacy in Miami, there is competitive incentive for Wade to opt-in and play with this team next season. What could shake things up is if one of the many free-agent-hungry teams this summer would be willing to offer Wade a deal more lucrative than what the Heat are prepared to offer. That would directly challenge Wade’s loyalty, but if he is adamant about earning what he feels is his worth for the next few years, that might just take priority at this stage in his career.
