Dwyane Wade is highly unlikely to leave the Miami Heat to play elsewhere next season. Wade essentially has the franchise tag on him and Miami will (and should) do whatever it takes to keep him. However, after a recent stalling of talks between Wade and the Heat, Wade has let other teams know that he’s listening to outside offers, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Dwyane Wade’s initial contract discussions with the Miami Heat have not produced a common ground between the parties, and he is preparing to field outside offers when free agency opens Friday, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that Wade’s representatives have made it known to multiple teams over the past several days that he will be on the market. Some teams have been skeptical, wondering whether Wade would seriously consider leaving the franchise where he has played 13 seasons and won three titles.
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Wade clearly wants to get paid by Miami, but when thinking about where he could go if he leaves… Why not Cleveland? Of course, Wade won’t get paid much at all, but his best friend LeBron James took a pay but to play in Miami and the two are the closest of brothers. Wade and James are even closer than Wade his wife Gabrielle Union.
ESPN’s Pablo Torre wrote about the relationship between Wade and James, where Union cites that their relationship may trump any loyalty to a team and it’s owners.
“There is no loyalty in sports,” Union says. “It’s a business. Whatever loyalty exists is what you create outside the game. And when it’s all said and done, all you have is your relationships. A lot of retired guys have nobody. That’s a terrible, terrible feeling.”
Wade and James talk all the time, and have more than likely discussed their free agency plans with one another. Hell, they’re on vacation right now with Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.
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D-Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, & CP3 create the ultimate #Snapchat filter for their banana boat adventure. pic.twitter.com/3e6KR7ayzE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 28, 2016
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James chilling out and playing games on a boat. (Via Snapchat)#Heat #Cavs pic.twitter.com/dzCCEI6qp9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 29, 2016
The chemistry that James and Wade had during their time in Miami was second-to-none. If Wade is serious about winning and wants to do it with his best friend, where else would you play than in Cleveland WITH your best friend FOR the defending NBA Champions. Wade’s a veteran and could probably add to an already tight-knit locker room.
The 34 year-old Wade averaged 19 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game during the regular season and 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 14 playoff games.
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Again, Wade is very likely not going to leave Miami. It’s incredibly unlikely, and he just wants to put some pressure on Miami to pay him. But in case he does seriously consider leaving, he should also seriously consider a bit of a pay cut to play with his best friend and compete for an NBA title.
