Dwyane Wade, appearing on ABC’s pre-game show for Game 2 of the NBA Finals tonight, hinted that his contract status won’t be decided by the end of this month, which is when he must decide whether to opt out of his $16.1MM salary for 2015/16 and become a free agent on July 1, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes. Wade, 33, has been with the Heat since they drafted him No. 5 overall in 2003.
“Listen, it’s summertime,” Wade said. “With summertime and free agency there’s gonna be a lot of talk. Right now I’m glad the Finals are going on. We’ll worry about that in July. This is our biggest showcase.”
Wade likely is seeking at least a three-year deal, even though he has not said that, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post writes. Wade is open to leaving the Heat this summer if the sides cannot agree, Lieser adds.
Wade averaged 21.5 points per game with 4.8 assists per game last season. He shot 47% from the field and was selected for his 11th straight All-Star Game. He has led the Heat to three championships.