Forget about any possibility of Dwyane Wade continuing his career in China next season, tweets Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Wade still hasn’t made a final decision on whether to keep playing, but if he does it will be in Miami.
“Heat only,” Wade said today in an appearance at the Jr. NBA World Championships in Orlando. “If I play the game of basketball this year it will be in a Miami uniform. If I don’t I’ll be living in Miami or somewhere else probably.”
Wade reportedly received a three-year, $25MM offer last month to join the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. He’s a well-known figure in China and visited the nation in July for the announcement of a lifetime contract with Li-Ning, a Chinese apparel company.
Wade’s insistence to play in Miami is consistent with his reaction when the Cavaliers traded him to the Heat in February. After spending his first 13 NBA seasons in South Florida, Wade left in 2016 over a salary dispute, but never seemed comfortable in Chicago or Cleveland. He averaged 12.0 PPG in 21 contests after returning to Miami last season and helped the Heat reach the playoffs.
There are rumors that Wade wants at least some of the team’s $5.34MM taxpayer mid-level exception before he’ll agree to re-sign. The Heat are already in luxury-tax territory and would prefer to have Wade return on a veteran’s minimum deal that would pay him $2.4MM.
Wade also told reporters he doesn’t see any urgency to make a decision soon, although team president Pat Riley recently said he expects to a decision by mid-August.
The Heat have 13 players under contract, in addition to a pair of two-way players, with two spots being kept open for Wade and Udonis Haslem, who also hasn’t decided whether to continue his NBA career. Miami already has a crowded backcourt, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, with Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington and Rodney McGruder already in place and Dion Waiters returning from ankle surgery.
“As much as I would love to be back, you got so many different things that you look at, that I have to look at,” Wade said. “My teammates have been great. The young guys, you want to be there for them, but, also, you want to play. So it’s a lot of different things that come into play there. But, ultimately, no matter what happens, I’m a Lifer, Miami Heat for life.”
“I’ll be living in Miami or somewhere else probably.”
“As much as I would love to be back, [I have] so many different things… that I have to look at.”
Way to clear that up D-Wade.
Aka they would take him back but no ones pushing for him. Too bad he didn’t ball out in the playoffs with lebron last year because I think he has a few months of old wade left in him
Wade was a real help to the Cavs, running an effective second unit, a new thing for the Cavs. Then some behind-the-scenes politics hit the team midseason that can only be guessed at from the outside– and which nobody including Wade can be absolved of causing.
But they did not have to get rid of DWade AND IThomas! Since IT was the trading priority,
Yes they should have kept Wade. He would have made a diffetence. He still could, and a better influence on Sexton than Hill IMO.
But no, he wants Miami (?), but not without seemingly giving up all his leverage. Aggravating & weird. Four years of Marquette hasn’t fixed him
completely.
Cavs roster is full now anyway
I have one thing in common with Dwayne Wade. I will also either live in Miami or somewhere else probably.
Same and I also might not play in the NBA or China next year
Im gonna go out on a limb and say IF Wade plays somewhere next year it’ll be in China or somewhere else
Why is Miami always trying to low ball him, I mean they cannot really expect him to play for the minimum, they have to give him more, funny how last year he was their best player in the playoffs but won’t pay him, while they have the largest collection of bloated contracts for average to mediocre guys who they are happy to overpay, but expect D-Wade to play for the minimum… SMH.
Way to show respect for the greatest legend of the franchise.
Wade is going out like Kobe did—basically a garbage player collecting huge paychecks to suck. No one should feel sorry him, anyone else with a guaranteed contract in the NBA.
You call 5m per year huge paychecks? Plus Wade is still average to say the least.
I agree. Miami needs to be show more respected in terms of salary. They are expecting too much of a hometown discount.
And he’s supposedly all about the Heat but thinks he should get paid beyond the value he provides on the court, and holds out for bits and pieces of salary that the team could use to help further bolster the roster.
Based on his playoff performance he deserves at least 5m per year.
Heat is already over the cap and has 15 players counting UD and Wade so there isn’t much to do to bolster the roster
What ever team will pay me 15m/yr for me!