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You can’t help think of Miami when you think of Dwyane Wade since he’s been one of the few loyals to remain in the same team from the start of his career. Entering the NBA along with the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh in the draft of 2003, Wade has been a part of a few greats like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki to never break an association they formed with their first team.
In the fast pace of change in the NBA where everyone wants rings and money along with fame as fast as they can, such players are part of an endangered species. They’re treasured by their cities and are usually admired by their fans the most.
Wade’s Sacrifices for Miami
Wade has been with Miami Heat for 12 years and has won 3 championships in the process. He’s played at an extraordinary level for the team being an 11 time all-star. Every team has a salary cap for player salaries that they cannot exceed. When Miami needed stars to come in and help them get championships, they couldn’t always afford to give Wade the salary he rightfully deserved. To attract players like Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James, Wade willingly took a smaller paycheck because it was better for the team.
Heat president Pat Riley has seen Wade give countless sacrifices for the team and Wade is now asking for what he thinks he deserves; a max salary. Since the sacrifices are over and since Miami clearly isn’t a contending team anymore, they could pay their dues to Wade as a thank you for doing what only a few good men would do.
Riley argues that Wade is past his prime and played only around 70% of the games this past season. Giving him a max contract may not be good for business. So if Wade isn’t given what he’s rightfully asking for, maybe he’ll decide to use his player option to become a free agent this offseason. That way, he could pursue a team that could give him value for his talents. He clearly still has game.
Teams that Wade may opt for
As a free agent, Wade’s market value is still very high. A reliable veteran who can consistently play smart ball and make people around him better is something a lot of teams are still looking for. Among them the top options for Wade are the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
New York offers Wade a chance to play with another all-star, Carmelo Anthony; who’s trying to bring back the Knicks to their former glory. Siding with Knicks’ president Phil Jackson will send a message to Pat Riley since they have been long time rivals.
It will surely be interesting to see Wade pair up with Kobe Bryant who’ll mostly be playing his last season in the NBA. LA Lakers is one of the few teams that can really afford to give Wade the money he’s asking for. However, they finished with the 4th worst record in the NBA last season. So a championship expectation for this possible team up would be a bold fantasy.
Another reason for going to LA or NY could be Dwyane’s wife. Gabrielle Union is an actress who graduated from UCLA and works in both LA and New York. If that’s where she wants to go, that may influence Wade’s decision too.
Long time friendship with LeBron James
Wade and LeBron have had an amazing chemistry; both on and off the court. They have been friends since their rookie seasons and have a great deal of respect for each other. Even after LeBron left Wade’s Miami to go home to Cleveland, they still share a very special relationship which is beyond basketball.
On the court, they’ve shown us magic and dominance during Heat’s consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013. They have a chemistry that LeBron hasn’t been able to form with any other player on any other team. Coming to Cleveland to play once again with the best player in the world is a scenario that Wade may show a lot of interest in.
Cleveland
The Cavaliers almost won a championship this year despite of being severely undermanned. They don’t want to miss out on it again while LeBron is playing his best game. James needs another alpha male on the court whom he can respect immensely and blindly consider an equal. Who better than Dwyane Wade?
However to make this a possibility while Wade asking for a $20 million a year, the Cavs will have to drastically adjust their cap room because they may not be able to afford Wade unless they let someone else go. If a player like Kevin Love uses his player option to opt into free agency this summer, who knows what adjustments could be made for Wade.
Wade has already made some not-so-subtle hints that he may leave Miami. Wade has had an amazing career so far and will definitely make an impact wherever he goes. What works out for him in Cleveland is, he’s always going to be a part of the story when playing with LeBron. He could get a homely environment there and an opportunity to end his career with a bang. As for all us Wade-LeBron fans, we’ll get another opportunity to marvel what these two can do on the floor.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope it happens.
Free Agency begins July 1st .
