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It was hard to imagine a Heat team without Dwyane Wade and thankfully now we won’t need to. Wade signed a one-year $20 million deal with Miami saying that he’ll play ball with them for at least one more season. He stated during a Twitter Q&A that he’ll only retire when he can no longer play.
Wade has still been an amazing player on the court leading the team in points and assists per game in the 2014-15 season. He has always been a natural leader on the court and the Heat will require his skills to uplift the games of Goran Dragic, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh (to name a few).
Everything in Miami goes through Wade
To add to their arsenal this summer, the Heat signed six-time all-star Amar’e Stoudemire this Friday. Stoudemire said he wasn’t looking for big money and things just fell in place with the Miami Heat.
It will be sort of a homecoming for Amar’e too, since he was born and brought up in Florida. He has had a home in Miami for quite some time and has also taken classes and done workouts at Florida International University and University of Miami in the past.
After agreeing to sign a veteran’s minimum contract for one year at $1.5 million, Amar’e Stoudemire surprised the NBA universe by choosing the chance to contend for the title over money. Heat President Pat Riley said that Stoudemire “is going to bring gravitas, leadership and a hardworking mentality to our team”. We sure hope he does.
Another player to give up money for the Heat was Gerald Green. The 6’8” shooting guard expressed his desire to be in a contending team after his long meeting with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Green said, “I wanted to be a part of something special. That was my whole goal, to be a part of something special, to be a part of a culture that’s all about winning. I wasn’t worried about the financial aspects of this contract. I was worried about, ‘What can I do? What can I do to help this team win? How can I get better to help this team win?’”
The chemistry that these new pieces form with the puzzle will be an intersting factor in determining their potential for the season. The Heat is now made up of veterans and they’ll have to act young to match up with their opponents’ agility and explosiveness.
The Miami Heat seem like a wildcard this season with Goran Dragic getting a max contract, Wade returning for at least one more season and Amar’e bringing more experience to the team. They look good with both the front court and back court looking powerful now.
Wade, another living legend who has a career clock ticking, wants to win more than ever. He has been struggling to keep healthy and his injuries will play an important role in determining the future of this Miami team. With role players like Hassan Whiteside getting better every game and veteran Luol Deng bringing power and emotion to the team, Heat could very well be a contending team in next year’s playoffs.
Guess the Lakers players!
