The Miami Heat knew there was a chance the Big Three would opt out of their contracts at the end of the season and become free agents. LeBron James was the first to make the official move and announce that he would test the market. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are next. If James is opting out, are Wade and Bosh gone this year as well?
The four-time MVP had until June 30 to make the decision about his future in South Beach, but his agent, Rich Paul, informed the Heat that James would indeed be opting out of the final two years of his deal. The forward was set to make $20 million next season.
"The last four seasons have been historic and LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Erik Spoelstra have led the Miami Heat to one of the most unprecedented runs in the history of the NBA. We look forward to sitting down with LeBron and his representatives and talking about our future together. At the moment, we are preparing for the opportunities in the draft and free agency as we continue with our goal of winning NBA championships," Paul said, via ESPN.com.
Every team in the league is preparing their salary caps to offer James the most money possible. He could re-sign with the Miami Heat or head to the Chicago Bulls or even the Houston Rockets. James has options, but what about Wade and Bosh? Team president Pat Riley said he fully expects Wade to remain in a Heat uniform for the foreseeable future. Bosh has stated multiple times this season that he intends to remain with Miami, noting that South Beach is his home.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, James, Wade and Bosh have not sat down to discuss their futures this offseason. It was recently reported the three would talk before making moves, but so far that has not happened. Wojnarowski goes on to report that James is hoping his opting out forces Miami to spend a bit more money to upgrade the roster before he looks to re-sign with the team. After getting beat by the San Antonio Spurs, James is aware that the Heat are in need of upgrades if they are going to contend once again. Having the Big Three on the roster can only do so much.
Miami has been linked to several free agents this summer, the first being Carmelo Anthony. If James is not in South Beach, there is no hope in the guard joining. If all three are going to stay with the Heat plus have Anthony as a teammate, other players would need to take pay cuts or get released. Miami has also taken a look at Kyle Lowry as an option along with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas.