The Miami Heat may target Kevin Durant in free agency in 2016 and multiple reports have that as the main reason why the team and star Dwyane Wade are having issues about his contract and salary, as the Heat have to sign Goran Dragic this offseason and Hassan Whiteside in the future and paying Wade too much could keep them from adding Durant, Brook Lopez or other free agents.
Miami is coming into the offseason after missing the playoffs and Wade has become the center of attention, as he has a player option for next year. According to the Miami Herald, Wade is looking for a new contract that would pay him around $20 million per season over three years, but Miami wants him to take less. The report says that the Heat want Wade at below market value, as they want to go after Kevin Durant in 2016 and other free agents.
The team is worried about "limited financial flexibility" moving forward, as Wade is 33 and is not the player he once was. The Miami Herald reports that the team wants to sign Kevin Durant in 2016 (or at least have the chance to) and the only way they can do that is if Wade takes less money. The team has Chris Bosh, Wade as well as Dragic and Whiteside to come and if they want to chase Durant, they need more space on the cap.
What's making all this tough is the fact that Wade has repeatedly taken less money for Miami so that the team could sign other players. Wade took less money when the team brought in Bosh and LeBron James (and also gave up his status as the leader on offense) and he also reportedly took less money to help the team sign back Udonis Haslem. Wade averaged over 20 points this season and while he is not the player he once was, he clearly signed those deals with the expectation that he would be taken care of on the back end. Wade could be looked at as selfish in some ways for asking for a high amount of money, but he also has sacrificed multiple times so that Miami would be in better position to sign players.
Last summer Wade opted out of his contract and signed a new one for two years to help the team once again and now they are asking him for more help. The team likely will take care of Wade deep into the future with a franchise job in the front office ort something once he retires, as he has been a stalwart in the community, but right now he wants to be taken care of as a player. Wade would be a target for numerous teams on the market and reports have Miami offering less than $10 million for next year, which is way below what Wade wants.
This is likely the last high money deal that Wade will get and clearly he wants to be compensated after the way he helped the team in the past. Wade has a player option at $16 million and the team is hoping he opts out and signs for less once again. Wade could opt into that deal, but right now it looks like the opt out is the route he will take.