Decision day has arrived for Dwyane Wade to determine his future with the Miami Heat. The veteran has remained loyal to the franchise for many years that is beginning to falter as the Heat have insisted he continue to take a pay cut in his contracts. Looking to make his money and secure his future, Wade is considering testing the waters of the free agent market while Miami begins to make other plans.
According to the Miami Herald, team president Pat Riley wants nothing more than to retain Wade for the long-term, but that is easier said than done as Wade is not thrilled about the pay cuts he is being courage to take. According to reports, Wade has been told that if he opts out of his contract, the Heat will only re-sign him to a deal that is $5 million less than what he is making now. Wade is not happy, but Riley believes things will work out.
"We want Dwyane back. There's no doubt about that," Riley said, via ESPN.com. "He's been here 12 years. We've had cordial discussions with him. The one thing I learned about free agency is that when a player has an opportunity to be a free agent, I think you give him the space and time to think about that."
Money is the issue. Having Wade opt in allows the Heat to chase players like Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook in the coming seasons while having him opt out could hurt those potential deals while Hassan Whiteside is also in need of a new contract. The Heat are exploring trades at this point in the offseason to see what cap space they can come up with.
According to ESPN.com the Miami Heat are trying to trade both Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen in hopes of giving themselves more wiggle room financially. Drafting Justise Winslow helps with moving these players as he could immediately fill the role if needed. Both would be owed a total of $9 million this season. With the money owed to Goran Dragic and Wade plus Luol Deng, they need to leave. The Heat still need to try and make a run at other free agents this offseason. Sources believe the team will eye Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews in the coming months. That all depends on the decision Wade makes.