The Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade are reportedly stuck in negotiations about a long term contract over money and with Wade being able to opt out as a free agent, he wants a multi-year contract from Miami and there is a chance teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and LA Clippers could chase him in free agency.
Wade is coming into a year when he has a player option for next season at $16 million and reports have him looking for a new contract for long term security. According to Bleacher Report and the Miami Herald, Wade and the Heat are at an "impasse" over financials moving forward, as the team wants to retain some "flexibility" moving forward when it comes to signing players.
Wade has the right to opt out of his contract and Pro Basketball Talk writes that the forward wants to opt out and sign a long term deal for stability moving forward, as he has a "history of injury." That reasoning could be why Miami is sticking a hard line on salary and according to Ethan Skolnick, the Heat front office hoped that Wade would take the "Dirk, Duncan approach" and take "below market, one year deals" as he moved forward.
The Heat traded for Goran Dragic this season and he is planning to hit the market as a free agent will need to be signed. Dragic reportedly is in line for a max contract and that could be in the range of $100 million over five years. Wade gave up over $5 million by opting out previously and Bleacher Report writes that if things get bad in negotiations with Miami, Los Angeles could be a target. Michael Wilbon spoke on PTI and said that the Bulls and Cavaliers also could go after Wade if he ends up on the market and Miami lets him talk to other teams before bringing him back.
Wade is a popular player with Miami and is a fan favorite, but things could turn if it looks like he is being greedy. One thing that Wade has done over the years is take a bit less money, so he could be justified in thinking the team will take care of him with the salary cap going up over the next couple years with the new TV deal. Last season Wade played in 62 games and averaged 21 points with three rebounds and four assists per game, but he will be 34 by the end of next season and he could ask for a high amount of money.
While the team does have a point about financial flexibility, Wade has sacrificed numerous times at the negotiating table and on his contracts over the years. Although the team should not be obligated to "pay up" after Wade did that, there should be some middle ground they can reach after the way he took less money on multiple occasions. Michael Wilbon brought this up on PTI, explaining that Wade took less money to allow the team to sign LeBron James and he also gave up his "alpha dog" status to James to help the team.
