As Dwyane Wade continues his stint as an ESPN analyst during the NBA Finals, there is an elephant in the room that he refuses to address. By now it is no secret that Wade has the chance to opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat come the July 1 deadline and it is also no secret that he is seriously considering it. As the Heat continue to try and negotiate a deal with Wade, teammates admit they have no idea what the star will do.
Wade would not take the bait when asked by ESPN about his contract situation. The Heat want Wade to opt in while the veteran wants a raise. He simply told the media that all will be handled by July which could mean Wade is ready to opt out and get his money. Teammates have no idea what the future holds as Mario Chalmers admits he is no sure what Wade is thinking.
"I've been talking to D-Wade. Me and him are very close," Chalmers said, via the Sun Sentinel. "But we really haven't been talking about basketball. It's just about life stuff. And right now, we're just focusing on life and the kids. I'm not even thinking about that. Right now, at this point, you can't say nothing about it, you can't do anything about it. So, just sit back and wait."
There is a concern that Wade's decision could have a ripple effect to the rest of the roster. Goran Dragic and Luol Deng both have player options in their contracts as well. Without Wade, the Heat look like a less-appealing destination which could cause the stars to head elsewhere. Team president Pat Riley have made it clear that he intends on keeping Wade and giving Dragic a max contract, but if one of the stars says he is headed out of South Beach, will the rest follow?
The Miami Herald reports the Heat have a long-term outlook with the contracts. They would prefer Wade opt in on his option. Dragic would get the max contract which would give the team the flexibility to re-sign Hassan Whiteside and make a play for a big star like Kevin Durant. The issue is that Wade is tired of taking pay cuts. Bleacher Report reported the star was asked to take another $5 million cut on his salary and Wade is not thrilled. That could push him and others away from the Heat which means the team is at risk of losing three-fifths of their starting lineup.
