Heat lifer Dwyane Wade may no longer be such a lifer if he doesn’t get his money this summer, according to multiple reports out of Miami.
Wade and the Heat are said to be far apart when it comes to dollars and cents—the 33-year old guard has until the end of June to decide whether or not to opt out of a contract that would pay him $16.1 million next season.
DWade has spent his entire 12-year career in South Beach, but his financial goals may no longer align with the those of the franchise.
Would the most popular player in Miami Heat history be willing to walk away?
Per the Miami Herald:
Last summer, in order to give the Heat flexibility to augment its roster, Wade opted out of the final two years of a contract that would have paid him $41.6 million. He instead accepted a two-year, $31 million deal, which included a player option for next season at $16.1 million. […] Wade said last summer that he was curious to see what he could command in the summer of 2016, when the cap is expected to skyrocket from $67 million to $89 million. That led to the belief that Wade would opt-in this summer.
But according to associates, Wade wants to opt out this summer, with the hope that the Heat would give him a lucrative three-year deal that would extend past his 36th birthday. […] That does not appear to be the Heat’s preference. The Heat apparently would be content with Wade opting in for next season, then re-signing for good, but not huge, money for another two seasons after that.
“With the amount of time he has spent with the organization, every effort will be made to try to work something out,” Wade’s agent, Henry Thomas said. “The five times he played for a championship, resulting in three championships, is a significant accomplishment for any professional. We are continuing to talk about a resolution that would be satisfactory to both sides.” […] Thomas declined to speculate how he believes this will turn out. “We will continue to talk,” Thomas said. “It’s relativity early in the process.”
