Dwyane Wade suddenly became a hot commodity in the 2016 NBA free agency after he rejected the Miami Heat's offer and showed interest in signing with other teams. According to the latest rumors, Wade wants a two-year, $50 million deal and the Denver Nuggets are prepared to give him more.
The Heat reportedly low-balled Wade with a reported annual salary of less than $10 million. The three-time NBA champion was offended and rumors began to swirl that he is open to negotiating with other teams. The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks were linked with him but both teams moved with other players.
According to ESPN, the Milwaukee Bucks had a meeting with Wade but he canceled it at the last minute. The Bucks only had $17 million in cap space and would not be able to sign him to a $50 million deal. If they were able to trade center, Greg Monroe, Milwaukee would have the chance to offer Wade his preferred deal.
The Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Nuggets were also rumored to be interested in the 12-time All-Star. However, the Bulls are only monitoring the situation while the Cavaliers are not in a position to give him the money he wants.
Cleveland still needs to re-sign LeBron James and J.R. Smith, and Wade is not going to take another discount after years of doing it in Miami. As of the now, the Nuggets looks like the only team that is willing to offer Wade a two-year, $50 million deal and may be more.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Wade and his representatives will meet with Denver officials in New York on July 6, Wednesday. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke, general manager Tim Connelly and head coach Michael Malone are all expected to be present for the meeting.
It should be noted that Wade also wants to have a third-year option on his deal. If the 2006 Finals MVP leaves Miami, it will end a 13-year run that has resulted in three NBA championships. However, meeting with the Nuggets could be just Wade's way to get some leverage against the Heat.
Pat Riley will have no choice but to give in to his star's demand since they left him in the dark with their failed pursuit of Kevin Durant. Wade is the greatest Heat player of all-time and he should end his career in South Beach. His name is synonymous with the team as well as the city of Miami.
Check out the video below for Wade's top 10 plays of the 2015-16 NBA season.