Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (Photo : REUTERS)
A reported contract impasse between Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat could pave the way for a possible reunion with his pal LeBron James next season. And here's why he has all the reasons to follow that path.
According to Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson, Wade and the Heat are having a hard time getting on the same page in their contract negotiation. The writer describe the impasse could turn ugly to the point that Wade, who has been a heat since his rookie year in 2003, leave Miami this offseason.
"Though Wade prefers to stay with the Heat, where he has spent his entire 12-year career, he is now open to considering other teams this summer if the Heat does not raise its offer, according to three sources with direct knowledge. Wade must decide by late June whether to opt out of a contract that would pay him $16.1 million next season," Jackson stated.
While Wade proved that he's still an All-Star caliber talent after averaging 21.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game this season, he's aware that the Heat won't go anywhere close to a championship if they don't make a major tweak in their lineup. Goran Dragic was a major upgrade at the point guard alone, but resigning him along with healthy Chris Bosh won't assure them a better placing an increasingly improving Eastern Conference.
Money might not be even the sole reason why Wade threatens to leave South Beach. He already earned a massive amount of wealth in his pro career and asking for more isn't typical for a guy who sacrificed a lot to accommodate Bosh and James in 2010. Perhaps, the greed for another championship is still there, but obviously not for greens. Unfortunately, the Heat's current state isn't giving him an impression that they are still capable of winning it all.
Here come the Cavaliers who just booked their place in this year's NBA finals after bulldozing their way all over the Eastern Conference behind the brilliance of James. Many analysts believe this Cavs latest final stint is just the start of what will be an era of dominance similar to what James and Heat had done the last four seasons - an outlook that would surely pique Wade's curiosity.
The Cavs may not be able to offer Wade the max money he's 'wanting' (even they parted ways with Kevin Love this offseason), but they can certainly tease him with the prospect of playing for the title over the next four or five years. Moreover, the Cavs might be the only team that could give him the luxury of missing a ton of games without sweating out because of their depth at the shooting guard spot. The presence of J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert would greatly benefit his knee that has betrayed him the last two years.
There's no doubt Wade's heart will stay in South Beach forever after all he did to make the Heat relevant. However, he must have realized that in order to satisfy his cravings for championship, he needs to go to where it rains the most, and it's absolutely not in the tropical state of Florida. Cavs fans, look out for D-Wade-King James reunion tour next season.
