NBA champion, Dwyane Wade, is excited about the Miami team (Photo : REUTERS)
NBA executives say there are not many clubs that would be willing to pay Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade
like an elite player after having declined in recent season.
Wade is seeking a deal that would average at least $16 million over the next four seasons and has met with Heat owner Micky Arison about such a deal.
If Heat point guard Goran Dragic eventually inks a five-year contract for around $100 million, Wade will become only the second-highest paid guard in the team.
He also will just be its third-highest paid player and could even drop down to fourth next season if center Hassan Whiteside re-signs.
Wade has decided not to pick up his option with the Heat worth $16.1 million for next year and will
become a free agent Wednesday.
The Heat preferred that Wade to opt in for 2015-16 and accept a smaller deal that would give them
salary-cap flexibility to pursue Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant in 2016.
Luol Deng opted in to his $10 million deal and the Heat also looking to retain Goran Dragic this summer
and then Hassan Whiteside next year.
Wade turns 34 next season and has missed 25 percent of regular-season games over the past four years with an array of injuries.
That is something the Heat and other teams will take into account.
The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have expressed interest in Wade.
Huge markets demand a high-profile player to sell their expensive tickets and Wade fits the bill for the Lakers and Knicks.
Wade, a perennial All-Star and three-time NBA champion, was the Eastern Conference's third leading and the NBA's 11th best scorer last year with 21.5
points.
His points-per-48-minutes of 32.4 ranked close to top scorers like Stephen Curry who had 34.9, LeBron James who had 33.6 and Carmelo Anthony who had 32.5.
