Dwyane Wade’s trip down Free Agency Lane manifested into an unanticipated issue last summer.
That’s not going to happen this summer.
Wade himself won’t let it, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
Wade told me this week that he does not want to even test the free agent market and instead wants to wrap up a new deal with the Heat without the drama of last offseason, when the sides initially were far apart before agreeing on a one-year, $20 million contract.
“The whole free agency thing, I didn’t want to be in it last summer; I don’t want to be in it this summer,” he said. “I don’t want to be on the market at all…. I’m not curious at all. I want to get to it [with the Heat]. I want to be able to sign my deal and move on and not have to deal with any rumors, any free agency, any this, any that. This is where I want to end my career. So we’ll figure it out.”
There’s no doubt that Wade, a Heat-lifer, will be in Miami beyond next season. Only one question actually exists: How much will it cost to re-sign him?
That’s something the Heat and Wade will have to hash out quickly, because his cap hold will be $30 million until he puts pen to paper on a new deal. And that won’t help Miami’s pursuit of additional superstars.
Team president Pat Riley will have to know how much he needs for his top prospective targets, and the team will have to find a middle ground with Wade that allows them to join the free-agency sweepstakes. Not that this will be a problem.
Dwyane Wade has shown he will accept less in the past, and if doing so again will put the Heat in position to enter the running for the Kevin Durants and Nicolas Batums of the 2017 open market, it’s less than likely he balks at another pay cut.
