Miami Heat Rumors: Dwyane Wade Open To Leaving Heat

According to the latest Miami Heat rumors, Dwyane Wade is open to leaving the Heat. Could he join his pal LeBron James in Cleveland?

According to a report furnished by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Tuesday evening, 12-time All-Star and Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade is open to fielding offers from other NBA teams when free agency begins on July 1.

The news of Wade being open to leaving the Heat came on the heels of Wade’s reps and the front office of the Heat being unable to find common ground for the basis of a new contract.

While there is no question that Wade has struggled with his health over the last few years, with the most prominent of his injuries being frequent ailments to his knees, Wade enjoyed a renaissance of sorts last season, as he averaged 19.0 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting from the floor.

While these numbers are right in line with statistics that he has posted over the last handful of seasons, Wade appeared in 74 games last year, the most that he has played in one season since the 2010-11 season, when he took part in 76 regular season games en route to an NBA Finals appearance.

Even at 34 years of age, Wade has proven that he still has a ton left in the tank, especially if his knees cooperate like they did last season.

While this is a huge if and far from a given at this stage of his career, Wade remains an asset and All-Star caliber talent that would provide a sizable boost to the team that he comes to terms with this off-season.

So with this being said, where will Dwyane Wade end up playing this October in his 14th NBA season?

If I was a betting man, I believe that he and the Heat will get back to the bargaining table and find a way to come to terms for Wade to finish his career in a Heat uniform. Wade has brought three championships to South Beach and is heralded in the city as franchise legend.

Even though the outlook of him returning to the team may look bleak at the moment, there could be merit to the thinking that this report was furnished as a ploy by Wade’s camp, perhaps providing leverage for him in the next stage of negotiations with the team.

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However, if Wade and the Miami Heat brass have actually broken off negotiations for good, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have to be the obvious odds-on favorites to land Wade’s services should he choose to depart the only franchise that he has known for his entire career.

Wade’s former running mate and best friend, LeBron James, will undoubtedly recruit Wade hard to the Cavs as they prepare to defend their NBA championship this fall.

Depending on the contract expectations for Wade and his representatives, a potential pursuit by the Cavaliers would likely put into motion a wide array of roster moves to accommodate the veteran, which could include trading mercurial power forward Kevin Love, as well as parting with role players such as Timofey Mozgov, Richard Jefferson and Matthew Dellavedova.

For the Heat, it is likely that a full-blown rebuild will ensue should Wade leave the team in free agency.

With the return of emerging star center Hassan Whiteside anything but a certainty, and former All-Star Chris Bosh potentially heading towards an early retirement due to continued blood clot concerns, the team would likely look to get younger in a hurry with second-year forward Justise Winslow becoming the piece for the Heat to build around.

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In the end, only time will tell how much traction the free agency pursuit of Dwyane Wade will gain, but the chase for one of the league’s best players over the last decade and a half may result in him leaving Miami; an outcome that many expected would ever truly happen.