Among the many story lines of the past summer, one that drew unexpected headlines was Dwyane Wade‘s contract negotiations with the Miami Heat. It was largely assumed that he’d forgo free agency and remain with the team; instead, he exercised the player option on his contract and his agent flirted with the idea of his client joining another team.
Wade eventually re-signed for one year (at a hefty salary) but many Miami fans worried that the self-proclaimed “Heat Lifer” might not be on board with the team’s plans. But recent comments made to reporters at training camp show that the negotiations not as strained as had been reported (via the Sun Sentinel):
"“We kind of just said, ‘We have the relationship where you can just take that out. So let’s sit down and talk about everything, the past, the present, the future and figure it out. It just worked out where we were able to set up a meeting. ‘It was, ‘All right, let’s just meet at my house at 7:30.’ And we just sat down and talked for hours. And that went from talking about contracts to talking about all kinds of things.”"
Moreover – and perhaps of even more importance – it seems that Wade is definitely on board with any future plans:
"“That’s why I signed a one-year deal. I understood kind of where our team is, what we’re looking to do this year and what we’re looking to do next year and how I can play a role in that. So I get it.”"
That role and those plans remain, at least publicly, somewhat vague. They certainly involve Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic, both of whom are signed to multi-year deals with Miami. From there things get dicey, with other starters Luol Deng and Hassan Whiteside (along with Wade) set to enter free agency in 2016.
It’s largely been rumored that team president Pat Riley will at least make an attempt to woo the prize of the next summer’s free agent class, Kevin Durant. Where that leaves Deng and Whiteside is anyone’s guess.
Whiteside could prove to be an indispensable part of the team after this season. His numbers were historically great in Miami during the 2014-15 season but he remains very much a mystery. Signs indicate that he’s developed into a franchise-type player; maturity issues have been resolved, he’s worked on his game and he’s even stronger than he was last year.
But with the league moving toward smaller and smaller lineups, adding a superstar like Durant that can space the floor while moving Bosh back to center (where he thrived during Miami’s recent championship runs) could make them a title contender for years.
Still, those plans remain a whole season away. The Heat could add another title this year and Riley could decide that this version of Miami is capable of adding more awards to the team’s trophy case.
Whatever might happen, at least one question – if Wade would choose to be a part of that bright future – has already been answered.
Next: NBA Finals History: Ranking The Last 50 Champions
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers