National Basketball Association

Are Dwyane Wade and the Heat headed for a split?

Published May. 28, 2015 10:05 p.m. ET

foxsports

by Vincent Frank

There’s little doubt that future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade would look a bit awkward in another uniform. Even when LeBron James was providing South Beach with four straight conference titles, the Miami Heat were Wade’s team.

A 12-year veteran of the Heat, one report is now indicating that Wade could opt out of his contract and look for employment elsewhere this summer.

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson is indicating that Wade is considering utilizing an early-termination option on the two-year $31 million contract he signed last summer if the Heat are not willing to give him a bump in pay.

“According to associates, Wade wants to opt out this summer, with the hope that the Heat would give him a lucrative three-year deal that would extend past his 36th birthday,” Jackson reported. “That does not appear to be the Heat’s preference. The Heat apparently would be content with Wade opting in for next season, then re-signing for good, but not huge, money for another two seasons after that.”

The three-time NBA champion has been loyal to the Heat over the years. He did visit a few squads as a free agent in the summer of 2010, but that isn’t really abnormal in today’s NBA. In fact, Wade opted out of his deal last year as a way to provide the Heat with more flexibility to add players in free agency.

That’s why this report is so interesting. It’s highly likely that this leak some sort of leverage play by Wade’s side to get more money from the Heat. There’s also a chance he could in fact leave Miami. At 33 years old and coming off multiple injuries throughout his career, Wade may not have much left in the tank. He could look to catch on with another team that possesses a better chance than the Heat of winning a title in the not-so-distant future.

This past season saw Wade tally 21.5 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field. In a sign that his age and injuries are catching up to him, Wade averaged just under 32 minutes per game in the 62 outings that he suited up for.

Photo: USA Today Sports

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