National Basketball Association

Five best potential fits for Dwyane Wade

Published Jun. 21, 2015 11:10 p.m. ET

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By Vincent Frank

If Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is serious about opting out of his contract and moving on to another team, there is going to be plenty of interest in his services. Even at 33 and with a ton of injury baggage, the future Hall of Famer could very well be a missing piece for a team in contention. Heck, he could help a middling team into contention.

Despite playing less than 32 minutes per game this past season, the three-time NBA champion recorded an average of 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per outing. He might not be a top option on a contender, but he sure could come in and help.

Here are the best possible fits for the 11-time All-Star.

Atlanta Hawks

DeMarre Carroll is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. While the Hawks would love to have him back, the team simply can’t match any offer for the sake of continuity. Instead, Atlanta needs to think about improving from a 60-win season in order to take the next step and vie for the championship.

Wade would be a tremendous fit for Atlanta. He could team up with fellow All-Star Jeff Teague to form one of the best all-around backcourts in the entire Association. Carroll may be the best long-term option here, but Atlanta needs to think about the right and now. With Paul Millsap also slated to become a free agent, the Hawks may not have the financial assets to make a strong play for Wade. That shouldn’t stop them from considering it.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Duh! The expectation is that Kevin Love will opt out of his current deal. If the Cavaliers decide not overspend on free agent big man Tristan Thompson, they would then be able to potentially work out a deal for Wade on the open market. It’s a long shot, but it’s definitely something worth noting.

There’s no question that any potential move by the Cavaliers to land Wade would have everything to do with LeBron James’ presence on the team. The two consider themselves good friends, and they had a ton of success in Miami together. It would be all about both Wade, and potentially King James, taking less money to make this work. If so, the Cavaliers would be the odds-on favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy next year.

Chicago Bulls

Wade is from Chicago. He has entertained the idea of joining the Bulls multiple times in the past. However, this might be the best possible time for him to bolt from South Beach to the Windy City. Clearly on the brink of winning a championship, the Bulls could find themselves in position to land Wade.

It would likely take a trade of Joakim Noah and the cap space that might come with any potential deal, but the idea of teaming Wade up with Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler has to be an attractive option for the brass in Chicago.

Los Angeles Clippers

Acquiring Lance Stephenson won’t necessarily prevent the Clippers from going after another wing player. In fact, they view Stephenson as more of a bench option. There’s also been some grumbling that the team may look to be move Jamal Crawford in a trade. While the suggestions are that any potential deal would be to acquire a small forward, what about Wade? He has to be seen as an upgrade over J.J. Redick on both ends of the court, and could potentially push Redick down to the second unit to form a solid one-two punch with Stephenson.

Any hope the Clippers have of acquiring Wade would be through a sign-and-trade, which complicates things further. If it becomes apparent that Wade isn’t returning to Miami, would the Heat take Crawford, a couple fillers and a pick or two in order to get something in return? That’s going to be a major question for the team should it become a reality that Wade is intent on departing South Beach.

San Antonio Spurs

Manu Ginobili is a free agent, and there’s no guarantee the Spurs bring him back. In fact, the team might be best served looking for an upgrade at guard. With Danny Green and Marco Belinelli also set to become free agents, the Spurs may find themselves in need of a shooting guard here.

The whole idea of signing Wade would be to give Tim Duncan one more run at the title before he eventually retires. Two of the best players of the modern era playing out the twilight of their careers on Spurs. That could potentially be enough to unseat the Golden State Warriors. Add in Kawhi Leonard’s likely return, and the Spurs would be a legit title contender.

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