Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade supposedly is no longer a lock to stay in South Beach. If Wade were to leave Miami in free agency this summer, three possible destinations reportedly are the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks and - maybe - the Los Angeles Lakers.
News leaked last week Wade was open to testing free agency if Miami didn't offer him more money. If that were to happen, reports peg the Lakers, the Knicks and the Clippers as the three likely landing spots for the veteran.
"Finally, I heard if Wade went anywhere, at any point, I've typically heard L.A. as an option," Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report tweeted Friday. "But I still expect Heat to sort this out."
Skolnick didn't specify which Los Angeles team, but one would have to assume the Clippers. Signing with the Lakers wouldn't make sense for either party, especially given the Lakers already has an aging 2-guard in Kobe Bryant.
The Clippers, along with the Knicks, were reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News as two potential destinations for Wade in free agency.
"If Dwyane Wade does the unexpected and leaves Miami he could end up in one of two places; Los Angeles (Clippers) or New York," Isola wrote Saturday. "For Wade to join the Clippers and his good buddy Chris Paul it would take some creativity since the Clippers are over the salary cap. The Knicks and Carmelo Anthony have the cap space but would Wade want to join a team that won 17 games last season?"
The other question is would New York want to commit three years of cap space to an aging superstar? Although Knicks president Phil Jackson wants to win now, Wade is 33 years old and has been limited in recent seasons because of injuries. The Clippers need an upgrade at the 2-spot but, as pointed out, will be strapped for cap space next summer - especially if the team manages to re-sign soon-to-be free agent DeAndre Jordan.
The chances of Wade actually leaving Miami appear slim. As mentioned in a previous article, news leaking of Wade's "openness" to test free agency comes across as posturing to get Heat president Pat Riley to raise his offer.
