Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was noncommittal Sunday night when asked about staying with the team in free agency. The veteran star, who reportedly wants $20 million per season, didn't rule out leaving the Heat in July if it came down to it.
It was inevitable the topic of free agency would arise when Wade appeared as a guest analyst for ESPN's coverage of Game 2 of the 2015 NBA Finals. When it did, Wade was noncommittal before deflecting the subject back onto the championship series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
"Well, listen, it's summer time. With summer time and free agency, it's going to be a lot of talk," Wade said, according to the Miami Herald. "Right now, I'm glad that the Finals is on, that we're here. We'll worry about that in July. Right now, we're going to focus on these Finals. This is our biggest showcase. We want to focus on it."
Wade playing out his career in South Beach is no longer a sure thing. He reportedly wants to opt out of his $16.1 million option for next season and re-sign with Miami for a new multiyear deal. While the leaks of the sputtering contract talks could just be the two sides negotiating and playing the media for leverage, Wade and team president Pat Riley do appear far apart on a new deal. If neither side is willing to compromise on the purported $30 million difference, Wade reportedly is open to testing free agency for a more lucrative deal.
While the 33-year-old Wade apparently wants to cash in now after taking two pay cuts, Riley reportedly is a "mercenary" who would weather the negative publicity of letting the aging superstar go if it meant saving the franchise cap space to use in the future.
Wade has until the end of June to notify the team of whether he plans to opt out, which all signs point to him doing.
