For fans of the Miami Heat – well, those that haven’t already defected amidst claims that they’re actually lifelong fans of, say, the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Golden State Warriors – the prospect of Dwyane Wade leaving South Beach is unthinkable.
Wade, drafted fifth overall in 2003, is not only the guy who, just three years into his NBA career, willed Miami to its first NBA title back in 2006, but he is also the one who served as the worm on the hook when the Heat successfully reeled in both LeBron James and Chris Bosh back in the summer of 2010.
After not one championship, not two championships, not three… (no, wait, it was two) two championships and four trips to the finals, the Superest of the Superfriends went home, leaving Wade and Bosh to gut it out alone last year.
Of course, that didn’t go so well, as an injury-ridden 37-45 record is all their ageing roster could muster, something the blood clots discovered on Chris Bosh’s lungs eventually put in to perspective.
On the plus side, diamond in the rough Hassan Whiteside had a terrific campaign while the trade that saw Goran Dragic exchange the desert for the bright lights of South Beach offered more than a glimmer of hope for the future.
Neither seems to be enough to guarantee the long-term commitment of Miami’s most beloved adopted son (well, Dan Marino aside) though, as Wade is yet to make a decision about the player option, worth about $16 million, he has in place for the 2015-16 season.
Given the fact that there’s a new TV deal just around the corner it perhaps seems logical for Wade to take that money and attempt to cash in next year. But, given his age, he’s 33, coupled with the fact that his body’s about as reliable as LeBron’s hairline, there probably aren’t that many teams out there that would be willing to offer him a grossly inflated salary another year down the line.
That is, perhaps, why Pat Riley’s so reluctant to offer Wade the $20 million he believes he’s worth right now.
After all, that is the sticking point here and it’s hard not to side with Riley, because as unbelievable as Wade’s been for Miami down the years he’s by no means the future of the franchise. No doubt Riley hopes he’ll be there, ushering it in on a drastically reduced salary, but there’s seemingly no guarantee of that either.
Whereas Miami needs Wade to make the kind of sacrifice his 2006 Finals’ adversary Dirk Nowitzki’s made for the Dallas Mavericks, he appears to prefer the path laid by Kobe Bryant, which involves clinging defiantly to your price tag until the end, regardless of the impact it has on the franchise you claim to hold so dear.
That said, Wade doesn’t come across as a selfish individual, especially when you consider what he gave up (in terms of minutes, touches, shots etc.) for those second and third titles.
There may be another issue here though, namely Wade’s faith in Riley to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Miami during what remains of his career. After all, he may only have another 3 to 4 years left at best and, given his competitive nature, he’s bound to want to spend those in the thick of the playoffs come June, not sitting around at home watching others go at it as he presently is.
If he was willing to yield and accept a little less, financially speaking, there’s a good chance that Miami would make a fairly immediate leap next season.
Provided they’re able to re-sign Dragic (something Pat Riley believes his career depends upon), restore Chris Bosh to full health and add a little more depth to a roster that’s carrying quite a bit of dead weight in its current guise there’s no reason that Miami can’t compete in what should remain a lacklustre Eastern Conference next year.
There are still one or two questions surrounding Luol Deng’s $10 million player option, as well as his ability to avoid injury, but all told, a team that features Deng, Wade, Bosh, Dragic, Whiteside and a bunch of throwbacks from Miami’s last Finals’ appearance should have what it takes to make next season an interesting one.
Beyond that, who knows, as, looking at their current crop, only Bosh, Josh McRoberts, Shabazz Napier and James Ennis will be returning for the 2016-17 campaign. We can presumably add Dragic’s name to that list, but, given his track record for doing so, it’s probably fair to assume Riley’s hoping to use the kind of cap space he’d have by then to add a free agent of the magnitude of, say, Kevin Durant in 2016.
How likely that is remains to be seen. But, given how popular a destination Miami’s become for those FAs who are looking to cash in and compete it surely can’t be ruled out, especially if Riley’s able to dangle an appealing bunch of prospective veteran teammates who carried the franchise deep into the postseason the year prior.
If that is indeed the scenario Riley’s dreaming about surely he’d be better off trying to convince Wade to come back for one more year, giving both parties an opportunity to assess their long-term goals as they begin to solidify. On the other hand, if he loses Wade now all he has to sell to Dragic is another potentially lost season, followed by one that may or may not involve a superstar every bit as good as those the reputation of the franchise was founded upon.
One way or another, Dwyane Wade appears to hold the key to everything Miami aspires to moving forward.
So, if you are still a Miami Heat fan you should probably keep your fingers crossed between now and July 1st in the hope that he does return for at least one more year, even if that year does eventually prove to be his last in South Beach, unthinkable as that may be.
