Pat Riley confirms Dwyane Wade is opting out of Miami Heat contract

Jun 12, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts prior to game four of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 12, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts prior to game four of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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A report surfaced that Miami Heat forward LeBron James was going to be opting out of his contract with the Miami Heat in order to become an unrestricted free agent.

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On Saturday, another report surfaced that Heat guard Dwyane Wade was going to be following suit.

Heat president Pat Riley confirmed the news through a statement released via the Miami Heat’s official website.

“Today we were notified of Dwyane’s intention to opt-out of his contract and Udonis’ intention to not opt into his contract, making both players free agents. Dwyane has been the cornerstone of our organization for over a decade, and we hope he remains a part of the HEAT family for life. Udonis has been the heartbeat of this team for 11 years. He has sacrificed countless times to make this organization successful, and he is the epitome of what this organization stands for. We look forward to meeting with Dwyane and Udonis and their agent in the coming days to discuss our future together.”

All of the Heat opting out actually makes it more likely they will retain the big three.

Wade was drafted by the Heat with the fifth-overall pick in the first round of the famed 2004 NBA Draft. Last season, Wade went for 19.0 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 54.5% from the floor, 28.1% from three and 73.3% from the charity stripe. In his career, he’s averaged 24.3 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field, 28.9% from beyond thearc and 76.5% from the free throw line.