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End of an era? Dwyane Wade reportedly opting out of Miami contract

By Jonathan Bass

Mar 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts in the second half of a game against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena. The Celtics won 100-90. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts in the second half of a game against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena. The Celtics won 100-90. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dwyane Wade will reportedly opt of his contract with the Miami Heat and become a free agent.

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After lengthy contract negotiations with the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade has reportedly decided not to excercise his player option for the 2015-16 season. Wade, who was set to make $16.1 million with the Heat next season, now enters free agency looking to land one final big-money contract. According to ESPN, Wade wants to ink a deal that will pay him $16 million over the next three seasons.

Wade is an 11-time All-Star, and has played his entire career in Miami. He holds a slew of team records, including most points, assists, steals and minutes played. Last season he signed an extension with player options, and was expected to re-up with the team this offseason. However, as injuries have mounted (Wade hasn’t played in 70 regular-season games since 2010-11), the window for another big contract has started closing. Rather than play out the season for $16 million and renegotiate next year (in a market that’ll be flush with younger talent), Wade has decided to roll the dice one summer earlier than planned.

Wade’s move puts Heat president Pat Riley in between a rock and a hard place. Should Wade flee, it would be an unceremonious departure of the franchise’s face for the past 12 years. Moreover, it would be the third and final falling out of the Big Three era – all in one calendar year’s time. LeBron James left in free agency last summer; Chris Bosh was put on season-ending IR with blood clots on his lungs; and now Wade is reportedly looking for greener pastures. Should Wade leave, the Heatles era in Miami likely will be remembered as even more of an Icarus than it already is.

And yet, according to ESPN, Riley has been steadfast in his refusal to gobble up cap space. He wants his team prepared for the deep 2016 market. With Wade previously in play, Miami would’ve had a veteran superstar ushering in what would’ve been the third new era on his watch (Shaq, LeBron, KD or Anthony Davis?). It could have been one final chase for the championship during the D-Wade era. Alas, after being the team’s top recruiter the past two times around, Wade now appears primed to stake more on himself than the franchise.

Should Wade indeed fail to re-sign, Riley and the Heat will have a gaping hole to fill. It’s not everyday that a team finds the face of a franchise, let alone one with three titles, five Finals appearances and 11 All-Star appearances under its belt.

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