Dwyane Wade asking for more than Heat can pay, could leave South Beach

After the Miami Heat prioritized Hassan Whiteside and Kevin Durant ahead of him in free agency, Dwyane Wade upped his contract demands to two years and $50 million.

Dwyane Wade is not the same player he once was, but he won’t let that stop him from raising his asking price during the NBA’s free agency period. After the cap-strapped Miami Heat offered him a two year deal worth $40 million, Wade came back and reportedly told the only team he has played for that he expects $50 million over the same time frame to stay in South Beach.

Before anyone criticizes Wade too much for expecting more from Miami, remember that he has taken less than the max deals on his previous three contracts, and despite his age, he took the Heat to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals this past season.

Unfortunately for the Heat, they don’t have the money to make the deal Wade is requesting without making some roster moves, which of course would further deplete their roster.

There are also reports that Wade may indeed be seeking a longer deal than the two years Miami is offering. Teams like the Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls are in the mix to offer much better deals to the three-time NBA Champion.

Chicago makes a lot of sense for Wade as he grew up there and would get to play somewhere he truly feels wanted, which may not be the case in Miami after the team prioritized re-signing center Hassan Whiteside and pursuing forward Kevin Durant in the offseason.

However, Wade has been in Miami for 13 seasons and it’s foolish to ever count Heat team president Pat Riley out of any free agency negotiation.

For more NBA Free Agency rumors, check out our NBA hub page.