Dwyane Wade playing for the Miami Heat (Getty)
Dwyane Wade is a 12-time NBA All Star, so it’s not surprising that he’s in demand. But there’s been a flurry of interest in him because of his frustration with Miami Heat contract talks, Yahoo Sports says.
Indeed, reports are swirling around the sports world that several teams are prepared to make Dwyane Wade $20 million offers, although the Heat could up the ante. It’s unknown whether Wade really might leave or is just trying to gain leverage in his contract talks with Miami.
Here’s what you need to know about the potential bidding war for Dwyane Wade:
1. Multiple NBA Teams are Considering Pursuing Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade currently plays for the Miami Heat. (Getty)
According to Yahoo Sports, those teams are the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and Denver Nuggets. The Bulls and Nuggets are pursuing him most aggressively. ESPN added another name to the list: The New York Knicks. Forbes said the Cleveland Cavaliers could be a possibility, reuniting Wade with LeBron James.
The Palm Beach Post said the San Antonio Spurs are in the mix too. However, it’s not like the teams are courting someone who’s showing no interest. The Palm Beach Post recounted a radio appearance by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who said:
Over the last 24, 72 hours, Dwyane’s representatives have been calling around the league to several teams. Not to every team, not to 29 teams, but to a few teams and have said to them, ‘Hey, Dwyane is going to be available and is going to take offers.’
CBS Sports says Wade’s team has reached out to teams to try to start a bidding war. On Twitter, some fans expressed skepticism, saying they were withholding excitement until they see it actually happen:
These reports are sooo conflicting. I’m just gonna wait till it’s made official. #DwyaneWade #Knicks
2. The Miami Heat’s Initial Offer Angered Wade
Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball as Cory Joseph #6 of the Toronto Raptors defends. (Getty)
Wade was upset because the Miami Heat offered him $10 million a year, which was 50 percent less than his salary last year of $20 million. This “deeply angered Wade,” according to The Vertical. “Even with the Heat planning to counter to a higher figure, league sources said, Wade has been insistent on starting to explore the market and meet with teams once he returns from an overseas vacation,” The Vertical reported.
3. Dwyane Wade Is On Vacation in Europe
According to ESPN, Wade is vacationing overseas and won’t make a decision until he returns. He returns next week, and may start scheduling meetings at that time, ESPN says. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Wade has a meeting scheduled with the Milwaukee Bucks next week; the team would have to find a way to free up money to afford him.
Wade is on vacation with LeBron James and Chris Paul, and they have been posting photos of themselves on a boat, according to Fox Sports. The wives are along, the video footage makes clear, including Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union.
Vacay vibes strong over here…
4. Dwyane Wade Has Taken Salary Cuts Before to Help the Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade on the court for the Miami Heat. (Getty)
One reason Wade is frustrated with the Miami Heat is because he’s twice taken pay cuts to help them recruit other talent and manage their salary cap, ESPN says. Wade has the numbers: He’s won three championships with the Heat in 13 years there, but he also feels the team has prioritized players Kevin Durant and Hassan Whiteside, multiple news reports say.
This must feel like deja vu to Wade, who accepted less pay in 2010 to make way for LeBron James; then, last summer, Wade was asked to do it again after James left. Wade ended up with a one-year, $20 million deal, which has is now being renegotiated CBS says.
ESPN says Wade has signed one-year contracts the last two summers and averaged 19 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 74 games last season. According to Biography.com, he is a shooting guard.
5. Wade May Have a Preference for Teams With Hometown Ties
Dwyane Wade with his wife Gabrielle Union. (Getty)
Dwyane Wade’s interest in two of the teams may stem in part from hometown loyalties. Wade, known as “D-Wade” or “Flash,” was born in 1982 in Chicago, according to Biography.com, and he played college basketball for Marquette University, which is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the Bucks play.
Biography.com says Wade’s early years in Chicago were difficult when his parents separated and his mother, who received custody of Wade and his 5-year-old sister, Tragil, ended up on welfare. Wade eventually went to live with his father, a part-time recreational coach, in Robbins, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, where he started playing basketball. Wade is married to the actress Gabrielle Union.