While Dwyane Wade stressed last week that he expects to remain with the Heat beyond the coming season, it still sounds as if he could exercise his early termination option next summer, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. By opting out, Wade could sign a new deal with the team, potentially for more years or more dollars.
"We’ll see," Wade said of the opt-out. "You have to figure out what’s best for yourself and what’s best for the team and then you come up with that answer."
Here's more on the Heat:
- Greg Oden's deal with the Heat was originally reported as having a second-year player option, but was ultimately revealed to just be a one-year pact. Agent Mike Conley tells Jackson that the two sides agreed to modify the agreement since it helps both the team and the player. Miami obviously assumes less risk and doesn't have to pay Oden's full salary, but it also benefits Oden, according to Conley, because of a league ruling involving injury contingency language in his contract.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel continues to view Jarvis Varnado as a long shot for Miami's regular season roster, due to the $250K he'll be owed if he remains on the roster by opening night. In Winderman's view, it may make more sense for the club to take a flier on another big man on a fully non-guaranteed contract.
- Winderman adds that Varnado could end up on Miami's D-League squad in Sioux Falls if he's cut by the Heat, but notes that it would be far less lucrative for the 25-year-old than a deal overseas.
- Within his mailbag, Winderman also shoots down the idea of a potential trade centered around Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge, rightly pointing out that the Heat aren't about to make huge changes to a roster that has won back-to-back titles.