Some of the greatest joys of being a sports fan, besides your favorite team winning the championship, are the debates that arise between fellow sports nuts along the way. It’s with this in mind that we at Hoops Rumors want to provide a forum for basketball fanatics to voice their opinions, debate trending topics, and simply hang out with like-minded hoops aficionados. We’ll be posting a topic for discussion on weeknights, and we hope that this will become a regular part of your sports day.
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Now that I’ve gotten the preamble and the fine print out of the way, it’s time to open the floor for our first topic: Dwyane Wade‘s contract situation with the Heat…
The Heat and Wade have been talking and there appears to be a significant difference in what the two sides believe Wade’s next deal should be worth, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The latest report from Jackson pegged the proposed deal at $16MM for 2015/16, and then $10MM for each of the remaining seasons. This is far from the reported $20MM per season that Wade is seeking.
Wade has played the part of the good soldier for the Heat in the past, accepting lower salaries on his previous contracts so that the team would have greater flexibility to construct its roster. The guard likely did so with the understanding, or at the very least, the hope, that his loyalty would be rewarded down the line. There is a chance that if the organization does not up its offer to Wade, he’ll opt out of his deal this summer and head elsewhere.
So the question I’m asking you today is this: How should Miami handle Wade’s contract situation? Should the Heat pay Wade what he wants as a reward for his past service? Or should the team hold fast and risk losing a 33-year-old player who has averaged just 58 contests over his last four seasons, despite him being the face of the franchise? Head to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
I think the Heat should max out D-Wade for 1 year 23.5 mil then pay him an additional 8-12 mil for 3 years. This helps Wade recoup the money he left on the table during the BIG 3 era and saves the Heats precious cap space for the 2016 free agency class.
The issue is that Wade is reportedly looking for a longer deal. It’s understandable with his injury history why a one year pact wouldn’t appeal to him.
Why not do what LBJ is doing, and sign D-Wade to a max contract for 2 years. A) it limits the term of the contract which is good for the team; B) it pays D-wade for his commitment to the team for taking pay-cuts to help the team compete.
The Heat are likely concerned about the Summer of 2016 when Whiteside will be up for a new deal, Deng, if he opts in this year, will also be hitting free agency…and then there is the free agent class of 2016 to worry about. Also…LeBron is still in his prime performance-wise. Wade is still a good player…when he’s on the court, but he’s definitely on the downside of his career. Pat Riley could be taking a hard look at the Lakers being hamstrung by Kobe Bryant’s player-friendly deal and thinking “Nope. Not going to happen here in Miami…” That’s also why the reports of Miami wanting to frontload the deal for 2015/16 are notable. Miami wants some breathing room in 2016.
There has to be some sort of a way to find a middle ground. I doubt the heat have an issue paying Wade. The real issue is the timing. Maybe there is a way to come to some sort of agreement to pay him now, but leave the flexibility for next year, and then sign him for multiple years at a rate that would be reasonable. So maybe he opts out and signs a similar 2 year deal with an opt out after the 1st year, obviously with a pay increase, and then next year, they sign him to a 3 year/45 million deal or something like it. That essentially becomes a 4 year/60-65 million deal if you include this year….
D-Wade wants to win, and he wants to stay here. The Heat want the same. I’m confident they can work things out. That being said, Pat Riley is a stubborn person, and I’ve seen him do something like this before. Still, this is different. It’s Miami-Wade County. This is someone we can’t let go of under any circumstances. I would rather jeopardize the next couple of offseasons than lose D-Wade. Personally, I don’t feel like Dragic is really worth the 5 year max, regardless of the fact that he is considered a “young 29.” I know that he has leverage, so he likely gets the max. That hurts us, no doubt about it. This is why we need to totally rebuild our bench the way I have been suggesting. It gives us more flexibility. The same can be said for needing to really consider moving Whiteside for the right deal. Without his bird rights, he will be tough to keep, assuming he gets near a max deal himself next year…Another thing to consider is rebuilding the bench and signing a free agent or 2 this year that fits the roster, and forgoing the idea of trying to get someone like Durant, who we won’t get anyway, and making sure we keep Wade while still being very competitive
I agree that the timing is tricky here. There will be quite a few situations where teams and/or players will be in no man’s land trying to decide between signing a long-term deal for security versus playing the odds and trying to cash in when the cap explodes in 2016. I honestly don’t believe Wade is worth the max, and while there is something to be said for the positive PR and vibes keeping Wade in Miami for his entire career would bring, the team needs to weigh loyalty against what is best for the roster long-term. Also, I completely agree with you about Dragic’s perceived worth. How much would you consider offering Dragic on his next deal?
I could probably be talked into giving him near a 4 year max or if 5 is absolutely necessary, 5 years/$92-94 million. I still think that is a bit much, especially if they gave him the 5th year, but I wouldnt want to risk Dragic getting salty and leaving b/c of some perceived issue with the offer. That amount seems fair enough that he cant really complain, especially considering how much they’d be paying him into his age 34 season
I personally think that offer is about $10 million more than he would really be worth on a 5 year deal
is it possible d wade signs a 3 year/ 60 million dollar deal with the knicks and pairs up with Melo?
It’s possible, sure. Likely? Probably not. I’m not sure Wade would want to go to New York and struggle to make the playoffs at this point in his career. Cleveland or Chicago are more likely, though Wade would have to settle for a significantly lower amount given the cap situation of both franchises. The Knicks are also determined to keep their balance sheet as unblemished as possible heading into the summer of 2016. Just don’t see the two sides being a good fit.
Wade and the HEAT need to agree on a deal that gives Wade a lot of money this season (Say $22 million or so), then follow it up with the next two years being around $15 million or lower. How they do that is up to them (how many years and other factors)… But this is best for all parties, and the especially the chances for Wade winning his fourth.
I agree that it would be in the Heat’s best interest to frontload the deal, though $22MM is a touch high in my opinion. Though I would find it hard to argue that Wade hasn’t earned a little extra from the team considering all the sacrifices that he has made financially over the years.
Eddie, Im definitely with you that $22 million is a tad high for what Wade is actually worth. I just expect that we will see a number close to that amount should this kind of deal go down because Dwyane is asking for a lot in return for his own sacrifices. However, Dwyane bolts Miami. He abandons his fans, teammates, and franchise. Hes lose and an unrestricted Free Agent up for grabs. Where do you think is he most likely to go?
If he prioritizes money…then the Lakers could make sense on a shorter deal. Pair Wade with Kobe and Okafor/Towns, maybe sign Rondo, and the purple and gold are suddenly way more interesting. If he wants to win, and is willing to accept a lot less on his contract, then I’d have to think Chicago and Cleveland are at the top of the list of obvious candidates. If the Pelicans can clear a bit of cap space they could be an interesting option for Wade as an out-of-the-box choice. He gets to play in Alvin Gentry’s up tempo system alongside Anthony Davis, and that team suddenly becomes a threat. Not a Championship squad, but a dangerous team nonetheless.
I like that New Orleans idea if they clear the cap space somehow, but I think they need some more shooting on the wing
I agree on the outside shooting need, though that can be said for most teams around the league these days. I was just speculating when I threw the Pelicans out there. But the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. I still think Wade remains with the Heat for the long haul though. But never say never….
As a Heat fan in Miami, I would like to say never on this one. It would be nice
What about a scenario where hypothetically, the Lakers signed him, Marc Gasol, and a 3 and D wing player, and drafted D’Angelo Russell? Or if the Knicks signed Wade, Gasol,a 3 and D wing player, and drafted Winslow? Those things would make those teams pretty interesting pretty quickly. That being said, you could do a lot of the same things with multiple teams, and you can probably also do it with multiple draft picks. At the end of the day, its all unlikely speculation, and also, a lot would probably be relying on those young players in those scenarios. I just hope this all works itself out in the right way, and the Heat can continue to move forward with what they’re trying to do, and then when it gets to actually getting on the court, hopefully not having literally our whole team injured for the whole season next year
I’m confident the Heat and Wade will find a solution. Relationships like theirs aren’t easy to find in the NBA, and I think there’s value to both sides in keeping it going. The Heat understand that others stars would appreciate a show of loyalty from them. Wade understands that to compete for more championships, he has to sacrifice. They’ll get something done.
He is more valuable to the Heat then he is other franchises, which is to say both sides benefit from working out a deal. On the open market I can’t see Wade getting more than 10M/Yr, whereas I think the Heat would do well to sign him to 12M/Yr. Also to consider; if they can trust him and he trusts the team (doesn’t seem to be the case) they could throw some player options in the contract which would allow the team flexibility to sign a free agent next season and the season after.
Good points here, Alex, though it’s worth noting that only the final season on a three-year contract could include any sort of option clause, under existing collective bargaining agreement rules.
Miami should make resigning Dragic priority #1, which could be tough because he is probably waiting to see how the Wade situation plays out. But by resigning Dragic (5-year max), and without the flexibility to be a player in FA, I think the team should give Wade a 1-year deal for ~$20 mil. This would serve as a “nice gesture” from the front office for his years of sacrifice (he’s not a $20 mil player), but also as a “Give us a chance to win this, Dwyane” deal. A core of Bosh, Wade, Dragic, Deng (PO), and Whiteside could be very dangerous in the East if healthy (big if). So I think Wade would entertain this deal because it will give him a chance to see if this Heat team is ring-worthy, and if they’re not, he can then go join a true contender (Cleveland, Chicago, Clippers, etc.) when the cap explodes. After this 1-year deal, if he decides he wants to stay in South Beach, I think both sides should be okay with a 2/$22-28 mil deal.
The key is Dragic, though. If Dragic is not going to return, then I think it might be time to let Wade walk.
I think if Wade’s back, Dragic will be, too. But one thing to consider about a one-year mega deal for Wade: it would have serious tax consequences. The Heat would probably have to pay the tax if they keep Wade and Deng at the values of their respective player options and re-sign Dragic to the max, never mind if they go to the max for one season with Wade, too.