As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel details, Dwyane Wade‘s decision to leave the Heat this offseason essentially boiled down to eight words he said during a Sunday interview with ESPN: “They made a choice; I made a choice.”
“My time, the clock ticked out on me,” Wade said in the ESPN interview. “And whether they (the Heat) felt it, whether they wanted to do it, I did. And I respectfully walk away saying I tip my hat to their organization and to the city for embracing me and giving me the platform to be great. And I did that. I was great. It will always be there. But I’ve got more things to do.”
Here are a few more items from out of the Southeast, including more on the Heat:
- The Heat essentially have a “standing invitation” out to Beno Udrih for a minimum-salary contract if he can’t find a better deal than that elsewhere, writes Winderman. It’s not clear whether or not Miami’s standing offer to the veteran point guard would be fully guaranteed.
- While a player like Dion Waiters could help the Heat win more games this year, Winderman suggests that the Heat should prioritize the development of their core players like Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, and Tyler Johnson.
- Although the Wizards appear content with their current roster, the club continues to scour the market and may consider adding a wing player, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Michael identifies Alan Anderson as a veteran free agent who may end up returning to Washington, though he cautions that a deal still appears unlikely at this point.
No one’s saying it, but the Heat are in REBUILD Mode. The big 3 broke up 2 yrs ago when LBJ left to go back to Cleveland. Wade now gone, and Bosh is incapacitated. Probably will be traded/bought out. It’s a new day in Miami. Only a few vets left (Haslem, McRoberts, who else?), and they probably won’t make the playoffs.