It was reported late last month that Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade could opt out of his contract this summer and sign with another team if Miami isn’t willing to give him a raise. This came as somewhat of a surprise considering Wade opted out of his deal last year in order to sign a cheaper two-year, $31 million contract.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald is now reporting that Wade doesn’t just want a raise, he wants a significant increase in salary and an extra two years added to his deal.
“A Wade associate has told people that Wade would welcome a contract averaging $20 million annually over the next three years…Wade’s agent, Henry Thomas, politely declined to confirm that or anything regarding Wade’s specific financial expectations.”
A three-year, $60 million contract for a 33-year-old guard that has a significant injury history doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. It makes even less sense considering Wade has just one year and $16.1 million remaining on his current deal.
Jackson went on to indicate that Miami would prefer for Wade to opt in for the 2015-16 season, then take a major pay cut for the next two years so the team can add a significant free agent next summer.
Considering Wade has done more than give the Heat a hometown discount over the past several seasons, it seems highly unlikely that he would do that. If not, there’s a possibility we could see the future Hall of Famer playing elsewhere this fall.
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