The Denver Nuggets are one of a few teams aggressively pursuing Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade in free agency. Despite offering more money than their rival in this matter, Marc Stein of ESPN is reporting that Wade is expected to stay in Miami.
The Heat were more than $10 million short of Denver's offer at last report but most league observers still expect D-Wade to wind up in Miami
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 6, 2016
For some perspective on what Denver’s offer might be, recent reports suggested that the Heat had offered Wade a two-year, $40 million deal with a player option in the second year.
This is not a two-horse race between the Heat and Nuggets. It had also been recently said that the Milwaukee Bucks were a strong possibility until Wade broke off a meeting on Tuesday. Other signs have pointed to the Cleveland Cavaliers being an interested option.
From a pure on point perspective, Miami is not significantly better than either Milwaukee or Cleveland. The Bucks are a young team with a lot of promise. A veteran presence to stabilize an uncertain backcourt would be a big help. The Cavs are obviously the reigning champs. Signing with Cleveland would also reunite Wade with LeBron James, and the two of them obviously work well together.
Unfortunately, the Cavs don’t have money to throw at Wade.
Looking a little beyond the pure on court angle, the Heat make the most sense. Much like Dirk Nowitzki with the Dallas Mavericks, it’s very hard to imagine Wade playing anywhere else — even if other teams make as much or more sense on paper.
When a future Hall of Famer makes such an impact with one team, it’s nice to see him remain there throughout his entire career. So, unless you’re a fan of one of the teams trying to sign Wade, it’s find many negatives with him staying with the Heat.