NBA Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Dwyane Wade, Potential David Lee Trade and More
The 2015 NBA Finals may be officially underway, but that won't stop the rumor mill from churning out daily nuggets of intrigue.
Most of the juicy stuff won't come until the offseason, especially regarding big names like Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge. However, a steady stream of rumors has been flowing for the last few days.
Here are a few of the more important developments regarding a few different personnel who may be on the move.
Dwyane Wade's Future with the Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade undoubtedly left a lot of money on the table when the Miami Heat formed their Big Three. He sacrificed financially in the short term and figured the team would take care of him in the long term, especially after the salary cap increases.
Now, Wade and Miami appear to be at a stalemate. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Heat would like to see Wade follow the lead of other aging veterans and take less money for the greater good. The 33-year-old shooting guard reportedly wants none of that:
"A Wade associate has told people that Wade would welcome a contract averaging $20 million annually over the next three years. If that's true, it would be understandable, considering the year 13-15 pay ranges for Duncan and Nowitzki. Wade's agent, Henry Thomas, politely declined to confirm that or anything regarding Wade's specific financial expectations.
We've heard the Heat would prefer Wade opt in for $16 million next season, then take a very significant pay cut over the following two years.
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On one hand, you can see why the Heat might be unwilling to break the bank on a long-term contract for Wade. He has been hobbled by knee injuries over the past few years, and he's not getting any younger.
Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick looked at some of the teams that could use Wade if he does in fact leave Miami:
On the other hand, ESPN's Bomani Jones made a great point on the May 28 edition of his podcast about how Miami has a reputation to uphold with regard to an extension for Wade.
The Heat try to present themselves as a family, where their players are taken care of. Miami can't let Wade, their biggest star and best player in franchise history, leave. That's all there is to it. Letting Wade walk because of a few million dollars would look terrible for the organization and potentially hurt Miami as it pursues marquee free agents.
It's similar to the Los Angeles Lakers giving Kobe Bryant nearly $50 million over two years despite him being well past his prime. The Lakers want future free agents to know that they'll be well-compensated if they come to LA.
Wade holds all the leverage in this situation. While he almost certainly won't get a max deal, he'll collect the money he's owed for helping the Heat sign Chris Bosh and LeBron James all those years ago.
Are David Lee's Days Numbered in Golden State?
David Lee might be on the best team in basketball and three games away from a title, but every NBA veteran has a certain level of pride that kicks in after a while. If Lee isn't going to get heavy minutes with the Golden State Warriors, maybe he'll look to get those minutes elsewhere.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that the 32-year-old power forward could request a trade in order to get out of Golden State before his contract expires next summer.
Lee was asked about his future with the Warriors, and he slyly avoided giving an answer one way or the other, per Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com:
Between injuries and the emergence of Draymond Green, Lee was limited to just 49 games this year, in which he averaged 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18.4 minutes on the floor. All three were his lowest averages since his rookie season.
Some might feel that it would be foolish for Lee to ask for a trade away from a team that will likely be crowned champion this summer and contend again next year. Plus, he only has one year until he's a free agent and can choose his destination.
The counterargument would be that Lee's next contract might be his last opportunity for a big payday. And his value won't get much higher if he's only coming off the bench for Golden State. In order to command the most money, Lee might have to force the team's hand and get out of town.
Nobody will throw a massive deal his way in a year's time, but with the cap increasing, he could add a couple more million to his next contract if he leaves the Warriors and has a bounce-back season.
Nuggets Cast a Wide Net in Coaching Search
The Denver Nuggets have been stuck in neutral ever since firing former head coach Brian Shaw. The offseason couldn't come soon enough, at which time they'd find their permanent choice, be it interim head coach Melvin Hunt or an outside hire.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the team interviewed former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Malone earlier in the week.
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski also reported the Nuggets are looking at Mike D'Antoni as well. League sources also told Wojnarowski that Hunt "remains a strong contender to retain the full-time job."
Of the three options, D'Antoni is by far the most interesting. He hasn't really gotten a real chance to put his offensive imprint on another team since leaving the Phoenix Suns. The New York Knicks are a perpetual mess and his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers was doomed to fail from the start.
CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie doesn't think spending a year away from the game will have hurt D'Antoni that much since he has been prepping for a potential return:
With all of that said, Hunt is the likeliest candidate. The Nuggets went a somewhat respectable 10-13 in his short time on the sideline. It's not a bad mark considering the front office was essentially throwing games late in the year.
In the grand scheme of things, it probably doesn't even matter whom Denver hires anyway. The team is so poorly constructed that it will take years before the Nuggets are competitive again. Maybe Hunt will be the sacrificial lamb before Denver is ready to take the next step.
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