NBA Rumors: Updated Rumblings Surrounding Dwyane Wade and More Stars
Could Dwyane Wade really leave the Miami Heat?
Don’t scoff at the idea. Nobody thought LeBron James would ditch the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2010, either.
Now, as is usually the case in these superstar-vs.-lifetime-team battles, Miami is the clear favorite. But the front office is getting on Wade’s bad side, as Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolinck discussed with Chris Fedor on The Ken Carman Show last Wednesday:
“It's not about him wanting to go somewhere else,” Skolnick said, as relayed by Fox Sports. “It's about him being annoyed. ... He's angry at [the Heat]. This organization in Miami has built itself on this Heat Lifer premise, and this idea that our guys are our guys ... and Dwyane is kind of the poster child for Heat Lifer. And he felt that they were going to take care of him.”
D-Wade has a $16 million player option this summer, and he’s been “upset” with the extension offers Miami has approached him with so far, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
So, what happens next? Let’s look at some rumors surrounding the three-time champion, as well as other big names around the NBA.
The Allure of L.A.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix dropped a bit of a bomb when he reported on Monday that Wade and the Los Angeles Lakers would have “mutual interest” if the shooting guard can’t come to terms with his current team:
Wade, a 33-year-old who is far from durable, playing alongside fellow oft-injured veteran Kobe Bryant? Hm, that doesn’t sound right. There’s only one ball—and one alpha dog—after all.
This rumor doesn’t sound as serious as it does Wade trying to jab the Heat. Players, agents and coaches will often manipulate the media to their advantage using leaks. With the Mamba, Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson occupying the L.A. backcourt, Wade would cause a bit of a logjam.
Plus, the Lakers are trying to start over. As Bryant walks off into the sunset, a strong, young team will be at his back if things go according to plan.
Throwing money at Wade wouldn’t make much sense for the team, and joining a rebuilding squad with an already established ball-hog leader wouldn’t be wise for No. 3.
Again, this seems to be more like an “Oh, you don’t want to pay me? Someone else will,” than an “I want to be a Laker.”
Don’t cast it aside entirely, because nothing is out of the realm of possibility in this era.
But even still, it's tough to put too much stock into this one. The Cavaliers—with the promise of contention thanks to Wade’s old pal LBJ—seem to be a much larger threat to Miami than Los Angeles.
Heat Paying Someone Else?
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported over the weekend that Miami is set to offer point guard Goran Dragic a five-year, $80-plus million deal.
Now, this can have two very different effects on Wade.
- He could love that the team is surrounding him with elite talent and be more open to returning to the Heat.
- He could look at Dragic’s potential contract and think, “What about me?”
One really isn’t more likely than the other, but door No. 2 could be devastating for Miami president Pat Riley and the rest of the front office.
This standoff could get ugly fast, or it could sweeten up. Dragic has been open about his desire to return, but it’s still a bit surprising for this report to emerge before one about the team resolving its issues with the man who has been the Miami Heat for the past 12 years.
Sweet Lou, Sweet Deal
Lou Williams is about to get paid.
According to Shams Charania of RealGM, the shooting guard is “expected to receive strong interest from teams that include the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, providing a clear competition for the Toronto Raptors to retain the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year.”
The Raptors really depended on Williams’ scoring this past season, as his career-high 15.5 scoring average was third on the team, trailing only starters DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.
But it was just Sweet Lou’s first season in Toronto, so his loyalty to the franchise can’t be rooted too deeply. He has played himself into some serious money—a “three-year deal in the range of $27 million or four years for $35 million,” per Charania—and he deserves to explore the market.
When the Knicks or Lakers are involved, the money is usually big—too big for the teams’ own good.
Williams would really be a good fit on any of those teams except for the Lakers, mainly for the same reasons as Wade. The Knicks, Nets and Kings desperately need some additional scoring—and swag, too—so it would be wise to try to pry the electric guard from Toronto.
With a lot of buzz surrounding Wade and the upcoming NBA draft, Williams’ free agency is definitely a story to keep an eye one.
Stats are accurate courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com. Salary information was sourced from spotrac.com.
