Dwyane Wade Has Communicated with Heat Amid Free Agency, Pat Riley Says
Miami Heat President Pat Riley said Friday that he and others within the Heat organization have been in contact with veteran guard Dwyane Wade recently.
When asked about the prospect of re-signing D-Wade, Riley said the following, according to Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post:
"I haven't talked to Dwyane. I've talked to his agent. I think now over the next nine days between now and July the 1st, now we can focus on all these things. We've shared texts. He's communicated on a regular basis with a lot of people in the organization, but nothing has been decided with Dwyane. We want to have Dwyane back obviously, but there's been no discussion about next year."
The 36-year-old spent the first 13 years of his career with the Heat before signing with his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2016.
Wade lasted just one season with the Bulls before joining forces with LeBron James once again as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When the Cavs decided to shake up their roster prior to the 2017-18 trade deadline, Wade was dealt back to the Heat for a protected second-round pick.
Last season was by far the least productive of Wade's NBA career, as he averaged just 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
With 12 All-Star nods, three NBA championships and one Finals MVP award to his credit, Wade has all the makings of a future Hall of Famer.
He is no longer a player capable of taking on a starring role, however, and is now best suited coming off the bench to provide an offensive spark.
Wade's greatest success has come in Miami, and he is beloved by Heat fans. It makes re-signing him worthwhile even if he is only going to play a supporting role.
Free agency opens July 1.
