Heartbreak: The greatest Miami Heat player of all time has terminated his contract to sign a new contract.
Heartbreak: The greatest Miami Heat player of all time has terminated his contract to sign a new contract.
After 13 seasons with the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade is returning home, having made what he described as “an extremely emotional and tough decision” on Wednesday night to join with the Chicago Bulls.
Wade will agree to a two-year contract worth roughly $47 million with the Bulls. Wade accepted a $40 million two-year deal from Miami to continue playing in the uniform he has worn throughout his career, the one that has seen him win three championships, become an All-Star twelve times, and win MVP of the NBA Finals in 2006, just as his ascent to superstardom was beginning.
And this is the last time he will be wearing that uniform.
Wade stated in a letter to Miami that was obtained by The Associated Press, “I feel I have made the right choice for myself and my family. This was not an easy decision.”
It puts an end to Miami’s second straight summer of “will he or won’t he” debate and anxiety. Miami was able to retain him the previous summer after hard talks resulted in a $20 million, one-year contract. Wade spoke with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, the same day the Heat spoke with him in an attempt to retain him in New York.
On Wednesday night, it remained unclear if Chicago and Wade ever shared a room. It was evident that the Bulls, having lost on him twice previously, would not be able to keep him in Miami this time, no matter what they said or did.
Furthermore, it became evident that the allure of home was too much to resist this time, just like it was for Wade’s close buddy LeBron James when he returned to northeast Ohio and rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers two years prior.
“Watching the Bulls growing up inspired me at an early age to pursue my dream of becoming a basketball player,” Wade stated in his letter. “My favorite recollections are of working on my game at the Blue Island Recreation Center and seeing my dad play basketball on the courts at Fermi Elementary School. I am grateful for the chance to play for the team that initially inspired my passion for the game and I will never forget where I came from.”
Loved in South Florida, Wade even had the county nicknamed “Miami-Wade County” for a brief while in 2010 over the summer after he persuaded James and Chris Bosh to join him in creating a squad that would make it to the NBA Finals four times in a row. Despite the fact that he never switched cities or numbers, his jersey has long been one of the NBA’s best sellers. There was always three on the rear and heat on the front.
That is, up until this point.
“Thank you @DwyaneWade for a great 13 yrs!” Micky Arison, managing general partner of Heat, posted on Twitter. “Your influence on our community and our organization has been enormous. We hope the best for you.”
When he started conversations with the Heat last summer, Wade, who averaged 19 points per game the previous season, believed he was not being treated with the respect he needed. The Heat therefore gave Hassan Whiteside’s contract negotiations—who has since agreed to a four-year, $98 million deal—priority this off-season and launched an ultimately fruitless pursuit of Kevin Durant.
Wade, 34, is joining the Bulls, who feature All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler and new point guard Rajon Rondo, with whom Wade has previously had some contentious exchanges on the floor. The NBA’s off-season player movement moratorium expires on Thursday, and the Bulls have plenty of time to figure out how to make it work. On Wednesday night, they made two moves to clear the financial space needed to sign Wade.
The Bulls dealt Mike Dunleavy to the Cleveland Cavaliers and sent guard Jose Calderon and two future second-round selections to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for the rights to an unidentified player who isn’t in the NBA right now. Because they weren’t immediately completed, both trades were verified to the AP under the condition of anonymity.
The Heat will undoubtedly be a different squad even if they have a backup plan in case Wade left.
The blood clots that terminated Bosh’s season at the All-Star break in each of the previous two years continue to cast a shadow over his future. Wade’s teammate and co-captain in Miami for each of their 13 professional seasons, Udonis Haslem, could also go. Only Chris Bosh, who played for Miami in the 2014 NBA Finals, has a contract with the Heat for the upcoming season.
