One of the more confusing subplots of the early days of 2016 free agency in the NBA is what's happening with Dwyane Wade.
The Miami Heat -- Pat Riley specifically -- reportedly lowballed Wade on a new contract, offering up $10 million per year on a new deal. Wade was making $20 million last season. The Heat need to keep flexibility in order to have the room to lure free agents and this is their only avenue after agreeing with Hassan Whiteside on a new deal. That leaves Wade feeling disrespected and needing leverage.
That leverage can only be found in threatening to find a new team to play for. Early reports had the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks as possible suitors for Wade. The Bucks don't have the cap space to make it happen and after the Knicks agreed to deals with Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee, they don't have the space to pursue Wade. But according to Marc Berman at the New York Post and his sources, the idea of the Knicks having a shot at signing Wade was "so ridiculous."
Reports the Knicks could afford Wade, who is seeking more than $20 million to start, were pure fantasy before the Lee signing.
An NBA source familiar with the Knicks situation said the notion they had a shot at Wade is "so ridiculous."
The idea that Wade will actually leave the Heat is the confusing part to everybody during free agency. He's as much a figure in their organization and its history as Riley or Micky Arison. Because of that, there are thoughts that Wade is bluffing and trying to get the Heat to make up for some of the money he's sacrificed over the last couple of years in order to help the Heat have that flexibility. However, the Heat can't do that for the 34-year-old guard, pay him the $20 million per year he's seeking, and still add to this team. That's impossible to do when you're trying to convince Kevin Durant he should take his talents to South Beach.
So what options are there for Wade?
We can find out if he's actually serious about going to the Nuggets or going home to Chicago to play for a Bulls team that seems to be headed in the wrong direction. The Nuggets have a lot of guards already, but Wade could be a great leadership figure to Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray. Wade would also be heading to the tougher Western Conference and not playing for a team that's even guaranteed a playoff berth.
The Bulls have a slightly better situation with being in the Eastern Conference and just missing out on the playoffs due to injury this past season. However, they've traded away Derrick Rose, "lost" Joakim Noah in free agency, and don't seem likely to bring or even want to bring Pau Gasol back.
Jimmy Butler and Wade would be a nice 1-2 punch, but there isn't much depth outside of those two in order to guarantee a return to the playoffs. Or will another suitor emerge to help Wade either find a new home or drive up the price for the Heat?
We should find out pretty soon.
