Doors never close in the NBA, as we learned when the jersey-burning fans of Cleveland welcomed back their savior LeBron James with open arms after a four-year diversion to South Beach.
Miami's chosen son, Dwyane Wade, shocked the NBA when he chose to leave the city where he spent the first 13 seasons of his NBA career to sign with his hometown Chicago Bulls last summer. Wade has said that he wasn't happy with the way Heat president Pat Riley treated him during free agency, but it appears that door, too, has been left every so slightly ajar.
From the Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
Wade has never bashed the Heat publicly and is open to considering a return at some point in his career, according to an associate.
While the language is extremely vague, this is certainly news after Wade and Riley went the entire summer of 2016 without speaking. Wade and Riley both insist their relationship is fine, but Wade said earlier this year on "The Vertical Podcast with Woj" that Riley's lack of communication was the "deciding factor" in leaving Miami.
"No matter if somebody said, 'Pat, don't call Dwyane.' Whatever was said, that's not Pat," Wade said. "That's my guy. I love Pat and I know he loves me. The fact that we didn't talk, that hurt. And that was my deciding factor."
Before jumping out to an unexpected 2-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs against the No. 1-seeded Celtics, the Bulls' season was considered largely a disaster. Wade averaged 18.3 points (worst since his rookie year) and shot a career-low 43 percent. All this is to say that Wade has reason to think extra hard about whether he wants to exercise his $23.8 million player option and return to the Bulls for the 2017-18 season.
If he opts out and becomes a free agent, apparently a return to Wade County is in the realm of possibilities.
