The Heat’s initial offer of $10 million annually – which would’ve constituted a 50 percent pay cut from his $20 million 2015-16 salary – deeply angered Wade, league sources told The Vertical.
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If Durant chooses Miami or the Heat swings and misses and ends up spending most of what it has left in salary-cap space to keep Wade, the Heat won’t have much in the way of cap space to offer free agents or its own players.
The Heat are trying to maintain flexibility after re-signing Hassan Whiteside and trying to convince Kevin Durant to take his talents to South Beach. But it won’t be easy, and Riley will likely need to throw something special on the table aside from his nine National Basketball Association championship rings.
ESPN reported Noah and the Knicks agreed to a four-year pact worth $72 million, quite the long-term commitment from Phil Jackson to a player who missed all but 29 games last season and has appeared in more than 67 games just once in the last seven seasons.
Now Wade has instructed his agent to solicit offers from other teams and there has been no shortage of suitors. But an apparent lack of interest from the top half of the league, particularly in a free agent class light on point guards, shows what his actual value is in free agency.
The Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks have started a courtship process that has included offers in length of two and three years and upward of $20 million a season – a salary the Heat so far have been reluctant to offer, league sources said.
Wade could look to schedule meetings next week after he returns from vacationing in Europe, sources said.
Dwyane Wade wants to get paid. Wade averaged 19 points and 4.6 assists per game last season with the Heat, but he did miss eight games due to injury on the year.
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Wade wants the respect of a franchise player, considering he’s been asked to embody their “Heat Lifer” marketing campaign, and he may not feel like he’s getting that.
