On the other side, many other teams could offer a maximum contract to Wade, and considering his great performance in the playoffs, Wade could definitely deliver for that money.
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Meanwhile, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks as teams with offers of $20 million annually on the table.
The 34-year-old Wade averaged 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season while shooting almost 46 percent.
And when the Mavs met the Heat before Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals, LeBron James and Wade were videotaped mocking and coughing and laughing about a serious cough which Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was trying to shake at the time. This is one to keep an eye on. It’s not like I’m really counting the Heat out or counting on another team. Wade also gave the Heat extra flexibility by taking a one-year contract last year as a free-agent.
At 34 years old, Wade is a 30-minute-per-game player now because of old knees, but is seeking a deal worth well over $20 million. It was previously reported that the Lakers have made Whiteside the priority after they were also not given a meeting date with top free agent Kevin Durant.
Wade grew up in Chicago before playing his college ball at Marquette University. And Miami’s chance at luring Kevin Durant to South Beach could be a big reason why Hassan Whiteside may be leaving there. They’ve started a GoFundMe page to get another $10 million in Wade’s pockets so he will stay with the team. If Hassan Whiteside were going to get a max contract with Miami, Wade would have to take a pay cut if they were both to resign.
Somewhat lost in the Kevin Durant/Dwight Howard/Al Horford/Demar DeRozan shuffle was Hassan Whiteside, the towering center that emerged over the last two seasons as one of the most intimidating defensive presences in the National Basketball Association.
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Part of that is simply because of the enormous jump in the salary cap this summer, but part of that is because of the potential the Heat see in Whiteside.
