One of the lingering questions for the Miami Heat during this offseason has been the status of veteran guard Dwyane Wade. Despite not yet having found an answer to that issue, one report from Brandon Robinson of Baseball Society Online indicates that it’s only a matter of time before Wade signs with the team for his 16th NBA season:
“NBA training camp is 40 days away and this evening I’m told from a reliable NBA source that Dwyane Wade will re-sign with the Miami Heat.
“The same league source that it should be coming very very soon especially since Wade’s good friend Udonis Haslem reportedly agreed to return to the Miami Heat for his 16th NBA season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.”
The Heat have always known that Wade would either choose to re-sign with them or simply retire. Two months ago, Miami team president Pat Riley made it clear that he wanted the future Hall of Famer to return and that he would have a viable role on the team:
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“I want Dwyane back as a player, a guy who wants to have the greatest year he’s ever had as a player. If he plays, he’s going to want to do it. We don’t want him back as a placemat holder or someone who’s going to be a veteran in the locker room. Dwyane is a great player, a great talent. He can make a big difference for us.”
Wade isn’t quite ready to publicly state his intentions, which was evident from his brief interaction with Robinson at the Thursday night opening of the New York City restaurant owned by Wade and close friend and teammate Udonis Haslem:
Will Dwyane Wade retire or play 4 Miami Heat this season?? Wade was asked that this evening during the grand opening of his 800 Degrees restaurant in NYC. When asked about it by Scoop B Radio, Wade looked & walked away. #MiamiHeat #DwyaneWade pic.twitter.com/Wvi4A6Gwfv
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 6, 2018
However, the fact that the Heat re-signed Haslem to a one-year deal on Thursday can also be seen as a sign of Wade’s pending return.
Wade spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Heat and helped lead the franchise to three NBA titles. Following the 2015-16 season, he signed a two-year deal to play with the Chicago Bulls, but was bought out of his contract just before the start of last year’s training camp. He was subsequently signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers before being dealt back to the Heat in February.
The veteran leadership of Wade played a key role in helping Miami return to the postseason last year. While that trip to the playoffs lasted just five games, Wade was a major factor in two contests, including a 28-point performance in Game 2 of a first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. That contest marked the Heat’s lone win in that five-game matchup.
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