Over the weekend, a Chinese professional basketball team reportedly offered Miami Heat veteran guard Dwyane Wade a mysterious “monster” contract. At the time, few details were available, including whether or not the offer was even legitimate. On Tuesday, more clarity emerged regarding the situation.
According to Chinese journalist Zhang Duo, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association have offered Wade a three-year contract that would pay the Heat legend $25 million over that period. While that amount wouldn’t necessarily garner the same designation of “monster” in comparison to current NBA contracts, it’s certainly more than what the Heat are reportedly offering him.
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Since the end of the Heat’s first-round playoff series that ended their season, the 36-year-old Wade’s future has remained in question. The general consensus has largely been that he’ll either re-sign with the Heat to play in his 16th NBA season or he’ll simply retire, with no apparent consideration of playing internationally.
Last season, Wade split his time between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Heat. He signed with the Cavaliers just prior to the start of training camp after accepting a buyout of the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls. On Feb. 8, he was then dealt back to the Heat, where he had spent the first 13 seasons of his career, a period in which he helped the franchise win three NBA titles.
Whether or not this reported offer changes the conversation remains to be seen. When Wade left the Heat to sign with the Bulls in 2016, at least part of the reason stemmed from the fact that he had grown up in the Windy City. He obviously has no similar connection to China and the fact that he would be far away from his adopted hometown of Miami is likely to play a key role in whatever decision he ultimately makes.
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