NBA Free Agents Rumors: Dwyane Wade Mum on Miami Heat Future as Free Agency Period Nears
Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade was non-committal when asked about his future in South Beach as he dodged question about his contract before Game 2 of the 2015 NBA Finals on Sunday.
Wade, who was a guest analysts on ABC's coverage of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors match, declined to talk about his contract situation amid rumors he is planning to leave Miami.
The 33-year-old superstar, who has spent his entire 12-year career in Miami, could opt of the final season of the two-year deal he signed last year to become a free agent. Recent reports indicated that Wade is leaning towards testing free agency in July, but he was not ready to talk about it on Sunday's broadcast.
"Well, listen, it's summer time," Wade said. "So when summer time and free agency come together, it's going to be a lot of talk. And right now, I'm glad that the Finals is going and we're here. And we'll worry about that in July. Right now, we're going to focus on these Finals."
While Wade did not give a definite answer about his contract status, the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Wade's answer indicated that he will opt out because he is already talking about July. The All-Star guard has until the end of the month to decide on whether to opt out or not. If he opts out, he will become a free agent on July 1.
The Miami Herald recently reported that Wade and the Heat already had talks about a possible deal, but the two sides are far apart in terms of annual salary. The Heat are unsure of paying Wade more than the $16 million he is supposed to receive because of the recent injuries that affected the former Marquette standout's performance.
Henry Thomas, Wade's agent, said that they will continue to talk to the Heat about a deal, but sounded unsure if they will get what they are asking for. Thomas is hoping, though, that the Heat will value his client's contribution to the organization and reach a deal favorable to both parties.
"With the amount of time he has spent with the organization, every effort will be made to try to work something out," Thomas said. "The five times he played for a championship, resulting in three championships, is a significant accomplishment for any professional."
Wade averaged 21.5 points on top of 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 62 games with the Heat this season.
For the latest sports news, follow Latin Post Sports on Twitter.
FOR MORE NBA UPDATES, TRADE AND FREE AGENCY NEWS, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!