Dwyane Wade’s free agency will be awkward

When the Miami Heat’s sad, strange season ended in April, Dwyane Wade appeared set to stay under contract as the franchise looked ahead to bringing back a healthy Chris Bosh and a re-signed Goran Dragic. That seems far less likely now as Wade decided that after years of discounts in the name of loyalty, he wanted to get what he was worth. And thus starts the rumor mill.

Miami has been looking toward 2016, when maximum flexibility could allow a repeat of the 2010 free agent bonanza. If Wade opts into his 2015-16 contract -- which comes at a roughly 30 percent discount over his maximum salary -- he’d be a free agent in 2016, when the Heat expect to have oodles of salary cap room thanks to their current cap sheet structure and an exploding cap.

If Wade opts out and Miami re-signs him in 2015, he’ll be on the books already in 2016 and the Heat’s cap space will be reduced by that amount. Should the Heat have a shot at landing someone like Kevin Durant, they’d be unable to convince Wade to take a pay cut for one last ride because he’d already be under contract. These are the stakes for Miami: Pat Riley’s grand plans for a repeat of 2010 are on the line here.

The thing with Wade is that there are no perfect suitors. Such is life in the modern NBA, where tax teams can’t use the sign-and-trade at will and where super teams are discouraged. Here’s a rundown of the teams that, for one reason or another, will be mentioned as potential Wade destinations.

The favorite. The Heat missed the playoffs, but it’s pretty clear that Miami would have slipped in had Bosh stayed available (and potentially faced LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Round 1). Assuming Bosh is back, Hassan Whiteside was not a mirage, the team gets something nice in the draft and Dragic takes what looks to be a massive Miami offer, the Heat are in really good shape in the shallow East. Even 50 games of Wade likely gets them into the postseason in 2015-16, and anything can happen there.

Most of the teams with space who will be chasing Wade can’t offer even a playoff bid. The Lakers are said to be interested in procuring the services of the aging, but explosive, shooting guard, perhaps to replace their existing (and expensive) aging, but explosive, shooting guard. The idea that Wade would join the Lakers in this state so that he can officially replace Kobe Bryant as the face of the team is attractive ... except that Kobe’s killer contract will mean Wade is joining Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, the No. 2 pick and, well, Kobe for 2015-16. That’s a 30-win team at best in the West. L.A. should be able to rebound with 2016’s free agency bonanza, but can Wade justify a wasted year and a dice roll on one of the league’s worst rosters?

The Knicks would be an interesting option. For all the nonsense about Carmelo Anthony not being a winner, he’s only missed the playoffs twice in his 12-year NBA career. Granted, those were each of the last two seasons. But assuming he’s in good shape for training camp, a team with him, Wade and the No. 4 pick in the draft could easily make the East playoffs with a couple of smart free agent or trade pickups. It’d be difficult to squeeze Wade into the roster at max salary, but surely Phil Jackson has a deputy who can figure out how to add space for Wade. (Surely!) The questions are whether Wade wants to play with Melo and leave behind a legacy in Miami to enter the fire pit of New York.

Ironically, Dallas can have the space for Wade because of Dirk Nowitzki’s own huge discount. But we know there’s been bad blood between the fine people of DFW and Wade revolving around the 2006 and 2011 Finals. Can Wade set that aside to help Dirk make one more run, or is this too much of a dead end for both sides? Monta Ellis seems destined to leave the Mavericks, and creating the room for Wade would likely mean saying goodbye to Tyson Chandler, leaving Dallas thin up front. Luckily, Brandan Wright is a free agent and should be interested in revisiting Rick Carlisle’s system after thriving in it before the Rajon Rondo trade. Consider Dallas one of the more intriguing options on paper.

This would be a tough squeeze without some roster moves. It’d mean saying goodbye to either Paul Millsap or DeMarre Carroll (if not both) in all likelihood, it’d require a Wade discount of some heft and it’d create some lineup friction with Kyle Korver. But tell me adding Wade to that mix and that system wouldn’t be intriguing. The one thing Atlanta lacked most in the playoffs was effective dribble penetration and a mid-range game from the perimeter, two hallmarks of Wade’s style.

There isn’t really the cap space, and Wade has had some prickly battles with the Pacers in recent years. But basketball-wise, this is a beautiful fit.

Dream Scenario Alert. If I had the power to peel off an alternative basketball universe, this might be my first move: Wade to the Bucks. Imagine adding his dribble-drive prowess to the team of limbs, adding some offensive punch to a budding defensive juggernaut. For what it’s worth, Wade did attend college in Milwaukee. He knows the city and grew up just down the interstate in Chicago.

Rumors that Wade could rejoin LeBron in Cleveland sparked Sunday when Wade’s father wore a Cleveland Cavaliers T-shirt while giving a church sermon. It would be poetic in a way for Wade to repay LeBron’s sojourn to Miami, one that resulted in Wade’s second and third rings, by joining Cleveland on the cheap. Heaven knows the Cavaliers need help creating offense in the backcourt. But Cleveland projects to have the highest payroll in the NBA, and perhaps of all time without adding Wade. Is he really so mad at Riley and Miami that he’ll give up more than $10 million to bail? It seems unlikely.

The Heat are in a tough spot if Wade opts out and demands the max, but they can rest assured that while the legend has plenty of options, few offer the combination of a glamorous city, a good roster and a hefty salary like Miami does. Odds are that Wade is just jostling for a payday and won’t actually leave the city that’s helped make him a household name globally and a living legend locally. Comfort often wins out over pride in these situations, provided the money is there. Bet on Miami.

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