Heat reportedly offer Dwyane Wade less than $10 million per year
So that explains why Wade is reportedly upset about negotiations with the team.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat's initial contract offer to Dwyane Wade is believed to be valued at less than $10 million per year, reports Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report. The lowball terms would help to explain why Wade is reportedly pushing back at the idea of taking another discount in his next contract.
Wade, 33, has taken several discounts from the Heat in the past, largely to help Pat Riley put together the stacked teams that earned four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2011-14. He took another discount last summer, opting out of his previous deal to give up roughly $10 million, in order to help the team retain LeBron James or add other premier talent.
The Heat have since begun building a new core with Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside leading the way, but the construction of this roster always required Wade to be paid less than he's worth. An NBA All-Star even at his age, Wade figures to be worth a max-level contract. The Heat, however, don't want to come even close to giving him that money.
With NBA stars beginning to push back against systemic factors that deflate their financial value, Wade is taking the lead as a longtime superstar and future hall of famer, who wants to be paid what he’s worth. Wade has never been the highest-paid player on his team before, and that’s presumably frustrating for someone with his past accomplishments. Now he wants to make back some of that cash, and Miami may not be willing to offer it up.
It’s opened the possibility that Wade leaves South Beach this summer in favor of a team that will pay him max money, and frankly, it’s hard to blame him. An annual salary of under $10 million doesn’t come close to what Wade could earn elsewhere. While offering discounts to play with James might have made sense, he’s only got so much time left in his career as a top player.
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