After the summer of 2015, Dwyane Wade was supposed to be able to relax this offseason. Last year, he and the Miami Heat engaged in contentious contract talks until the two parties agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal.
NBA free agency rumors 2016: Dwyane Wade ready to take outside offers after talks stall with Heat
Wade is once again facing a summer of uncertainty. Plus, LeBron James doesn’t pick up his player option and the 76ers are interested in Harrison Barnes.
“I hope that everything is quiet and works out the way I want it to,” Wade told reporters this offseason in regards to this year’s negotiations. Unfortunately for Wade and the Heat, 2016 is looking very similar.
Wade’s initial talks with the Heat have stalled and he is preparing to field outside offers when free agency begins on July 1, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
The Heat are in the hunt for Kevin Durant as one of the six teams the superstar has agreed to meet with, but they don't appear to have the cap space to sign him. Unless, that is, they talk their current superstars into signing for less money, among other things.
Wade is coming off a superb season that dispelled any thoughts his age was turning him into a has-been. In his 13th season in the league, the 34-year-old averaged 19 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while leading the Heat to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they lost to the Toronto Raptors in seven games.
With nine free agents, the Heat have a lot of work to do this offseason. They would have loved for the talks with Wade to go smoothly -- instead, it’s another obstacle in what could be an interesting summer in Miami.
LeBron James isn't picking up his player option for the 2016-17 season, but he'll still likely be back in Cleveland
James turned down his player option of $24 million for next season, per ESPN’s Chris Broussard, but there’s no reason to panic in Cleveland.
James averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the 2015-16 regular season. He was unstoppable in the Finals, bringing the Cavaliers back from the brink to win the championship. He told reporters he had no interest in leaving and reiterated that during the Cavaliers' championship parade.
"I love it here. I love being here. I love my teammates," LeBron told Cleveland.com that day. "Obviously my agent will take care of all the logistical things but, I'm happy."
James, however, did add one caveat. “I’ve got no plans to go nowhere at this point,” he said.
James can re-sign with Cleveland, and the smart money says he will.
The Philadelphia 76ers are going after Harrison Barnes
Trust the process. Even if it means being serious suitors for Barnes. The 76ers will try to persuade Barnes to sign with them this summer, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. Barnes won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and nearly got another one in 2016, but he's always been overshadowed on the team as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have risen to stardom. It didn't help that Barnes struggled to shoot in the Finals as the Warriors coughed up a 3-1 series lead to lose to the Cavaliers.
Entering his fifth season in the league, the 24-year-old Barnes has been a solid player. He averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep during the Warriors’ historic regular season. Whether he’ll be able to be a difference maker as top fiddle rather than the fourth or fifth option is another story. It appears the 76ers might be hoping he’s the answer as they continue their rebuilding process.
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