Wade and Lakers have 'mutual interest'
- Jun 23, 2015
- 2 min read
Dwyane Wade has been the face of the Miami Heat franchise since being drafted 5th overall by them in 2003 but all that could be set to change. "Flash" as he has since become known, led Miami to championship in 2005 alongside Shaquille O'Neal and then won back-to-back titles after being joined by fellow All-Stars Chris Bosh and LeBron James in 2010. With LeBron moving back to Cleveland and Chris Bosh recovering from a blood clot in his lung, Wade might be on the move in search for more money.
Wade is clearly getting older and has a substantial amount of mileage on his legs. At 34, his explosive style of play is deteriorating by the day and this is forcing him to become more of a jump shooter on the offensive side of the ball. This has never been a strong aspect of Wade's offensive repertoire, as he "peaked" at 31.7% on his three point attempts in 2008-09. His 3PA (3 pointers attempted) has been decreasing since that season with the exception of this year, where he was needed as a primary scorer.
Miami aren't exactly happy to offer an aging Wade the kind of money he is demanding; $20 million per year over a three year contract. Conversely, they're hoping he opts into his $16 million player option for the upcoming season and then takes a significant paycut for the following two years, but Dwyane is having none of that. He is under the impression that he is still a player that deserves to have money thrown at him, but at this point in his career he is nothing more than a slowly regressing version of John Wall. The Wizards point guard isn't a great shooter but is a prolific slasher and playmaker, roles that Wade could take on moving forward.
Looking to the future, do the Lakers really need D-Wade on their roster? With Kobe Bryant set to return and make a heap of cash, this move seems like more of a publicity stunt and display of financial power rather than an actual move to improve their squad. Would Wade, assuming that he gets the money he's after, want to come off the bench behind Kobe Bryant? Both players aren't exactly short on self-confidence and neither quite fit into the small forward position currently occupied by Nick "Swaggy P" Young and Wesely Johnson.
Has it crossed anyone's mind that maybe Dwyane Wade isn't THAT good anymore? Still an amazing player but weary legs and a non-existant jumpshot can only get you so much money in the current NBA. The only reason John Wall is going to get paid more is because he's literally a whole decade younger than Wade.
2009 seems like such a long time ago now...
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