Dwyane Wade: ‘A One-Year Deal Isn’t a Bad Thing’

Unable to secure a rich, long-term commitment, Dwyane Wade had to settle for a large one-year sum from the Miami Heat.

But he ain’t mad. $20 million is nothing to sneeze at, after all.

Wade’s agent Henry Thomas called the deal a “win-win” for both his 33-year-old client and the Heat. The superstar guard will be back on the free agency market next summer when the NBA’s salary cap jumps significantly.

Per the AP:

Wade accepted a $20 million, one-year deal on Thursday to stay with the Heat next season, ending his latest foray into free agency and wrapping up a weeks-long saga that had him seriously wondering about leaving for the first time. A pair of conversations, first with Heat CEO Nick Arison and then another with managing general partner Micky Arison, reminded Wade of what he meant to the team and from there it was a matter of just making numbers work. […] “Sitting down with Nick, sitting down with Micky and having conversations with them that I’ve never had, that was big for me,” Wade said. “I’ve never had a business conversation with one of them. … They got to show me how much they really wanted me to be here, how important it was for them that I continue to wear one jersey.”

 

But ultimately, he needed to know the Heat felt the same way about their 33-year-old shooting guard. The 11-time All-Star averaged 21.5 points this past season, third-best among Eastern Conference players, and believes he remains one of the game’s top threats when healthy. […] “Money-wise, I thought I did the best I could for myself and my family, and I also had the Heat in mind,” Wade said. “Obviously it’s all about putting yourself in position to be able to compete. I love this organization. It crossed my mind to say, ‘If I’m going to handicap this organization by this contract, maybe the best situation is not to be there.'”

 

“A one-year deal for $20 million, I could never look at that and roll my eyes,” Wade said. “I am from Robbins, Illinois. Look at what I’ve been through in my life.” […] “You go through so many emotions,” Wade said. “It’s no secret that my goal was to sign a longer-term deal this summer. That’s what I was focused on. Once I realized that probably wasn’t the best thing for me right now, where everything is financially with the NBA and a lot of things coming up that we don’t even know about yet, a one-year deal isn’t a bad thing.”