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The Miami Heat are rumored to be interested in pursuing a long-term extension with point guard Goran Dragic that would cost them approximately $80 million. Meanwhile, talks with Dwyane Wade have reportedly stalled after the team thought Wade’s initial asking price of $20 million per season for the next three seasons was too high.
A lot has been made recently of the Heat deciding to offer a much lower contract. This is surprising to many fans considering how long Wade has been with the team and all that he has given them over the years.
However, we have seen many times some players stay well past their welcome, and Wade is no spring chicken anymore and his asking price, if true, is very ambitious. After all, he is 33 years old, and has not played over 70 games once during the last four seasons. While he did average more points per game last season compared to the previous one (21.5 PPG), he shot a much lower percentage from the field (47%), while his three-point percentage remained expectedly below average at 28%, as it has been throughout most of his career.
This is not to sound like a slam against Wade, who is one of the best two-guards of all time, but the notion that the Heat would be interested in a reduced asking price isn’t that out of the question. The Heat cannot feel totally secure shelling out that much money to keep him, given his injury-ridden past and how this could affect them moving forward. There have also been many occasions in the last few seasons where Wade has performed hurt, and his play has been very sub-par as a result of gutting it out through the pain. Quite simply, he cannot stay healthy, and has shown no indication that he will be able to complete near a full season ever again.
Dragic, on the other hand, was very good when he arrived in Miami via trade in February. While his passing could definitely be better, he is a terrific all-around shooter, a great pace setter, a capable defender, and at the age of 29 years old, he is right in the middle of his prime years of his playing career. He is exactly the type of point guard the Heat need for their future, while Wade might only have two or three seasons left in the tank at this point.
Too often with superstars we think they can play this way forever until they finally hit that point in their career where they just can’t do it anymore. I’m not saying this will apply for Wade, but I would not be totally shocked if his numbers further decline in the next coming years. Unless he goes through a Tim Duncan-esque transformation where he somehow is able to play at a high level until he is almost 40 and stay healthy in the process, I don’t see him being in the NBA for too much longer.
The Heat are looking to the future, and they would absolutely welcome back Wade if the price is right. And hey, Wade might feel legitimized asking for that much considering that the NBA market will change significantly next summer, where salary caps will skyrocket and players will be making more money than ever before. But even if that happens, Wade is still getting older and for the amount of injuries he has had, it seems reasonable for him to make $10-$12 million per year, with maybe more years attached. His primary focus should be on extending the shelf life of his career, while aiming to make the Heat relevant in the Eastern Conference so he can finish his legendary run off in style.
Dan Schultz is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.
