UPDATE 4:43 pm: The Miami Heat have made it official, Wade has re-signed in Miami.
“Dwyane has been the franchise cornerstone for this team since the day he arrived 11 years ago,” said Heat President Pat Riley in a released statement. “He has shown his commitment to the Heat many times over the course of his career and has always been willing to sacrifice in order to help build this team into a champion. This time is no different. I am ecstatic to have him back in the fold and I am confident that Dwyane, as always, will be leading this team as we look to contend for NBA Championships.”
“I am proud to have spent every single day of my career as a member of the Miami Heat and to have brought three championship titles to this great city,” Wade said in his statement. “I’ve been here through the good times and the hard times. I have confidence in the Miami Heat organization and the team they are building. To all the Heat fans, in Miami and around the world, I know you will continue to show support for our team.”
Wade’s deal is two seasons starting at more than $16 million per year, with a player option on the second year.
2:23 pm: Dwyane Wade made the announcement himself on Instagram, in a way to contrast it from the guy who bolted town.
Home Is Where The Heart Is... My Home,My City,My House..#HeatLifer
We told you Wade was close to a deal with the Heat. Multiple reports confirm the deal is now done.
As implied by Dwyane Wade's tweet, his new deal with Heat has been finalized and he expects to sign as soon as today, sources told ESPN
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 15, 2014
Source tells Sun Sentinel that Dwyane Wade's contract to return is done.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) July 15, 2014
The deal appears to be for two years at $15 million a year, with a player player option after the first year.
Is Dwyane Wade and his knees worth that kind of money now? In the strict “would I pay a free agent from another team that?” sense no. Wade still produces when on the court, scoring 19 points a game with a very good .588 true shooting percentage and a PER of 22. But he only played in 54 games last season as part of a “knee maintenance program” and he still was slowed by the Finals, his explosiveness gone.
But it’s not about on the court, it’s about him being the face of Heat basketball for more than a decade. It’s about loyalty. It’s about rewarding/thanking him for that service. It’s about taking care of family. For the Heat and Pat Riley, they believe that if you take care of players like this other players (and their agents) see that and want to be part of that kind of organization. It’s part of what is behind Kobe Bryant’s contract with the Lakers (although the money he still draws in there impacts that decision as well).
