2014 NBA Free Agency Rumors & Predictions: Dwyane Wade Opt Out Fuels Miami Big Three Return! Chris Bosh Also A Free Agent? Is This A Triumph For The Heat?
The dominoes are starting to fall, and for Miami, the 2014 NBA Free Agency Rumors & Predictions may as well move on without their players involved.
LeBron James started when he opted out. If the other players do not follow suit, then the King is leaving his kingdom.
But after a meeting in a Miami restaurant, the picture becomes clearer:
From the Miami Herald: "As expected, Dwyane Wade has opted out of the last two years and $42 million of his contract and Chris Bosh intends to do the same, according to ESPN.
Agent Henry Thomas confirmed that Wade and Udonis Haslem have informed the Heat that they have opted out but said Bosh "has not yet decided." But Bosh is expected to follow Wade, Haslem and LeBron James in opting out, with ESPN reporting he already has made that decision."
The Chris Bosh decision is still up in the air as of this writing, with reports conflicting on different media outlets. Udonis Haslem, a Miami player even before the Big Three were formed and the only surviving member of the 2006 Heat Champion Team aside from Wade, also opted out but that was already a given.
Pat Riley released his statement for Wade and Haslem (via CBS):
"Today we were notified of Dwyane's intention to opt-out of his contract and Udonis' intention to not opt into his contract, making both players free agents. Dwyane has been the cornerstone of our organization for over a decade, and we hope he remains a part of the HEAT family for life. Udonis has been the heartbeat of this team for 11 years. He has sacrificed countless times to make this organization successful, and he is the epitome of what this organization stands for. We look forward to meeting with Dwyane and Udonis and their agent in the coming days to discuss our future together."
Wade takes another one for the team, walking away from a guaranteed $ 41 million for the next two years which he will not get anywhere else considering his level of wear and tear. The report is that he wants an extended deal of $ 60 million for four years-but the Miami Heat ownership still needs to approve that.
