While there's little doubt that Dwyane Wade will remain a member of the Miami Heat until he retires, that retirement date has become a matter of some speculation.
The 33-year-old Wade has a lot of wear on his tires and has been slowed by myriad minor injuries over the past four seasons. The injuries have led to suggestions that Wade could call it quits after the 2015-16 season, for which he holds a $16-million player option.
Wade doesn't hide the fact that he thinks about life after basketball, but the idea that injuries will force him out doesn't sit well with the 11-time All-Star:
The narrative that people like to talk about with me is about injuries all the time. My thing is, especially as I get older, you get tired of it. Talk about what I do on the court. This year, a story that was untold and that I took pride in was looking at other players at 33, what did they do and how did they do it.
Individually, what I was able to do in 31 minutes, I thought I was efficient as I could be. I know I can always do better, but what I accomplished, I thought, was pretty good.
Wade's correct that his efficiency was impressive in his 62 games, as he took on a much larger offensive load with LeBron James' departure without too large a resultant dip in efficiency. He averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 31.8 minutes, shooting 47 percent from the floor.
The Heat struggled through plenty of injuries and narrowly missed the playoffs, so changes are probably coming to the roster. Whether Wade opts in or out could at least serve to change the timing of some moves they make, and while it was reported earlier that Wade would opt in, that doesn't sound like it's a decision set in stone.
"I signed my deal the way I did for a reason ... and the organization did it for a reason," Wade said. "It's my option. I'll decide when the time is right. Everyone knows I always try to do what's best for the organization, but I also have to do what's best for Dwyane Wade as well."
That makes it sound as if Wade could opt out in order to sign a long-term deal, something that would provide more insight into how long he sees himself playing.
In the event he opts out for a new deal, it will be interesting to see what annual salary he signs for, having played for a salary below the maximum he could have commanded for the past five seasons.
