Dwyane Wade has dismissed talk of his potential free agency until July, but with the future Hall-of-Famer's Miami tenure suddenly a hot topic, everything Wade says is going to be dissected.
Case in point, during his pregame coverage of Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday, Wade referenced his time in Miami in the past tense, setting basketball Twitter ablaze.
Wade holds a $16.1-million player option for next season, and while he could delay free agency until the salary cap explodes in 2016, immediate long-term security could be more appealing to the injury-plagued veteran.
Given that reports peg Wade's annual demands around $20 million and the Heat's current offer is below $10 million per year, the days of assuming Wade's future definitely lies in Miami are over.
The 33-year-old, who hasn't cracked the 70-game mark in a season since 2010-11, averaged 21.5 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 62 games for the Heat this season.
