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Wade announces return to Heat for final season

Rob Foldy / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The 2018-19 season will mark Dwyane Wade's last in the Association.

In a video posted Sunday night, the 36-year-old announced he'll return to the Miami Heat for "one last dance" before calling it a career after 16 seasons.

"Let's enjoy it. Let's have some joy through this last season," Wade said to conclude the video. "Let's push this young team over the hump, and let's write our own story to the end of this career together ... together."

Terms of his deal haven't been disclosed, but Miami can only offer the three-time champion the veteran's minimum or taxpayer mid-level exception. The Heat have kept one of their 20 preseason roster slots vacant in case Wade returned.

Wade spoke about how tough this past summer was and how he needed to decide whether the time had come for him to retire.

"And I've heard everything from my family to my fans around the world of what I should and shouldn't do," he said. "But I've always did things my way, whether they've been good or bad, I got here because I've done things the way that I feel is right for me, and now right for my family.

"And what I feel is right ... I feel it's right to ask you guys to join me for one last dance, for one last season. This is it. I've given this game everything that I have, and I'm happy about that. And I'm going to give it, for one last season, everything else that I have left."

Wade returned to the Heat at the trade deadline last season in a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and went on to average 12 points and 3.4 rebounds across 21 appearances as a reserve. He recently said that signing with another team and moving his family again was never an option.

The acclaimed shooting guard is the Heat's all-time leader in games played, minutes, points, free throws, assists, steals, offensive and defensive win shares, and value over replacement player.

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