Dwyane Wade Done?

[Lennys Tap]

1. Each of us is worth exactly what somebody will pay for our services.

2. OK, replace him with whom?

1. You really believe that nobody is overpaid or underpaid? I disagree. Bosh and Lebron make roughly the same money. They are not remotely the same ball player.

2. Maybe at that time, nobody. Quite possible that he was the best option at that time to be Miami's 3rd wheel. But right now he's just a guy and unless the Heat is inches from the goal line without him I'd let him walk rather than give him big dough.

[GGGG]

1. You really believe that nobody is overpaid or underpaid? I disagree. Bosh and Lebron make roughly the same money. They are not remotely the same ball player.

2. Maybe at that time, nobody. Quite possible that he was the best option at that time to be Miami's 3rd wheel. But right now he's just a guy and unless the Heat is inches from the goal line without him I'd let him walk rather than give him big dough.

He was overpaid precisely because he was the only one that could fill the niche they thought they needed.  (The supply part of supply and demand.)  Is there someone else now out there that could fill that role should his opt out?  Who knows?

[Lennys Tap]

He was overpaid precisely because he was the only one that could fill the niche they thought they needed.  (The supply part of supply and demand.)  Is there someone else now out there that could fill that role should his opt out?  Who knows?

Agree that overpaying the last piece in a championship puzzle can make sense. But he's not the player he was then and neither is Wade. If Miami is going to spend max money on somebody it better be a Kevin Love or a Carmelo. If they hamstring themselves with big long term contracts to Bosh and Wade I think their run is over.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Agree that overpaying the last piece in a championship puzzle can make sense. But he's not the player he was then and neither is Wade. If Miami is going to spend max money on somebody it better be a Kevin Love or a Carmelo. If they hamstring themselves with big long term contracts to Bosh and Wade I think their run is over.

Oh man I didn't even think about the possibility that they could all take cuts to get Kevin Love to join. That would be amazing to watch. Carmelo on the other hand would be an unmitigated disaster and is the exact opposite of what they need.

[Wojo'sMojo]

They have a poll on the Heat message board that asks if you will be mad at Wade if he opts into his contract. 62% of their fans would be mad according to the poll. If he opts in, he apparently will be paid 42 million over the next 2 years. The fans that wouldn't be mad, seem to think they owe him for bringing in Lebron and Bosh. They know he's not worth nearly that kind of money, but justify paying him for his accomplishments and loyalty over the years. I don't think in a sport that has a salary cap, you can just pay these players for what they have done in the past. It eventually has to catch up to the team and while Wade gave them a discount last time, I bet he nails them for the full 42 million this time around.

[Texas Western]

D Wade should have no regrets to opt in. The deal was made in good faith and two bad games at the end of the series shouldn't dictate a multi million markdown.

Also it should be noted that Labron went into his old Wilt Chamberlin act the last two games . One man teams never win no matter how good the man is.

[GGGG]

He actually has player options for each of the next two years.  (As does LBJ and Bosh.)  They could very well opt in for this year, but not for the year after.

Look, if LBJ opts out, I would be very surprised if Bosh doesn't follow.  He'll get big money somewhere.  Wade OTOH...I don't know.  My guess is that he would opt out and *someone* would give him good money and a chance at a ring.  For example, the Thunder could amnesty Perkins, decline the option on Thabeet, and have room for Wade on a decent deal.  (I don't think that happens, but Wade would have options.)

[4everwarriors]

Wade will be in Miami for as long as they'll have him, aina?

[CTWarrior]

 Wade OTOH...I don't know.  My guess is that he would opt out and *someone* would give him good money and a chance at a ring.  For example, the Thunder could amnesty Perkins, decline the option on Thabeet, and have room for Wade on a decent deal.  (I don't think that happens, but Wade would have options.)

Unless he REALLY doesn't care about money and only cares about championships, I can't see Wade opting out no matter what.  He's not getting close to $20M anywhere else.  His skills aren't going to age well if he's not super-athletic.  He's a no-doubt HOF-er with three rings, it's OK to take the money you negotiated and not win championships.  Eventually happens to everybody.

[MU82]

Agree that overpaying the last piece in a championship puzzle can make sense. But he's not the player he was then and neither is Wade. If Miami is going to spend max money on somebody it better be a Kevin Love or a Carmelo. If they hamstring themselves with big long term contracts to Bosh and Wade I think their run is over.

OK, Lenny, I'm with you on this. If we're talking about the future, the Heat would be silly to go anywhere near maxing out Bosh ... I think. What if LeBron and Wade re-up and there simply is no better alternative to Bosh, who is still young and who inexplicably gets near-max offers from other suitors? Do you want to keep contending for titles or don't you? These are always difficult questions.

Had Reinsdorf wanted to keep winning titles after '98, he could have hired Paxson as coach - despite saying he would play only for Jackson, Jordan later admitted he would have stayed to play for Paxson - and then paid to keep Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Longley, Kerr, etc. together for at least another 2-3 years. Surely, Rodman, Longley, Kerr and maybe even Pippen would have been "overpaid" in this scenario. But if the Bulls had been able to stretch the threepeat to a fivepeat, would it not have been worth it?

Teams desperate to legitimately contend for even one title "overpay" all the time. As we both say, the Heat might have done just that with Bosh. Reinsdorf willingly threw away a legitimate shot at 2-3 more championships because he was tired of paying even Jordan the huge bucks and was damn sure he wasn't going to "overpay" Pippen (who had publicly criticized him) and the others.

If LeBron commits to stay and if Wade can convince everybody he's at least as healthy as he was last season, it would be difficult to break up a championship-caliber team, no? Hey, maybe Kevin Love wants to come to Miami to replace Bosh, I don't know.

[Wojo'sMojo]

Heres a good summary of where Wade is as a player right now.

10. Dwyane Wade, G, Miami Heat

Strengths: Still D-Wade. Lethal in space, able to shift his body to create freedom of movement. Unbelievable touch with the ball, able to hit floaters, runners, mid-range pull-ups and layups all while off-balance and shifting around defenders. When he's not worn down, still has killer quickness. An all-time guy at drawing contact inside. Underrated defensively when his batteries are fully charged and he's not focused on calls. Strong team leader and quality teammate who understands what the game calls for in clutch situations. One of the smartest superstars you'll ever find.

Weaknesses: Everything has eroded. Completely ran out of battery despite extensive rest last season. Has lost much of his first-step burst. Needs to lose weight and increase conditioning to help with quickness, health, endurance, and defense. Constantly, and I mean constantly complains to officials instead of getting back defensively. No longer has energy, willingness, or strength to navigate through screens to stay with shooters. Can hardly change direction defensively at all anymore. At this point you have to wonder about how much hunger he's got left in him.

Analysis: Wade's returning to Miami. He'll come back for another contract, maybe two depending on his conditioning, retire eventually, and then join the Heat front office in a similar role to what Alonzo Mourning has done for the team. He's not going anywhere. But if for some reason Miami just decided not to pay him, he'd still help several teams. Any of the three Texas teams could use him, just from an experience standpoint. There are many nights when he will look like Wade. There are just too many when he doesn't look like he can play at all.

[MU82]

I must admit that I was quite surprised that Wade would opt out as he did today. It's hard to imagine -- impossible, even -- that he would command $41.8 million over two years on the open market.

[MuMark]

I must admit that I was quite surprised that Wade would opt out as he did today. It's hard to imagine -- impossible, even -- that he would command $41.8 million over two years on the open market.

He is going to take less money to help the team add pieces.....like Tim Duncan has done for the last few years.

Wade gets it...he isn't leaving Miami and he knew if he opted in Lebron would go someplace else. Now they can reload instead.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I must admit that I was quite surprised that Wade would opt out as he did today. It's hard to imagine -- impossible, even -- that he would command $41.8 million over two years on the open market.

Sometimes it isn't about the money, especially when you have some.  Good for them, I hope they can reload and add a few more pieces, just to see more heads explode.  In an age when athletes are always accused of going after the money first, doesn't always have to be.  They'll get paid, but they have a shot to still win it all and sacrifice a few $$$ to make that happen.  Hope it works out.

Lakers fans are already pissing and moaning how unfair it is.  Good Lord, have they not seen who the Lakers have been able to land as free agents the last 20 years.  These people are comical out here.

[MU82]

Sometimes it isn't about the money, especially when you have some.  Good for them, I hope they can reload and add a few more pieces, just to see more heads explode.  In an age when athletes are always accused of going after the money first, doesn't always have to be.  They'll get paid, but they have a shot to still win it all and sacrifice a few $$$ to make that happen.  Hope it works out.

This makes sense, as does the previous comment by MuMark.

It's easy for me to say, but,... If I'm Albert Pujols, I like to think that instead of wringing every last buck out of the Angels, I stay in St. Louis for a still-insane amount of money and play where I am comfortable and beloved. He takes "only" 175M-200M to stay there, and he is lauded for "sacrificing" personal gains. Instead, he goes for every last cent and, well, we know what has happened.

So I agree it would be cool if LeBron, Wade and Bosh worked the finances so they could achieve something special. Either way, they are rich, rich, rich. Why not be rich with 3 or 5 or 7 rings?

[willie warrior]

How do you define "done"?

In the season just ended, Wade averaged 19 points (#23 in NBA) on 54.5% shooting (#8 in league). Also averaged nearly 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He also was playing at a pretty high level in the playoffs until the last few games.

Now, he did play only two-thirds of the Heat's regular-season games, and he'll need to play more to really be considered a valuable player. But 19-5-5 on 55% shooting ... if that's "done," what is 17 PPG on 50% shooting (Tony Parker); 18 PPG on 39% (Kemba Walker); 16 PPG on 41% (Gordon Hayward); 14 PPG on 45% (Deron Williams); etc, etc, etc?

Yup. Wade is done--19 ppg and the most efficient Guard in the NBA, but people say he is done or must reinvent his game. Yet Nowitzki, Duncan and Bryant's number have all deteriorated but they are still superstuds. Bryant has not played in two years, and the only thing he reinvented is how to beat a rape charge, during his career. Bryant is getting 29 million a year to sit on his ass and bitch about the admin. Give us a break.