Could Wade, Butler reunite?
Recently retired star sparks speculation with social media posts
MIAMI — Apparently the speculation linking Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat won’t go away. Nor, for that matter, might Dwyane Wade.
In a spin provided through social media, Wade, who retired in April after a 16-season NBA career, seemingly left open the possibility of returning to the Heat if the team lands Jimmy Butler in NBA free agency.
When it was suggested to him on Twitter that he should emerge from retirement to join former Heat championship teammate LeBron James with the Lakers, Wade put a kibosh on that notion … while adding one of his own.
In his response, Wade posted, “Nah bro. Let’s kill that rumor now. It would only be for the HEAT! @JimmyButler what’s good.”
That was followed by three emojis for “face with tears of joy.”
Not to be left on the sidelines, Butler, who had not posted on Twitter over the previous three days, responded with, “hey big head.”
Wade and Butler both played at Marquette, with Wade joining Butler on the Chicago Bulls for the 2016-17 season, after contentious freeagency negotiations with the Heat that led to 1½ seasons away from the franchise he helped lead to three NBA championships.
Wade, who returned to the Heat midway through the 2017-18 season, very formally retired after this past season, with an emotional final game at American-Airlines Arena, followed by a triple-double in the Heat’s season finale against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
Butler is an impending free agent, after joining the Philadelphia 76ers last season following a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
COLLISON RETIRES: Guard Darren Collison has decided to retire from the NBA after 10 seasons to focus on being a Jehovah’s Witness.
Collison, 31, played for the Indiana Pacers the last two seasons. He told ESPN’s The Undefeated in a letter Friday that he decided to retire primarily to concentrate on helping the less fortunate through his faith.
“While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith,” he wrote. “I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and my faith means everything to me. I receive so much joy from volunteering to help others and participate in a worldwide ministry. The joy I feel is unmatched.”
Collison was on verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent.
He averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 assists in 708 games with the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Pacers. He was drafted out of UCLA in 2009 and was named an All-NBA rookie the following year.