George, Wade talk free agency Rashad Vaughn added to Heat summer roster
Heat guard reflects on winning titles Vaughn was the No. 17 pick of the 2015 NBA draft out of UNLV by the Bucks.
MIAMI Dwyane Wade isn’t a major player in this summer’s NBA free agency, but he could be a major influence.
The Miami Heat guard was featured Thursday in ESPN’s second installment in its three-part series chronicling Paul George’s impending free agency, with the All-Star forward having formally opted out of the final season on his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The segment with Wade was taped in Los Angeles, where Wade spends parts of his offseason and where George is from, with George having long expressed a desire to play for his hometown Lakers.
In the piece, George tells Wade, “I’m in that position now where I’m trying to figure out the direction I want to go, being a free agent. Like, what would you do in this situation?”
That’s when Wade reflected on 2010 free agency, when he, LeBron James and Chris Bosh came together to form a Heat Big Three that advanced to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, with championships in 2012 and ’13.
“For me, it wasn’t about money,” Wade said. “It wasn’t about nothing but winning. A lot of people don’t believe this; a lot of people think we had this already set up. ‘Bron called and said, ‘What are you thinking?’ I said, ‘Bro, I want to win championships. I’m tired of getting knocked out in the first round. It sucks.’ And then it went from there to saying, ‘Yo, let’s do it together.’
“Like I won the scoring title, P.G., Nobody bought me a car. Nothing happened. It was just the season was over. And I didn’t want that. What fulfilled me is raising that gold thing above my head. That moment fulfills you like no other moment. I knew that winning was going to bring everything I wanted and more.”
That’s when George, whose Indiana Pacers routinely were victimized by Wade and the Big Three Heat during the playoffs, acknowledged similar priorities.
“At the end of the day, that’s all I want to do,” George said. “I want to be a champion. In a way, it’s like I want to come here, I want to play for the home team and put a Lakers jersey on. That’s always going to be something that I want to fulfill. But, at the same time, it’s like, ‘What’s the best move?’ I know who I am as a player, I just want to help a team win. And I feel comfortable doing so that with Russ [Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook].
“And then, I’m mean, there’s other places, too, from Boston to Clippers . . .”
Wade then interjected, “Can’t regret it. Once you make this decision, whether you make a decision on whether you’re the No. 1 guy or you make a decision where you’re the second or third, you make that decision, you’ve got to be OK with it and you’re going to bring the best P.G. to that decision.
“Because this is a hell of a ride and this ride comes to an end, but right now you’ve still got a long way to go.”
George, 28, thanked Wade, 36, input.
The Heat have been linked to George over the years, including before last summer’s trade from the Pacers to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis and even amid this impending free agency.
Lacking cap then for the space this summer, the only means for the Heat to acquire George would be a signand-trade agreement with the Thunder.
George has been linked to a potential union with James and possibly Kawhi Leonard with the Lakers, but also has expressed interest in a potential return to the Thunder.
Wade, who since that 2010 offseason has been a free agent in 2014, ’15 and ’16, as well as last fall after a buyout from the Chicago Bulls, again is a free agent this summer. He is expected to either return to the Heat or retire, but has not formally ruled out again playing elsewhere, having also played the past two seasons with the Bulls and Cavaliers.
The NBA free-agent negotiating period begins Sunday, with the freeagency signing period beginning July 6.
iwinderman@ sunsentinel.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ ira.winderman
The Miami Heat have announced their 14-player summer-league roster, one that includes Rashad Vaughn, a three-year NBA veteran who played this past season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic.
Three returning players also are featured on the Heat’s summer roster: 2017 first-round draft pick Bam Adebayo, and both of the team’s 2017-18 season-ending two-way players, guards Derrick Jones Jr. and Derrick Walton Jr.
The roster, to be coached by Heat video coordinator Eric Glass, also will have an international component, with New Zealand guard Tai Webster, who played at Nebraska, and Cameroon center Landry Nnoko, who played at Clemson.
Vaughn, 21, is the only player on the roster other than the three returning Heat players who has previous NBA experience. He was the No. 17 pick of the 2015 NBA draft out of UNLV by the Bucks, after the 2014 McDonald’s AllAmerican spent a single season in college.
After spending his first two seasons with the Bucks, including time on assignment in the development league, the 6-foot-6 guard was traded to the Nets on Feb. 5, 2018, for center Tyler Zeller. After a single appearance for Brooklyn, he was dealt three days later to the New Orleans Pelicans for Dante Cunningham and waived two days later. He then played for the Magic on a pair of two-way contracts before being waived March 2 due to a sore right knee, going into the offseason as a free agent.
The Heat will hold a summer camp Friday through Sunday in Sacramento. They then begin summer-league play Monday in Sacramento and will play three games over the four-day event at the home of the Sacramento Kings. The Heat then will head to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where they will play at least five games, starting July 7.
The Heat often have altered their roster during the course of summer-league play, losing center Willie Reed to the Nets in the midst of 2015 summer league and adding Okaro White in the midst of their summer play in 2016.
Heat summer roster iwinderman@ sunsentinel.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ ira.winderman