Haslem, Johnson touting Wade’s shoes, not their team

Ex-teammates keep talk of a possible reunion to minimum

DORAL – The South Florida legacy of Dwyane Wade was tangible Saturday as Udonis Haslem and Tyler Johnson prepared to mingle with fans and push product at The Edition Sneaker Boutique.

For some, the choice was the blackand-red Tyler Johnson Edition of the Way of Wade, for others the red-andblack Udonis Haslem Edition.

The question now is whether Wade will become a once-and-again teammate of the Miami Heat players he set up with these shoe contracts, as Wade deliberates his 2017-18 $23.8 million option with the Chicago Bulls.

Both Haslem and Johnson have been in touch with Wade since the Heat’s all-time leading scorer has returned to South Florida following the Bulls’ 4-2 first-round elimination at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

“We actually spent two nights together,” Haslem said. “We went out to dinner both nights and had some great conversations, some laughs and just enjoyed hanging out again.

“I mean, he’s going to have to make the best decision for him. I know he wants to be in a situation where he’s playing for a team that’s kind of established. I don’t think he wants to go through a rebuilding process.”

While both the Heat and Bulls finished 41-41, Chicago advanced to the postseason and the Heat to the lottery because of the Bulls’ 2-1 victory in the head-to-head season series.

Eventually, Wade’s decision could come down to perceptions of the Bulls and Heat going forward.

“I think with his situation, if they decide to get rid of Jimmy [Butler] and start young, it’s a little bit different,” said Haslem, who again returns to free agency this summer. “I think we had a lot of growing pains, but I think we grew up a lot last year. So if they decide to go young and start over, I think we will be a little bit ahead of those guys.”

For Johnson, there is sneaker business and there is basketball business, and that has him walking a delicate line with his boss and former teammate.

“I spoke to him on the phone not too long ago,” Johnson said. “But I’m going to get a chance to connect with him a little bit later.”

The irony is that if Wade does return to the team he called his only NBA franchise for his first 13 seasons before last summer’s shift to his hometown team, Johnson could be the one carrying the larger contract.

“Of course. I mean everybody’s tuned into that,” Johnson said of what might be next for the 35-year-old icon. “It’s just that I’m not calling him up and asking him where he’s going to be at, or anything like that. I’m going to be tuned in like everybody else is.”

Wade on Saturday posted a video on his Snapchat of him taking guitar lessons from former Heat teammate Chris Bosh.

And that stands as another onceand-again storyline for the Heat this offseason, with the team expected to apply for salary-cap relief from the remaining two seasons on Bosh’s contract, after the All-Star forward failed his preseason physical because of the blood clots that had sidelined him in each of the previous two seasons.

“The couple of times I’ve spent with Chris, Chris has been great,” Haslem said, with himself, Wade and Bosh serving as Heat co-captains prior to this past season. “Chris is one of those guys, when he puts his mind to it, he can do anything. So he doesn’t lack opportunity. He’s going to have a lot of opportunity to do a lot of things. He’s a very well-rounded guy. And whatever he does, he’s going to be great at it.

“So it’s probably a shock. What he had to go through I’m sure was a shock and I’m still praying that he has the chance to come out and finish and play the game he loves and end it the right way.”

While the Heat will apply for the cap relief, Bosh still will be paid the full balance of the $52 million remaining on his contract. If he makes it back to the court in either of those two seasons, his salary could then revert to the Heat’s cap.

Haslem said Bosh’s NBA future has not been a topic of their discussions.

“Not really,” he said. “If he brings it up then we could talk about it, but then I’m not going to bring it up.”

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/STAFF FILE PHOTO Dwyane Wade, left, on Saturday posted a video on Snapchat of him taking guitar lessons from former Heat teammate Chris Bosh.