Wade discusses his, LeBron’s futures in NBA
Both superstars are facing decisions about their careers during offseason.
MIAMI — Dwyane Wade and LeBron James enter the offseason with uncertain basketball futures.
Wade has to decide whether he will retire or return for a 16th NBA season and James is entering a summer that could include a lot of changes. Those decisions will come later this offseason, but Wade spoke about both situations during a Sunday appearance on Fox Sports Radio’s show featuring Chris Mannix and Caron Butler.
After the Cavaliers were swept by the Warriors in the Finals, James will have an opportunity over the next few weeks to decide whether he wants to
Wade
stay in Cleveland or move elsewhere. The 14-time AllStar will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he opts out of a $35.6 million player option in his current contract.
“To me, I don’t think it’s a basketball thing,” said Wade, who is James’ close friend and former teammate. “Obviously, you saw this year he can get to the Finals no matter what the circumstances are. I don’t really think (it’s) the bas- ketball decision of saying, ‘Oh, let me go team up with three All-Stars.’ I think at this point in his life, it’s more so of a lifestyle thing of where my family is going to be the most comfortable and where I’m going to be the most happiest at. Because basketball-wise, he’s so great that he can bring along and take along whoever.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said last week that James will “have a conversation” with seven teams this offseason: the Cavaliers, Warriors, Celt- ics, Sixers, Lakers, Rockets and Heat.
If Wade is right and James’ decision is not purely about basketball, that could help Miami because the Heat currently don’t have the cap space to surround James with multiple All-Stars.
As for Wade, he’s still unsure whether he will play next season. But he’s sure that if he does decide to continue his career, he wants it to be with the Heat.
“If I decide to come back and play the game of basketball, I would love for it, obviously, to be in Miami,” Wade said to Mannix and Butler. “It’s just crazy because in this league you never know
‘I signed with Cleveland ... to compete in the championship.’
what will happen. I never thought I would leave Miami. Caron knows that I thought I would be here forever, but things happen.”
Does Wade wonder what could have been if he would have stayed with the Cava- liers and had the opportunity to play in the Finals? James recently said he believes Wade could have helped Cleveland in the championship series.
“It definitely crossed my mind because I signed with Cleveland for that exact reason, to compete in the championship,” Wade said. “I didn’t sign in Cleveland for 82 games in the regular season. I signed with them so I can be there in the playoffs and be a part of the winning and success and try to take down one of the greatest teams of all time. I wanted to be a part of it.”