After 13 seasons as THE MAN in Miami, it’s come down to this.  Dwayne Wade is now on the downside of what has been a stellar NBA career.  He has helped the Heat to win 3 NBA titles, and has participated in countless community endeavors in the Miami area.  But to say that this 13-year relationship is on the rocks is an understatement.

Dwayne Wade, affectionately known to fans and friends as D. Wade, was the 5th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft.  He has spend his entire professional career in Miami, and is now an unrestricted free agent.  This is supposed to be the year that Wade cashes in his credit to finally get PAID!

He’s a 12 time all star, the 2006 Finals MVP, the 2010 All Star Game MVP, and was the 2009 scoring champion.  Despite all his accolades and his loyalty to the Heat organization, Wade has never been the highest paid player on the team.  This was supposed to be the year he would cash in and #GetHisMoney.

When Wade was a free agent in 2010, he gave up a max deal so that the Heat could sign LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and form what became the Big 3.  This paid dividends, allowing the Heat to go to 4 consecutive NBA Finals, winning back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014.

So when the Heat’s elder statesman became an unrestricted free agent on July 1st it was automatically assumed that Wade would finally cash in and get the money he so deserved, and had earned as the cornerstone of the franchise.  But apparently the front office saw it differently.  Instead they placed priority on center, Hassan Whiteside, whom they signed to a 4-yr/$98 million deal.  They then went aggressively after Kevin Durant until it was revealed that he would sign with the Golden State Warriors.  So now it’s Wade’s turn, and what happens?  The Heat offer him a 2-yr/$40 million deal.  That’s an average of $20 million per year, still about $4.5 million per year less than Whiteside’s deal.

It was reported that there was wiggle room built into Whiteside’s deal in case Durant had agreed to go to South Beach, so where is that wiggle room now?  Why are the Heat dissing the guy who has helped bring them 3 NBA titles?  Why have they turned their backs on the guy that gave up money so that they could create the Big 3 with Wade, Bosh and James?  It just doesn’t make since.

So since Miami is being uncooperative, D. Wade has to take care of himself.  He has been pursued by the Bulls, Knicks, Bucks, Nuggets, and it is reported that Cleveland has an interest, but doesn’t have the cap room.  Wade is looking for a 2-yr/$50 million deal, and recent reports say that the Nuggets have stepped up and made an offer “north of $50 million”.  This is big news because now the ball is in Miami’s court.

I don’t think Wade wants to leave South Beach, but he’s feeling disrespected at this point, and may not have a choice in order to get what he feels he deserves.  But are the Denver Nuggets going to give him an opportunity to try and get that 4th NBA title?  They’ve got some young talent, but they are not at all ready for prime time.

So will the Heat step up to the plate or will Wade be taking his talents to The Rocky Mountains?