Dwyane Wade spent 13 years playing for the Miami Heat before deciding to leave the team. He spent his best years in South Beach, earning the Heat three NBA championships, as well as earning a lot of respect for his own game. Wade, who was heart and soul of the Heat for over a decade, felt neglected and disrespected during free agency last summer, and he decided to take his talents elsewhere.
Miami Heat offered Wade a $20-million contract, but the shooting guard wanted more money as he felt his loyalty to the team should be rewarded. His hometown team, Chicago Bulls, stepped in the picture, as they offered Dwyane Wade a $47-million contract for two years.
Shortly after, Wade announced that he will be joining the Bulls, breaking hearts of numerous Miami Heat fans.
Miami refused to overpay Wade
Miami Heat president Pat Riley refused to give Wade more money than he deserved, and that resulted in a tough breakup between these two sides. Heat fan base split into those who defended Riley and those who felt that Dwyane Wade was right. However, everyone agreed that Wade leaving for another team was a shock and something they would not get over easily.
Heat fans could not believe that their favorite player is leaving the team. It all seemed just like a bad nightmare they will soon wake up from. However, there was no waking up from it, as Dwyane Wade's decision was final.
Wade was a foundation of many championship teams in Miami, yet he decided to leave his legacy behind and start over in Chicago. NBA world was shocked, and things did not look good for the Miami Heat and their upcoming season.
Dwyane Wade leaving Miami was a blessing in disguise
Miami Heat filled their roster out with free agents who were average NBA players at best, and first few months of the new season were nothing but awful.
After exactly half of the season, the Heat were 11-30 and the second-worst team in the NBA. As it was expected, the Heat were a lottery team and things looked really bad in South Beach.
However, second half of the season was a different story for Miami Heat, as they started it with a 13-game win streak, which is the third-longest win streak in the franchise history.
Instead of paying Wade more than $20 million, Miami spent that money on six free agents, who all of sudden started playing like NBA stars. Two months after, the Heat got within 0.5 games behind the playoff seeds in the East, as they went 20-4 in their last 24 games.
In hindsight, Miami Heat pulled a smart move by letting Dwyane Wade go. They distributed rest of their money on the free agents which turned out to be very good, and they are now at the edge of making the playoffs. There is a possibility that Wade will come back to Miami and retire as a Heat player, but for now, the Heat will enjoy their success and give their best to make some noise in the playoffs.
