Dwyane Wade is staying on with the Miami Heat as the face of the franchise after agreeing a new contract while the NBA team picks up the pieces following the loss of free agent LeBron James last week.
“Home Is Where The Heart Is... My Home,My City,My House..#HeatLifer,” Wade posted on Instagram in a social media teaser before the Heat finally made it official.
“Dwyane has been the franchise cornerstone for this team since the day he arrived 11 years ago,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “He has shown his commitment to the Heat many times over the course of his career and has always been willing to sacrifice in order to help build this team into a champion. This time is no different.”
Photo: AFP
“I am ecstatic to have him back in the fold and I am confident that Dwyane, as always, will be leading this team as we look to contend for NBA championships,” he added.
While details of the multi-year deal were not made public, the All-Star guard will make at least US$15 million per season, ESPN reported.
The development was not unexpected, as Miami’s front office strives to reconstruct a team that made four successive trips to the NBA Finals and won two titles before James’s decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers following four seasons with the Heat.
Wade was part of the so-called “Big Three” with James and forward Chris Bosh, who also has re-signed a massive deal to stay in Miami.
The Heat have also added free agent forward Luol Deng as part of their rebuilding since James’s departure. Free agents Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger were brought in before the exit of four-time league MVP James.
Wade, 32, has played his entire career in Miami since being drafted in 2003, winning three NBA titles and averaging more than 24 points per game during the regular season.
Last season he was hampered by a knee issue and missed 28 games in a move designed to keep him healthy for the playoffs.
Wade still managed to average 19 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds in the past campaign.
The Heat went on to win the Eastern Conference title before falling decisively in five games to the San Antonio Spurs in the championship series.
Wade had invoked an early termination option after four years of a six-year deal worth US$108 million, opting for free agency to free up money for the team as it sought to improve the roster and keep James.
Meanwhile, Turkish big man Omer Asik and Israeli forward Omri Casspi were obtained on Tuesday by the New Orleans Pelicans in a three-team NBA trade deal that also included Houston and Washington.
Both Asik and Casspi came over from Houston, while the Rockets acquired guards Alonzo Gee and Scotty Hopson, and a first-round selection in next year’s NBA draft from the Pelicans.
New Orleans also sent center Melvin Ely to the Washington Wizards, who sent forward Trevor Ariza to Houston as part of a deal that will see Ariza ink a four-year contract for US$32 million.
The Wizards have made a deal with veteran forward Paul Pierce, who helped Boston to an NBA title, to replace Ariza.
Asik spent his first two seasons in Chicago as a back-up to Bulls center Jokim Noah and his past two seasons in Houston.
The 2.13m Asik averaged 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds, and started every game in the 2012-2013 campaign, but was moved to a reserve role this past season when Houston obtained star big man Dwight Howard.
Casspi averaged 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds last season with the Rockets after prior two-year stints with Sacramento and Cleveland.
Trevor Booker, who spent his first four NBA seasons with Washington, signed a multi-year deal with Utah. Booker averaged 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season.
Slovenian guard Beno Udrih re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, for whom he played 10 games late last season after being waived by the New York Knicks.
Udrih, 32, averaged 4.9 points and 2.8 assists in 41 games last season. He has career averages of 8.8 points and 3.6 assists over 10 seasons with San Antonio, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Orlando, New York and Memphis.
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