Sports

Wade Elects to Become Free Agent, May Leave Heat

Published

9 years ago

June 30, 2015

In this Jan. 4, 2015, file photo, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) shoots in front of Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Miami. Wade announced Monday, June 29, 2015, that he will elect to become a free agent. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — The relationship between Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat is about to be tested like never before, and the most accomplished player in franchise history may soon have a new home.

Wade will become a free agent Wednesday, electing to pass on a $16.1 million option for next season and see what he’s worth on the open market. His decision was announced Monday afternoon by a spokesperson in a 61-word press release, after both Wade and his agent Henry Thomas did not respond to requests for comment.

Wade played for all three of Miami’s NBA championship teams. He’s been an All-Star in 11 of his 12 seasons, and is Miami’s all-time leader in plenty of categories including games, points, assists and steals.

“We want Dwyane back,” Heat President Pat Riley said last week. “There’s no doubt about that.”

There’s doubt it will happen.

As is usually the case, it will come down to money. Wade has left about $27 million on the table during his career and wants those sacrifices rewarded in his next contract. But he’s missed 25 percent of Miami’s regular-season games over the last four seasons and that, combined with him turning 34 next season, likely is weighing heavily on how much the Heat want to offer.

He averaged 21.5 points this past season, 11th-best in the NBA and third-best in the Eastern Conference. His points-per-48-minutes of 32.4 ranked relatively close to elite scorers like Stephen Curry (34.9), LeBron James (33.6) and Carmelo Anthony (32.5). The Heat wound up missing the playoffs at 37-45, in large part because Chris Bosh missed half the season after a blood clot was found in one of his lungs.

“Obviously, our team went through a lot of bizarre stuff throughout this year but I thought individually, what I was able to do in 30, 31 minutes, I thought I was as efficient as I could be,” Wade said in an interview with The Associated Press when the season ended. “I always think I can do better, but what I was able to accomplish … I thought was pretty good individually.”

Monday was a hectic day for the Heat.

The morning had Justise Winslow, the No. 10 overall draft pick out of Duke, arrive for his introductory news conference where he was flanked by Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who both raved about Winslow’s maturity. Hours later, small forward Luol Deng announced through agent Herb Rudoy that he will exercise his option to play for Miami next season in a $10.1 million deal.

“Good things happen for a reason,” Riley said.

The next move belonged to Wade, who is headed to free agency again. ESPN was first informed of his decision.

Wade strongly considered an offer from Chicago in 2010 and is likely to get interest this time from the Los Angeles Lakers (he and his wife Gabrielle Union have a home there), the New York Knicks (he spends plenty of time in that city) and other clubs.

Miami plans to be first in line to make its free-agent case, when the windows open at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. It’s unclear if they will speak to Wade directly or just his representatives, if such a meeting occurs.

All this comes with risks for both Wade and the Heat.

On one hand, Wade might not find anyone willing to pay as much in the short term as Miami would have this season. On the other, the Heat could lose the face of their franchise, their all-time scoring leader and someone revered in the Miami market.

Wade told the AP after the season that he wants to stay in Miami, and even was photographed wearing a Heat cap in recent days at his fantasy camp. But it’s also clear that he wants to still be paid like an elite player, and that could force the Heat into making a tough decision.

Bosh received a $118 million, five-year deal last summer. Point guard Goran Dragic is expected to stay with the Heat, but his free-agent deal could be another five-year commitment in the range of $90 million. Center Hassan Whiteside is expected to command big money in the summer of 2016 when megastars Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis could be free agents.

And it’s unclear if Wade — who has never been the highest-paid player on his team — would handle being potentially the fourth-highest-paid player on a Heat roster in two years.

“The one thing that I’ve learned about free agency is that when a player has an opportunity to be a free agent, you give him the space and the time to think about that,” Riley said. “I don’t care how long he’s been with the franchise. We love Dwyane.”

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Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

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California Black Media

Several Black Californians Are Playing Key Roles in LA 28 Olympics Planning

From politicians and businesspeople to athletes and community leaders, a number of Black Californians are contributing to the thought leadership that is shaping the planning of LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: IOC Member Hong Zhang, IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, LA28 President Casey Wasserman, James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood, IOC President Thomas Bach, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the President of the Los Angeles City Council (IOC/Greg Martin)

By Lila Brown, California Black Media

At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

“The 2028 Games present an incredible opportunity to unite our city and lift up every corner of Los Angeles,” said Bass during a historic event at Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 13, when the Olympic and Paralympic flags were unveiled and installed.

The event marked the return of the Olympic flag to L.A. since 1984, when the city hosted the Olympics for the second time. It was the first time the Paralympic flag was raised in California’s largest city.

“From creating jobs to supporting small businesses, we are committed to ensuring that these Games benefit all Angelenos — not just for the summer of 2028, but for decades to come,” Bass added.

Nearly two months after the Olympic flag handover from Paris to Los Angeles, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles.

Bach toured several of the city’s newest world-class sporting venues, including the SoFi Stadium and the recently opened Intuit Dome, both located in Inglewood. At the stadiums, he was joined by two other Los Angeles County Black mayors, whose cities will be key to hosting LA28 events: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

SoFi Stadium, known as the home of NFL teams the LA Rams and LA Chargers, will host swimming competitions during the LA28 Games, with a temporary pool set to make it the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, boasting 38,000 seats. Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest state-of-the-art venue and home to the LA Clippers, will host the Olympic basketball tournament in the 18,000-seat arena.

In an interview with California Black Media ( CBM), Butts highlighted Inglewood’s central role in the upcoming Games, stating, “Inglewood will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, basketball, and swimming competitions of the 2028 Olympic Games. This will be our second hosting of Olympic Basketball, the first in 1984.”

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, also attended the tour.

Harris-Dawson is one of the leading backers of PlayLA, a parks development program that promises to provide sports programming to “young Angelenos of all abilities.” The initiative is funded by a $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee.

Black Californians serving on the LA28 Board include Businesswoman Mellody Hobson; decorated Paralympian Lex Gillette; former Netflix Executive Dana Smith; President of the LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Yvonne Wheeler; and television host, retired sprinter and four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Rosalyn Brant Clark, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist and mother of three-time Paralympian Breanna Clark, said while the “Games for All” theme is promising, she is looking for more concrete action that impacts the lives of ordinary people, including Black Californians.

“They are going to need to show me more on that one before it gets my stamp of approval,” she added, challenging organizers to ensure genuine inclusivity.

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Bay Area

Ohemaa Nyanin Named GM of Valkyries WNBA Team

The Bay Area is filled with excitement, and much of the conversation is about the Bay Area’s newest WNBA team — the VALKYRIES! The Golden State Warriors were awarded the 13th team in the WNBA last October, and just four months ago, the team’s General Manager was announced — Ohemaa Nyanin.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

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By Y’Anad Burrell

Nyanin’s parents are from Ghana, and she was born in Maryland. Nyanin’s experience in this industry precedes her both as a former college player and on the business side. Nyanin is an American University alumna who played on the Eagles’ women’s basketball team. In 2019, Nyanain joined the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, initially serving as the director of basketball operations before she became assistant general manager.

“No excuses,” Nyanin said. “We are here, first and foremost, as humans, and secondly to win basketball games. So how do we do that, and how do we do that in the most inclusive way?”

From viewing interviews that Nyanin has done since her arrival in the Bay Area, a constant theme in her conversations is talking about taking a “people first” approach. Nyanin talks about how she will be focused on the players, staff, and fans as she navigates and executes her role as general manager. Health, both mentally and physically, is important to Nyanin, as I’ve seen in her many interviews.

Just days ago, The Golden State Warriors announced the head coach for the Valkyries — Natalie Nakase.

Nakase has been the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces for the past three seasons, where she was a part of the Aces’ back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before joining the Aces’ coaching staff, Nakase spent ten seasons with her hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their G League.

The Valkyries will practice at downtown Oakland’s Golden State Warrior space and play games at Chase Center in San Francisco. This is an excellent opportunity to experience both sides of the water.

The Valkyries WNBA season opens May 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Valkyries website shows over 18,000 season-ticket deposits. For clarity, if someone is ‘interested’ in purchasing season tickets, a $25 deposit is required. The Chase Center’s capacity is a little over 18,000, so you can imagine how electrifying the stadium will be during all home games.

Ohemaa, welcome to the Bay and The Town!