Report: Frustrated Dwyane Wade opens up bidding to teams other than Heat

Haven’t we seen this movie before?

Dwyane Wade has taken pay cuts in the past to help the Miami Heat land other players, but now is tired of that and wants to be made whole. The Miami Heat are in a tight financial spot this season, trying to retain free agents such as Hassan Whiteside while going after Kevin Durant. Wade is a free agent and wants what he sees as his due, too — if not from Miami then from someone else.

So Wade has opened bidding beyond just Miami, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Sources told ESPN.com that Wade’s representatives have made it known to multiple teams over the past several days that he will be on the market. Some teams have been skeptical, wondering whether Wade would seriously consider leaving the franchise where he has played 13 seasons and won three titles.

The Heat and Wade had several contentious weeks last year before they agreed on a one-year, $20 million deal for this past season.

We saw this exact same dance last season, and it ended with a one-year, $20 million contract for Wade in Miami.

Here’s Wade’s problem: He’s more valuable to Miami than other teams, and likely will see his largest offers from the Heat. Wade averaged 19 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last season, then come the playoffs had some old-school Wade dominating performances as Miami got to the second round and took Toronto to seven games. He’s the face of the Heat franchise, Pat Riley wants him back. But Riley needs to deal with Durant and Whiteside first because he needs to use his cap space on them (and other free agents), where he can exceed the cap to re-sign Wade using Bird rights.

At age 34, how much other teams are willing to pay Wade — who has a history of knee problems in his past, despite playing 74 games last season — is up for debate. He’s still an All-Star level player, but a decline is expected (and Wade’s efficiency did take a step back last season, for example he had his lowest PER since his rookie season). Other teams are going to be hesitant. Ones with younger cores aren’t going to want to pay him like he’s part of the future, contenders will want him to take a discount to make them stronger.

In Miami, Wade is more than that. But is Riley going to pay him for past glories? If so, at what price, more than the $20 million he made last season?

This just feels like a negotiating tactic, that once again the Heat and Wade will eventually work out a deal.