Dwyane Wade Is Not Sure If He Will Play Next Season
Dwyane Wade might be coming up on the final stretch of his career, as the Heat guard told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he is not sure if he will play next season.
Wade, 36, is in his 15th season in the NBA and on his second stint with the Heat after a deal at the trade deadline sent him back to the team that drafted him with the fifth pick in 2003 following 46 games with the Cavaliers and one season with his hometown Bulls.
"I have told everybody around me that I am taking it after this season and go from there," Wade told Jackson. "It’s the first year I’ve ever went into the summer with that mind-set. I always went into it as a free agent or opting out of a deal to get another deal. This is the first summer I can say I’m just going into the summer and see how I feel and see the position this organization is in and go from there. I’m not really concerned with it, honestly. I’m cool with whatever I decide to do. It will be my decision."
Wade also told Jackson that if he does continue to play after this season, it will only be with Miami. In his first 13 years with the Heat, Wade was named an All-Star 12 times, won three titles and was the Finals MVP in 2006 after helping Miami win its first championship in franchise history.
Wade is currently 31st on the career scoring list with Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter being the only active players ahead of him. He is also tied for 37th on the career steals list and 52nd on the assists list. He is the Heat career leader in games, minutes, field goals, free throws, assists, steals and points.
"[Udonis Haslem] always talked about, as you get older, you take it year by year," Wade told Jackson. "But this is the first summer that I will go into the summer and say I ain’t got much hair left, but I’m going to let my hair down and look at everything as a whole, my family and basketball. Being back here helps that situation for me, makes the decision even easier since now that I’m back already. And sit down with Pat [Riley] and Micky [Arison] and everybody and see what’s best for me and go from there."
Miami has 22 games remaining this season and 14 are at home. The Heat's last game of the regular season is April 11 against the Raptors, but the team is currently holding onto the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
