Roth Regatta

 

Lost in the speculation about where LeBron James will end up next season is another huge star in the NBA: Dwyane Wade.  Though he’s already done plenty in Miami and they were in the playoffs last season, Wade could still opt to take his skills elsewhere.  Surely there are going to be no shortage of suitors.  Here’s a look at the decision Wade will be faced with this upcoming free agency period.

Why he should stay in Miami:

Like LBJ in Cleveland, Wade is a staple of South Be

ach.  He’s the most popular player in their franchise’s history and has already hand-delivered an NBA title.  Though they don’t have too many pieces around him at the moment, it’s clear that he will have a substantial role in the decision making if he looks to stay in Miami, which can be a very enticing situation.  Money isn’t much of an issue for Wade, who is guaranteed to get a max deal, so financially there isn’t much more that he can outside of Miami.

Because Wade is still one of

the elite players in the league, he can also make Miami a very attractive place for big free agents to come; no state tax in Florida is another reason athletes have been interested in signing with Floridian sports franchises.  Wade is also in a rare position to go down as the one of the few legendary players who to play an entire career in one city, which would only solidify his status as a demigod in South Florida.  He already sells plenty of <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTr

acker._trackPageview(’/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/miami-heat-tickets/”>Miami Heat tickets</a> as it is.

Even if they definitely need to improve to challenge for another title, the Heat still had enough to secure the fifth seed in the East in 2009-10, which suggests that they may only be a big piece away from moving towards the top of the Eastern Conference standings.  Jermaine O’Neal and his monstrous contract will come off the books as well, giving the Heat enough money left over to sign Wade and perhaps even another big contract.  And in the case that he could bring LeBron down, a possibility that is unlikely but one not to be ignored, they would be perennial title contenders.

Why he should go:

Most of the reasons to stay in Miami revolve around issues of loyalty and the reputation he has already earned with the Heat organization and fans.  It’s also true that there are plenty of worse situations than a team that reached the playoffs in 2009-10, but Wade is also a fierce competitor not different from LeBron and Kobe Bryant.  Wade wants to win more titles and go down as one of the greatest players ever, and to do that he will likely have to consider other options.  The Heat could remain a strong team in the East with Wade next season, but building towards a championship appears to be an uphill and arduous trek.

The reason for this mainly is the slow development of Michael Beasley, who the Heat had high hopes for after drafting him second overall in the 2008 draft.  Beasley has shown his substantial overall talent on occasion but has been incredibly inconsistent.  Overall, Beasley doesn’t seem to be handling the pressure that comes with being the second overall pick and it could end badly in Miami if the Heat don’t trade him, which they are rumored to be looking to do.

Without bringing in another marquee player, the roster is very listless and the Heat are in desperate need of surrounding Wade with some sharp shooters who can help with spacing.  The good teams in the league still fighting in the playoffs all have a substantial post players, a luxury the Heat simply do not have currently on their roster.

Unless the Heat make it very clear that they are committed to doing all they can to elevate the team to becoming a consistent title contender, Wade has to consider leaving.  Kevin Garnett recently told LeBron James that it’s unwise to waste one’s youth in a bad situation because you can never get back your peak years.  The same advice certainly holds true for Dwyane Wade.