Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh opt to become free agents

NBA Stars, Lebron James (l), Dwayne Wade (c) and Chris Bosh (r). PHOTO/File

NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have joined LeBron James in opting out of their respective contracts.

Wade told the Miami Heat on Saturday that he is opting out of the final 2 years and nearly US$42 million in his contract, and will become a free agent on Tuesday, the same decision that LeBron James revealed earlier last week.

The decisions by James, Wade and Bosh are bound to free up about US$60 million in what would have been salary the Miami Heat was committed to paying next season.

LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh were all part of the much-celebrated move Miami in 2010, they have been together for the 4 years, and have been to the NBA Finals in each, winning the title twice.

“We want this to work out and I think we’ll find a way to get it done,” Bosh told The Associated Press shortly after the Heat fell in the NBA Finals earlier this month to the San Antonio Spurs.

James, Wade and Bosh all had deals with an option to become free agents either this summer or next. There is obviously no guarantee that all or any would return to the Miami Heat now, but it’s also hard to envision all three going their separate ways after making 4 trips to the NBA Finals together and winning 2 championships.

Wade took a considerable amount of criticism this past season, first for missing 28 regular-season games, largely because of what the Miami Heat called a maintenance program for his long-problematic knees, and then for struggling in the NBA Finals. He averaged 24.3 points in his first 11 seasons and is unquestionably the most accomplished player in team’s history, leading the franchise’s all-time lists in several categories.

Source: Associated Press