The playoffs may be just right around the corner, but when talking about the bigger picture when it comes to the landscape of the NBA, it all starts with the Miami Heat.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all have the ability to opt-out of the last year of their contracts with the Heat on June 30th, thus potentially making them free agents at the end of the season.
That would be a big deal.
But before that decision will be made, Wade says the Big-3 will meet to discuss their futures, just as they did when they were all free agents in 2010. Here’s more from Darren Rovell:
Wade revealed on Tuesday as part of an interview for the cover story of an upcoming issue of ESPN The Magazine that the three, who have gone to three straight Finals and won the past two, plan to have that conversation at some point.
“I’m at a position where I don’t really have to worry about it,” said Wade, who also won a title with the Heat in 2006. “I’ve been with the same organization for now 11 years. We’ve won multiple championships, so it’s no reason where I need to think about that yet. I’m not at a point where we are a bad team and I need to think about the future, so right now I’m really focused on just enjoying this team, enjoying our quest to try to three-peat. And when the season is over, and whatever happens, then I will sit down with Chris and I will sit down with Bron and I will sit down and make the best decision for myself and my family.”
It seems as if Wade is leaning toward opting in to the last year of his deal with the Heat or re-signing with the only team he’s ever played for in the league for one last big contract. He is slated to make just over $20 million next season if he opts-in, which might be incentive to do so.
The Heat may be inclined to persuade Wade to give them a home team discount if he passes on the $20 million next season.
Wade is due $42 million over the next two seasons, which would be the most lucrative contract years of his career. But the Heat could try to persuade Wade and the others to take another discount in the name of more titles.
Wade may be the easiest of the three to bring back. LeBron and Bosh, due to a few circumstances, may attract more lucrative suitors on the free agent market. But for those getting their hopes up, Bosh had this to say in an interview with Dan Le Batard:
Last week, Bosh hinted that he and James would stay in Miami when he answered “True” to a question posed by ESPN’s Dan Le Batard as to whether he and James would be back with the team next season.
“When we sat down and we signed our deals and all of us made sure we had an opt-out in that fourth year, that was our option, so the option is there and you would hope that someone wants to be able to use their option as a player,” Wade said. “As players, you only have so much time and you only have so many moments where you have the ability to control your own fate, so it’s not a bad thing at all if that’s what someone is thinking. I haven’t had that conversation with Chris. I haven’t had that conversation with Bron.”
Onto more from around the NBA
Roy Hibbert says the Indiana Pacers don’t deserve the 1-seed: “Good for them,” Hibbert told reporters. “We don’t deserve it.” Hibbert has never been shy about expressing his feelings saying after Sunday’s dyfunctional loss to the Cavs that the Pacers have “some selfish dudes in here.” The Pacers have lost six of their last eight, cracking 90 points in just one of those games. They’re a complete mess right now, struggling to find any kind of offensive rhythm while being unable to rely on their typically stingy defense. There’s still time of course to sort things out and even though they’re now No. 2 in the East based on percentage points, they’re only one game behind in the loss column. And it’s not like the Heat have stormed their way to the top spot. They’re just 14-8 since the All-Star break themselves, with one of those losses coming to the Pacers last week. But the Pacers have placed importance on the top seed because of what happened in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last postseason, with Miami dominating in front of its home crowd. The Pacers want that game in their building this time. But right now, like Hibbert said, they don’t deserve it.”
The NBA has admitted to blowing a key call in the Mavs-Warriors game last night: “The NBA office acknowledged that Golden State Warriors center Jermaine O’Neal should have been called for goaltending on a critical, controversial block of Dallas Mavericksguard Monta Ellis’ potential go-ahead shot late in the Warriors’ overtime win Tuesday night. “Upon review at the league office, we have found that a shot taken by Dallas’ Monta Elliswith 16.0 seconds remaining in overtime was on the way down when initially contacted and ruled a block by Golden State’s Jermaine O’Neal, and should have been ruled a goaltend,” NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said in a statement. “The exact trajectory of the ball when touched was impossible to ascertain with the naked eye, and the play was not reviewable.” The score was tied when Ellis drove from the right wing and attempted a floater over O’Neal. Warriors guard Stephen Curry hit the game-winning jumper with a tenth of a second remaining on the ensuing possession. The loss dropped Dallas to ninth place in the Western Conference standings, a half-game behind the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns. The Mavs would have been alone in seventh place, only a half-game behind sixth-place Golden State, with a win over the Warriors.”
A Houston Rockets employee has followed a discrimination suit against the team: “A gay Barclays Center food server claims that Houston Rockets basketball players pelted him with homophobic slurs in a locker room before a 2013 game against the Nets — and that he was coldly canned by his catering company after he complained about the abuse, according to a Brooklyn federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. Rasean Tate, 28, of Brooklyn, is suing the Rockets and the company that handles catering at Barclays, Levy Restaurant Holdings, for a slew of civil rights violations and anti-gay discrimination. Tate claims that he was setting up a buffet in the visiting Rockets locker room before a game on Feb. 22, 2013, when he was all but chased from the area because he was gay. “When the plaintiff’s back was turned to defendant Rockets players, he began to hear laughter and taunting voices saying ‘get this f—– out of here!’ ” according to the suit, and ” ‘He’s trying to catch a sneaky-peeky!'”
- Seattle investors want the NBA, not the NHL says Chris Hansen: “”No one in our ownership group is interested in being a majority owner in an NHL franchise. That’s been the case since the start,” said Chris Hansen, who led the unsuccessful effort last year to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle. “I’ve certainly queried our ownership group about this. I think if someone really wanted to it would be easier than bringing in an outside party. “But the most important thing is the passion is just not there for the NHL among our ownership group that is there for basketball. Getting involved in hockey solely because basketball hasn’t worked out right now, when it’s not something your heart is in, would be a disservice to the fans here.””
Metta World Peace says the Knicks miss Jason Kidd: “In an interview shortly after he was released by the Knicks, World Peace told ESPN New York that his teammates talked often about how much the club misses Jason Kidd this season. “I spoke to a lot of people and a lot of people are saying Jason Kidd was the reason [for the Knicks’ poor play this year],” World Peace said in late February. “… I spoke to Tyson about it and Tyson said Jason Kidd used to do a lot of adjustments on the court. So that was an issue that we had this year with Jason Kidd becoming a coach. A lot of times they kept saying, ‘We miss that presence of Jason Kidd.'” There are statistics and anecdotal evidence that support World Peace’s point. Last year, the Knicks were 7-5 in games decided by three points or fewer. This season, with Kidd on the other side of the East River, the Knicks have gone 2-7 in such games.”
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.