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NBA Rumors: Denver Nuggets Appear To Be Dwyane Wade’s Best Chance To Earn Big Payday

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 14:20 PST, Jul 3, 2016

NBA rumors are now suggesting that the Denver Nuggets look to be the best available option for Dwyane Wade after the first three days of free agency, according to multiple sources.

Dwyane Wade — who has played all of his 13 seasons in the NBA with the Miami Heat — only recently began looking for another team after contract discussions between his current team and the All-Star athlete broke down, The Inquisitr previously reported. The issue appears to be compensation as Dwyane Wade is looking to make at least $20 million this season, while the Miami Heat’s first offer was for only half that amount, according to the article.

Denver is being heralded as the top viable option for Dwyane Wade because of the team’s salary cap space. According to The Denver Post, the Nuggets have as much as $28 million available and can make even more room under the cap to sign the right free agent. Dwyane Wade is looking for a multi-year contract, something the Denver Nuggets could accommodate while re-signing most of their own free agents this off-season.

Rumors suggest that only the team’s recent basketball results are keeping the Denver Nuggets from adding talent to their roster. While Denver has expressed interest in signing big name free agents, the problem the Nuggets will have in luring Dwyane Wade to their NBA franchise would be joining a squad that has not been in contention the past three years, according to The Denver Post article.

“Big-name free agents are hesitant to sign without seeing evidence of a winning product and the Nuggets have missed the playoffs the past three years. In addition, the Nuggets’ depth at all positions gives pause to would-be free agents who wonder how they’ll get substantial playing time, unless they are a proven impact player.”

Conversely, the Denver Nuggets could also use the boost of confidence signing a player like Dwyane Wade would provide to the team’s future free agent prospects. SB Nation reported that adding Dwyane could have an impact at the box office next season, too.

“[I]t would also be a huge sign to the rest of the league that the Nuggets are a team to take seriously. It would add a lot of credibility to the front office in the eyes of agents around the league. Wade would likely also be a huge selling point to fans that management is willing to spend to attract players that have found success at the highest level.”

But competition for the perennial all-star isn’t limited to the Denver Nuggets. Indeed, as many as four teams could be vying to sign Dwyane Wade, according to the Miami Herald. The Chicago Bulls, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks could all be in play for Dwyane Wade next season.

Chicago and Milwaukee have connections that could be appealing to the shooting guard. Dwyane Wade grew up watching the Bulls in his hometown of Chicago, while Milwaukee is only a short drive north of where the athlete attended college. Unlike the Denver Nuggets, the Bucks do not currently have the cap space to sign Dwyane Wade. Chicago, meanwhile, already has the productive Jimmy Butler starting for the Bulls, meaning the team would likely need to find a trade partner to avoid a logjam at the position.

The Dallas Mavericks are also believed to be considering Dwyane Wade for the 2016-2017 season. Their strategy could be to sign the 13-year veteran to a one-year deal worth at least $20 million, helping the team assemble enough talent to contend in the deep NBA Western Conference this season. A one-year deal would also give the Dallas Mavericks flexibility to preserve cap space in 2017 for what Mark Cuban considers a deeper free agency class, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News.

“Every player thinks it’s going to be a money train. There’s a lot of money, but there’s not that much money. I think there are going to be teams that save their cap room for next year because it’s going to be a better free-agent class.”

Other teams that were interested in Dwyane Wade have already reached financial agreements with other superstars this off-season. The New York Knicks signed guard Courtney Lee this weekend, ending the possibility of luring Dwyane Wade to the Big Apple, The Inquisitr reported.

[Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images]

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new york knicks dwyane wade dallas mavericks jimmy butler Denver Nuggets Chicago Bulls Milwaukee Bucks
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