Heat Fans Should Wish Wade Well if He Joins LeBron in Cleveland

Dwyane Wade has a big decision to make. The Miami Heat legend clearly wants to leave the Chicago Bulls, who blew up their roster in the off-season after a disappointing year. But where to go? Heat fans have dreamed of him coming back to Dade County, but there’s another equally strong possibility: rejoining LeBron James, this time on the hated Cleveland Cavaliers.

At this moment, all signs point to Wade’s decision making Heat fans want to dry-heave.

Between reports that the Bulls’ younger players grew tired of Wade’s veteran, do-it-the-right-way presence in the locker room last season and the Bulls transitioning from a fringe playoff team in the Eastern Conference to one retooling for the future, it’s pretty clear Wade’s homecoming honeymoon is over. At some point in the near future, the Bulls and Wade will divorce via a contractual buyout, and he will once again be a free agent.

Like any thirsty ex, Heat fans have been monitoring the status of the Wade-Bulls breakup for some time, ready to pounce on the rebound like Hassan Whiteside. What a story it would be, right? Wade coming back to Miami just 12 months after departing, with him acknowledging that playing for any other team just feels gross. Wade would have to transition from depended-upon superstar to a sixth man, still capable of carrying the team sometimes but much more relied upon to give the Heat spurts of greatness and a strong veteran presence.

The thought of Wade returned to Miami to be a role-player for a fraction of the money he made here in the past seems too good to be true. That’s probably because it is.

Reports out of Cleveland claim if Wade indeed becomes a free agent in the near future, LeBron and his crew think Wade joining the Cavaliers is a lock. Yeah, that sentiment probably isn’t going to go over well in Miami.

Heat fans shouldn’t fret, though. Not every tale has a storybook ending. If Wade chooses to repay the favor LeBron made when he joined Miami, Heat fans should respect that move – especially if the majority of Heat fans think there isn’t a true place on the Heat’s roster for Wade and his current style of play.

LeBron helped Wade put numerous cherries on top of his career, so if he chooses to head to Cleveland for a few months to chase one last title, he shouldn’t be viewed as a traitor. Wade is a loyal basketball player, something Miami found out many times over his career.

If anything, Heat fans should be happy that Wade might get one last shot at a title in Cleveland, because it’s unlikely to happen in Miami anytime soon. Whatever makes Wade happy should be good enough for Heat fans, because he made them happy on countless nights since 2003.