It seems like only a matter of time before Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls reach an agreement on a contract buyout, and some have wondered if he would entertain the thought of returning to the Miami Heat. One player who is hoping for a reunion with Wade is Udonis Haslem.
Haslem, who has spent 14 years with the Heat and won three championships with Wade in Miami, said he would “love” if Wade decided to finish his career where it started.
“I would love to have him back, everybody knows that,” Haslem said over the weekend, via Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “Not only is he a great competitor, great teammate I learned a lot from but also a friend of mine, I consider him a brother.
“I just want Dwyane to be happy. This is the last lap for us both. We deserve to finish it the right way. Whatever makes him happy finishing his career. … hopefully it’s in Miami. I would love for it to be Miami. I want him to finish it right and have no regrets.”
Wade’s one season with his hometown Bulls did not work out, and he never really wanted to leave Miami. The 12-time NBA All-Star simply got tired of taking discounts so other players could get paid, and even Pat Riley admitted that he should have handled the situation differently.
It remains to be seen if Wade could bury the hatchet with Riley, but Haslem says he and Dwyane have spoken about teaming up again.
“We talked about finishing our careers together,” he said. “We really want it to be the case. Plans change. So if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t put any strain on our relationship but it’s still a goal of mine. Hopefully we can end it that way.”
If you heard some of the reasons why Wade said he left the Heat, it seems unlikely that he will play for them again. But, as we know, you never say never in professional sports. You’d be surprised how quickly people can make amends.
