The New York Knicks are in dire need of an upgrade at shooting guard. Might future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade be an option?
The Miami Heat are approaching what may be the most influential offseason in franchise history. Roughly $48 million of guaranteed money has been invested already, which leaves around $46 million in cap space.
Yet, as Miami prepares to reload with money to spend, it seems to have more reasons for concern than optimism—and that includes the future of franchise player Dwyane Wade.
Both Wade and coveted center Hassan Whiteside will be unrestricted free agents come July 1. The cap space certainly exists to re-sign both, but the rising salary cap also means an increase in the value of a max contract.
There’s also the heartbreaking question of whether or not Chris Bosh will play again, which places the entirety of the Heat’s future in question.
Clearly, the likelihood of the New York Knicks signing Wade is not especially high. Wade has spent his entire 13-year career with the Heat, and it stands to reason that, now 34, he’ll look to sign a long-term deal and then retire in Miami.
If only to do his due diligence, however, Knicks team president Phil Jackson should look into the possibility of bringing Wade to New York. These are five reasons it would work.
Next: Filling The Void
5. Positional Void
The New York Knicks have a well-documented need to improve at point guard. Lost in that discussion, however, is the harsh reality that the Knicks are even weaker at the other guard spot.
Dwyane Wade may not be the athlete he once was, but he remains one of the best shooting guards in the NBA.
Wade finished the 2015-16 season with averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 30.5 minutes of action per game. He did so on 45.6 percent shooting from the field, which ranked No. 7 among shooting guards.
At his position, Wade ranked No. 7 in scoring, No. 5 in assists, and No. 8 in rebounds.
In the playoffs, Wade elevated his game to even greater heights. In 14 appearances, he averaged 21.4 points on 46.9 percent shooting, displaying many of the traits that make him a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Wade may not be able to provide 82 games of elite production, but he still has a high enough ceiling to help a team make the playoffs.
Next: When It Counts
4. Clutch Heroics
The New York Knicks have one of the best clutch performers of this generation in Carmelo Anthony. For as masterful as he’s proven to be in late-game situations, Anthony can’t lead the fourth quarter attack on his own.
Assuming the Knicks were able to sign Dwyane Wade, they’d become a significantly more balanced and dangerous team in the final minutes of play.
As previously alluded to, Wade averaged 21.4 points on 46.9 percent shooting during the 2016 NBA Playoffs. There was a healthy 14-game sample size, during which the 34-year-old exceeded 20 points in eight different outings.
Most importantly, Wade routinely stepped up during late-game situations.
Wade, a three-time NBA champion with a Finals MVP award, lives for the biggest of moments. He never seems to be mentally overwhelmed, which is the perfect characteristic for a mentor on a young team.
Wade’s ability to thrive in clutch situations would help the Knicks win games, and teach the younger players how to compose themselves in the clutch..
Next: The New Mentality
3. Winning Culture
The New York Knicks need to win games. That seems like the most basic evaluation imaginable, but New York has missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, and 11 of the past 15 years.
By signing Dwyane Wade, the Knicks would effectively build a winning culture in New York.
Carmelo Anthony is an outstanding player who has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. Wade, however, is a three-time champion who has made five NBA Finals appearances during his 13-year career.
Simply put, a duo of Anthony and Wade would be expected to help the Knicks enter the championship discussion.
That’s one of the major keys to building a winning culture. Even when a team doesn’t have an on-paper shot at a ring, the leaders must convince the supporting cast that falling short of a championship would still be a failure—that winning a ring is the only goal.
Adding Wade to a locker room that already has Anthony and Robin Lopez would create a culture of winning with no other expectations.
Next: The Future
2. Developing Porzingis
As previously alluded to, signing Dwyane Wade would go a long way towards completing the process of building a winning culture. The most important aspect of that result would be its influence on the development of Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis needs to get his first taste of postseason basketball, and the sooner that happens, the better the organization will be because of it.
Since entering the NBA in 2003, Wade has missed the playoffs just twice. In other words, a Wade-led team has qualified for the playoffs in 11 of the past 13 seasons, with three championship runs and an additional two NBA Finals appearances in 2011 and 2014.
If Wade can simply continue to contribute what he did in 2015-16, that should be enough for Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony to shoulder the remaining majority of the workload.
Porzingis had an outstanding rookie season, but it was tough to see New York miss the postseason. No one knows how ready they are for the NBA Playoffs until they get there, and that’s a necessary truth to acknowledge for Porzingis.
If any group of veterans can help Porzingis make the playoffs in 2016-17, then it’d be Wade, Anthony and Robin Lopez.
Next: The Star Duo
1. The Brotherhood
The single most noteworthy aspect of this potential pursuit is the possibility of Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade joining forces. Anthony and Wade are close friends off the court, and future Hall of Famers due to their work on it.
Together, that dynamic duo could lead the New York Knicks back to the postseason.
LeBron James made waves when he told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report that he’d like to play with his closest friends. Joining James as members of said, “Brotherhood,” are Anthony, Chris Paul, and Wade.
Anthony and Wade can become the first members of The Brotherhood to play on the same team since Wade and James won two championships in Miami.
For Anthony, it’s been quite some time since he had a viable No. 2 scoring option—a role Wade can fill. For Wade, he’d get an opportunity to help one of his closest friends escape the shadows of star-caliber mediocrity.
There’s no telling how much more he has left in the tank, but Wade is an all-time talent who can help legitimize the Knicks as a playoff team.
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If the Heat push him away, the New York Knicks should pounce and sign Dwyane Wade.