Following the solid season he had with the Miami Heat, Dion Waiters emerged as one of the better shooting guards in the league today. He has proven that he can be a reliable scorer who is never afraid to take on big shots, especially when the game is on the line.
Although Waiters made it clear early that he prefers to stay in South Beach, his contract negotiations were delayed as his team was awaiting the decision of Gordon Hayward first. However, when the All-Star small forward chose the Boston Celtics, the Heat did not waste time in offering a new deal to the mercurial shooting guard.
He may have signed a four-year deal worth $52 million to remain with the Heat, but a former teammate of his with the Oklahoma City Thunder in current Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant thinks that Dion Waiters could’ve made more money. The reigning Finals MVP recently made an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he shared his thoughts about the Syracuse product settling for a smaller deal, while adding that Waiters knows it’s his fault why he is sitting on a lesser-sized contract.
“Hell yeah. He should have got more, but he knows that's his fault. He could have got more. He (expletive) around.”
Last summer, Dion Waiters did not generate a lot of interest from teams around the league, until he agreed to join the Heat on a very conservative one-year deal. He made the most of the opportunity and showcased his impressive skillset throughout the season. The 25-year-old was also one of the reasons why his team was able to turn around their fortunes during the second half of the campaign and only missed out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker.
While $52 million is certainly not a small amount, Durant believes that Waiters is worth more than that, especially with the talent he has. For the Heat guard on the other hand, it could be that money wasn't a big issue, as long as he is happy with his teammates and the culture the Heat have in place.
Follow Us
Subscribe