Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem says he has actively been recruiting Dwyane Wayde to re-sign with the team heading into the 2018-19 season. Wade has not publicly announced any retirement plans, so his decision appears to still be up in the air.
From The Canadian Press via TSN.com:
“My mindset has always been for us to finish it together,” Haslem said “I want us to do a whole season together. Experience the road, dinner on the road, go through that whole process. I want us to experience that together.”
If Wade makes a return to the league, he and Haslem will be the only active players to have been on all three of the NBA championship teams the Heat have had. The 38-year-old Haslem is one of the oldest players in the league. He went undrafted out of the University of Florida in 2002. After playing professionally for in France for a single season, he signed a deal with the Heat, where he has played all 15 seasons of his NBA career.
Haslem was born in Miami and considers it to be a tremendous honor to wear his home team's colors. His numbers don't wow you, but his leadership, tenacity on the boards, and competitive nature have been a staple for the Heat organization over the years. Wade played for his hometown Chicago Bulls and joined LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers before making a return to Miami last year.
Wade was a highly coveted first-round draft pick out of Marquette and a perennial All-Star for years, while Haslem had to grind to make a place for himself in the NBA. However, both Wade and Haslem will always have a special bond with each other and the Heat organization. Seeing them leave the game in the same place they started would give their amazing journeys a storybook ending.
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