Heat’s Wade expected to bypass extension

McClatchy Newspapers

MIAMI — For at least a month, Heat president Pat Riley had the paperwork ready, the fax machine warmed up and the phone lines cleared for this moment.

Yet it could be days or weeks — if not months or a year — until there’s an answer from guard Dwyane Wade.

Barring an 11th-hour change in philosophy — literally — Wade was expected to bypass his first opportunity to sign a contract extension today at 12:01 a.m.

“You work all of your career to put yourself in position to have options like this — and I just want to look into all of my options,” Wade said as he approached the opening of a one-year window to extend his contract. “You only get so many years to be at the top of your game and blessed to be an elite player in this league. We won a championship here, and I want us to do all we can to give ourselves a chance to go and win it all again.”

It has been three years since Wade signed the first extension on his 2003 rookie contract after he led the Heat to a title in 2006.

But in the weeks leading to his latest opportunity to extend, Wade has repeatedly said he wants Miami to make roster moves to get back into title contention before he makes another long-term commitment.

Wade, 27, has two more seasons and about $33 million remaining on his contract. He can play out those two seasons and become a free agent in 2011, which is unlikely. He could also sign a three-year, $60 million extension at any time until June 30.

But the most likely scenario is that Wade, coming off the most statistically productive season in his six-year career, elects to bypass the extension and opt out of his contract next summer to become a free agent.

Mulling over contract details wasn’t the only task on Wade’s itinerary today. Wade and his team of personal and business representatives will be at AmericanAirlines Arena today for The Summer Groove all-star basketball game to cap a week of charity events Wade is co-sponsoring with Alonzo Mourning.

Henry Thomas, Wade’s Chicago-based agent, said recently Wade had not ruled out an extension and looked forward to seeing what contract and roster plans Riley would present.