The Reality Of The Bucks (Potentially) Signing Dwyane Wade

If you’re a true fan of the NBA, this is arguably your favorite time of the year.

With the NBA Finals in the rear-view mirror, the draft and the upcoming free agency have taken precedence. For the Bucks, the draft has usually been the source of where the team finds their biggest upgrades, wherever they need it.

However, this year looks to be like a different animal.

Armed with almost $23 million in cap space, the Bucks have been linked to some pretty big names like Brook Lopez and Tyson Chandler in this summer’s free agency period.

But one name has gone from being a long shot to growing as being a legitimate free agent option for the Bucks.

That name is Dwyane Wade.

A couple of weeks ago, we here at BTBP explored the option of Wade possibly coming to Milwaukee. At the time it was a longshot no doubt, but with the growing divide between Wade and the Heat, the rumors have intensified surrounding Wade and him possibly finding a new home.

This is where the Bucks come in.

Because of the very sizeable cap space the Bucks currently have, it certainly makes sense financially for the team to make a run at Wade and likewise for Wade to use Milwaukee as leverage to the Heat for them to give into Wade’s demands.

But that’s about as far as it makes sense for the Bucks.

Don’t get me wrong, Wade would be a great addition for the Bucks.

At 33, he’s still capable of playing at an All-Star type level, as evidenced by his eleven straight All-Star selections and he would certainly attract fans to come out for games for the opportunity to see him play.

But there’s a long list of possible ramifications in potentially signing Wade.

While still capable of playing at a high level, Wade hasn’t been able to coming close to playing a full season of basketball in about 5 years. Add that to his growing knee injuries and that’s trouble waiting for any team.

Along with his injury concerns, the question of how Wade would fit is probably the biggest concern.

One of the team’s biggest needs is perimeter shooting, and while being a very efficient scorer in his own right, Wade does little to move the needle from beyond the arc, as he’s been a career 29 percent shooter from beyond the arc, per Basketball-Reference.com.

And if the Bucks really prioritize re-signing Khris Middleton (and they really do), how does Wade fit on the court and into the salary books with what the Bucks have?

Now in a hypothetical scenario, would Wade be an interesting option as a sixth man type role in the vein of Manu Ginobili? Absolutely and teams could look at Wade to fulfill such a role.

However, is that something that he would entertain, especially from a team like the Bucks? Not in the slightest, especially at the money and long-term security he looks to be wanting.

Wade has been playing his cards right in this situation with the Heat. He’s been attracting teams, from the Clippers, Lakers and even the Cavs along with possibly the Bucks to pardon the pun, turn the heat up on Miami to see if they’ll give into his demands/compromise.

But the Heat are having trouble committing to Wade in a long-term sense, as well as the very expensive price tag that could come along with it.

It comes to down to this: if the team that Wade helped bring 3 championships to is a little skittish to committing to him long-term, shouldn’t not only Milwaukee but every other team in the league feel the same way?

Bringing Wade back to Milwaukee would no doubt make for a great story as he arguably was a part of the last biggest success story when it comes to basketball around the city when he was a member of Marquette’s final four run a little over a decade ago.

But what could the Bucks offer Wade besides money that no other team can? And if you’re building an up and coming team with very high aspirations, is now the right time to sign a proven but costly veteran?

Stranger things have happened, but Wade using other teams like the Bucks as leverage is smart on Wade’s part in terms of getting what he ultimately wants from Miami.

But if the divide grows between him and Miami, possible suitors like the Bucks have to really think about the long-term effects of bringing in Wade. And that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Bucks have bigger needs to address during this off-season.

While seeing Wade in green and cream colors would certainly raise the team’s profile and be a nice story to see, it looks like nothing more than a pipe dream.

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