8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (Unrestricted)
Dwyane Wade being a force in the NBA has been a known certainty for over a decade at this point as he’s been at the top of the league for quite some time with the Miami Heat. Despite showing a bit of decline over the past few years, though, Wade has still shown that he can dip into the time machine and get it done on big stages.
However, Wade is in an interesting position as he enters free agency this offseason. Considering that he’s 34 years old and was near in a impasse with the Heat the last time that they had contract negotiations (this was just last offseason, for what it’s worth) that could potentially leave a tricky bit of negotiations on the table for D-Wade and the team that he’s led for so long at this point—especially if he’s looking to make $20 million per year again.
With that being said, you have to hope that the Lakers are smart enough to stay away from Wade in free agency. While he would obviously bring a brand and star power, he’s not a player that makes a bit of sense for a team trying to usher in a new era. As such, the hope is that the Lakers have no shot at signing Wade—but you never know.
Next: No. 7 DeRozan