Dwyane Wade Felt "Betrayed" When Heat Gave $98-Million Contract To Ex-Teammate

With the Miami Heat under scrutiny for not taking care of Jimmy Butler financially, Dwyane Wade explains why he left the team in 2016.

Fans have blamed Pat Riley for the Heat’s current predicament but Wade was more critical of team owner Micky Arison.

On the Underground Lounge podcast with Lou Williams and Spank Horton, Wade explained his eventual exit came when Arison refused to pay him what he wanted.

“At the end of the day, Chris got his max, but Chris ain’t selling no (expletive) tickets,” Wade said. “You see those jerseys in here? They’re coming to see the kid. So pay me my due, and we’ll be good. I ain’t asking for a lot. The next year, I said hey, I’m opting out and I did. My agent was sick at the time, and I brought the Arisons into my home because we could negotiate this ourselves. So I wanted a three-year deal to take me out, and I wanted a certain amount of money. And they wouldn’t do it.”

Wade explained that he felt betrayed mainly because the Heat paid others over him despite coming off an All-Star season and for everything else he did for the franchise.

“They wanted to be big players in free agency, and they wanted to go after Kevin Durant,” Wade explained. “We had Hassan Whiteside, who was the player that came out of the G-League and had a great year, but he was up for $100 million. And I’m sitting here like, `I want young fella to get his money, but y’all about to give him money over me?' Like, take care of me first, then take care of young fella. They didn’t do that, and they didn’t get Kevin Durant. Now I’m getting pissed because my phone once again is not ringing and I just came off a good year. These moments right here are the moments of teaching, and I have to teach my kids how to stand up for their (expletive) selves. I just can’t keep taking it.”'

MIAMI HEAT’S DAVION MITCHELL NOW IN CLASS WITH LEBRON JAMES, JIMMY BUTLER

Despite lacking a flashy playstyle, Davion Mitchell is still highly effective in what the Miami Heat want.

After losing Gabe Vincent to free agency in 2023, the Heat lacked an elite defensive point guard with a high offensive upside. Mitchell has solved this problem completely. Since being traded to the Heat from the Toronto Raptors, he has been their best perimeter defender.

Through seven games with the Heat, Mitchell averaged 10 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals on 55.1 percent shooting and 46.2 percent from three-point range. 

His three-point shooting is a significant reason for his tremendous impact on the Heat beyond his defensive capabilities. Against the Atlanta Hawks, Mitchell joined an elite company in the history of the Heat franchise. After LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, he became the most recent Heat player to record at least 20 points, five assists, and two steals on 85 percent shooting in a game.

HEAT VS HAWKS TAKEAWAYS: THE MIAMI HEAT BOUNCE BACK WITH BEST GAME OF THE YEAR

The Miami Heat (27-30) avoided three consecutive losses with a dominant victory against the Atlanta Hawks (27-32) 131-109.

Here’s a look at four major takeaways from the matchup:

1. Duncan Robinson had one of his best games of the year.

Robinson finished with 24 points, five rebounds, and six assists on 56.3 percent shooting and 46.2 percent from three-point range. After their worst three-point shooting performance of the year, Robinson’s six threes were a significant reason this was one of the Heat’s best. They need Robinson’s elite shooting to help unlock their offense.

2. Tyler Herro finished with his ninth double-double of the season.

Herro finished with 24 points, two rebounds, and 10 assists on 43.8 percent shooting and 50 percent from three-point range. Beyond his four threes, his best attribute was his playmaking. He got into the paint several times and swung the ball to the perimeter, where many players could knock down their shots. 

3. Haywood Highsmith returned to the rotation and did not disappoint. 

After falling out of the rotation since the Jimmy Butler trade, Highsmith finally got some playing time, and his contributions were everywhere. He finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 80 percent shooting and 80 percent from three-point range. Highsmith’s season-high four offensive rebounds constantly led to three-point shots all game. He showed his value defensively by switching onto Trae Young several times for key defensive stops and finished with one steal and one block.

4. Davion Mitchell had his best game on the Heat.

Mitchell finished with 20 points, two steals, and six assists on 87.5 percent shooting and 100 percent from his five attempts from three-point range. Mitchell only missed one shot all game. His role as the starting point guard will develop in time, but the Heat have been missing his ability to knock down threes while being an elite defender since they let Gabe Vincent walk in 2023.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook