Multiple sources are reporting that Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are both going to sign with the Miami Heat, and one source says they’ll announce their decision sometime today. The Sun-Sentinel confirms the report.
Whether LeBron James, the kingpin of this summer’s celebrated free agent class, will join them remains to be seen. James will announce his decision Thursday night at 9 ET during a one-hour special on ESPN.
Both players are expected to get the maximum amount allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, though the addition of James could change the players’ salaries. Contracts cannot be officially signed until July 8.
It was not immediately clear whether Bosh will sign with Miami outright or join the Heat through a sign-and-trade deal. Bosh could earn $125 million over six years via sign-and-trade, but only $96 million over five without it.
“Either way, he’s definitely going to Miami,” the source said.
Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo did not confirm the story, but he didn’t deny it, either. According to Heat beat writer Ira Winderman, Bosh’s decision blindsided the Raptors, who are now scrambling to get something in return.
It looks like Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov was right about Wade and Bosh joining forces in Miami.
It’s not clear where LeBron is heading, but if he has already scheduled his announcement for tomorrow night (9 PM ET) on the Worldwide Leader — pardon me while I throw up in my mouth a little — then he has already made up his mind. Why keep everyone hostage?
Recent events, especially the report that LeBron was trying to recruit Bosh for the Cavs, would indicate that he’s going to stay put in Cleveland, probably on a two- or three-year deal. I think if he were going to Miami, he would announce with Wade and Bosh, not drag this thing out further. (But who knows with this guy? For their part, the Heat think they have a real shot at LeBron.) Chicago, New Jersey and New York appear to be still in the running, probably in that order.
For what it’s worth, Adrian Wojnarowski said this on his Twitter page:
Official with team that made a formal presentation to LeBron James tells Y! Sports: “It’s down to Cleveland or Miami for him.”
The Wade/Bosh combo is huge news for the Heat, who retain their marquee player while adding an All-NBA big to be his running mate. Now Pat Riley has to get busy adding pieces to give this team a serviceable supporting cast. He probably can’t start in earnest until he finds out what LeBron is going to do.
The big loser? Barring an announcement that LeBron is heading to Chicago, it’s the Bulls. They need to get busy with Plan D or Plan E or whatever plans they have left. They should get Carlos Boozer and/or David Lee on the phone and get a deal in place. They could also use a shooting guard since they traded John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich away to dump salary.
