He didn’t say the exact words, but worrying about a contract after a set deadline, means you’re likely to be looking to sign a new one.
During his appearance on ABC as a guest analyst for the Finals, Wade indicated in some form — that he will opt out of his deal with the Miami Heat, thus making him a free agent.
“Well, listen, it’s summer time,” Wade said when asked about his contract. “So when summer time and free agency [come together], it’s going to be a lot of talk. And right now, I’m glad that the Finals is going and we’re here.
“And we’ll worry about that in July. Right now, we’re going to focus on these Finals.”
If Wade was opting in, there would be nothing to worry about or even discuss. Discussing his contract in July means he’ll likely be in search of a new one at that time.
I’m not sure Wade gets $16 million from anyone next season, but he could get close to $35-$40 million over three-years, so it could make sense.