MIAMI -- The "Big 3" have all made the same big decision. Now it's up to the Miami Heat to keep their stars happy.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh told the Heat on Saturday they are opting out of their contracts and will become free agents Tuesday -- the same decision that LeBron James revealed earlier in the week. Udonis Haslem also told the Heat he will not pick up his $4.6 million option for next season.
Strange as it may sound, all those decisions to become free agents are considered good for the Heat, since those four moves free up about $66 million in what would have been salary for next season. It also gives Miami plenty of flexibility to lure those players back into new deals, plus have enough money left over to make additional roster upgrades.
"Dwyane has been the cornerstone of our organization for over a decade, and we hope he remains a part of the Heat family for life," Heat President Pat Riley said. "Udonis has been the heartbeat of this team for 11 years. He has sacrificed countless times to make this organization successful, and he is the epitome of what this organization stands for.
"We look forward to meeting with Dwyane and Udonis and their agent in the coming days to discuss our future together."
The Heat did not immediately confirm Bosh's decision. A person with knowledge of the move said Bosh told the Heat that not only is he opting out, but that he is hoping to find a way to stay in Miami.
"We want this to work out, and I think we'll find a way to get it done," Bosh told The Associated Press shortly after the Heat lost in the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs.
Haslem expressed the same sentiment.
"We all want the same thing around here," Haslem said at the end of the season.
It's expected that each of the "Big 3" will talk to other teams when the free-agent shopping window opens Tuesday. James has been mentioned already as a target of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team for whom he spent his first seven seasons before he, Wade and Bosh teamed up in Miami during the summer of 2010.
But things are already looking good for Miami, which retained the rights to former Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier on draft night. Napier just happened to be James' favorite player in the draft.
In the deals they signed with Miami, all three had the option to become free agents either this summer or next. There is obviously no guarantee that any will return to the Heat, but it's also hard to envision all three going their separate ways after making four trips to the NBA Finals together and winning two championships.
"We've got a lot of room for flexibility," Riley said as the offseason started. "There is a tremendous amount of flexibility depending on what happens. We're ready.
"Now, do I feel any pressure? No, I don't. I don't feel any pressure at all. I'm going to do the best job that I can do, and we will all do the best job we can do. I don't think we have to recruit Chris and LeBron and Dwyane again."
Sports on 06/29/2014