Updated: May 6, 2009, 6:55 PM ET
Heat discuss Wade contract extension
Associated Press
MIAMI -- Pat Riley's plan to make the Miami Heat better in 2010 might start with signing Dwyane Wade in 2009.
The Heat president said Wednesday that the team has already broached the topic of getting Wade to extend his contract this summer, instead of waiting for the potentially blockbuster-filled offseason of 2010.
Riley called Wade's future in Miami "absolutely" the top priority for the Heat right now.
"We would love to get a commitment," Riley said. "I mean, he's our franchise player. We've spent seven years together. We won a world championship with him. We love him to death. He's irreplaceable. ... But we also understand that he has the right to wait."
Wade is among several All-Stars who could be free agents next year.
Wade said earlier this week he hasn't spent much time thinking about his contract status, but has indicated repeatedly that he has no desire to leave Miami. He's part of an All-Star group -- including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant and others -- who could find new homes after next season since he has the right to cancel the final year of his deal with the Heat and test free-agent waters.
But Riley's plan all along has been keeping salary space open for that critical summer to re-sign Wade, add another max-contract-worthy star to play alongside him, and retain other talent in order to lure free agents into looking at Miami. The Heat raised their win total by 28 from a year ago and took Atlanta to seven games in the first playoff round.
"It's on everybody's mind," Riley said. "We want to build the very best team we can build here. We want Dwyane to be the centerpiece. We want to bring in players around him that complement him, that he can complement, that also complement other players. There's no doubt that we feel a need to do that."
Part of that plan, Riley said, also includes Miami's young core -- starting point guard Mario Chalmers, 3-point shootout champion Daequan Cook, and perhaps most importantly Michael Beasley, last year's No. 2 overall pick who played largely as a reserve this season and still emerged into Miami's second-leading scorer behind Wade.
[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4146990"]Miami Heat president Riley: Dwyane Wade contract talks in progress - ESPN[/ame]
This is ALL nice...but it will not be safe until he signs the contract....
