Who is to blame for Dwyane Wade leaving the Miami Heat?

No One

I guess it is just human nature to blame someone when something bad happens. That’s why my take will be more controversial than any other take, when I say there is no one to blame for Wade’s departure from Miami.

With free agency, it has become more and more difficult for players to stay with one team their entire careers. Kobe Bryant tried to force a trade to the Bulls after Shaq was traded, Tim Duncan almost left the Spurs to make the NBA’s first big 3 with Grant Hill and T-Mac way back when, and even Dirk said he would have considered signing with the Heat had LeBron and Wade asked him instead of Bosh.

Staying with one team is a lot harder today than it has ever been. It is still weird to think of Paul Pierce wearing anything other than Celtic green.

Unlike most fans, both Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley saw the writing on the wall for the current Heat roster. Both felt the Heat roster, as currently constructed, was not going to be able to contend, no matter what Riley did this past off-season.

That is why Wade was ready to ask for a huge contract without regard to the roster and Riley was reluctant to hand out a huge contract for a player that was clearly starting to decline.

I do not blame Riley for prioritizing Whiteside over Wade, Whiteside represents the future, Wade the past. I don’t blame Riley for prioritizing Durant over Wade either, though that was always an extreme longshot. That longshot was the Heat’s best chance at jumping back into contending mode without major changes.

I also don’t blame Wade for feeling disrespected by Riley’s priorities. Egos are a fragile thing, and we both know both these guys have huge egos.

Wade leaving the Heat is unfortunate, but honestly, there isn’t anyone to blame for what happened. Sometimes things just happen because they have to. – Ehsan Kassim

Next: LeBron James