Dwyane Wade wants to retire as a member of the Miami Heat

Dwyane Wade may have said goodbye to the Miami Heat last summer for the Chicago Bulls, and just signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he still wants to retire in South Beach.

Last summer, NBA superstar Dwyane Wade broke the hearts of Miami Heat fans everywhere.

After both feeling ignored by president Pat Riley and not liking the deal the organization offered up, Wade said goodbye to South Beach and headed home to the Chicago Bulls.

(If you can really call a place you have not lived in for over 13 years home, anyway.)

It did not matter that it was not much of a homecoming. Or that the Bulls ended up finishing with the same record as the Heat. It did not even help that Wade was clearly aware he had made the wrong decision. It was still painful to see the guard put on that red uniform, and go to work for another franchise. One that could never even begin to appreciate him the way Miami always had.

Then news of a looming buyout came. Although the veteran had opted-in to the second year of his Chicago contract, after Jimmy Butler was traded, it was a wrap. And so began the possibility of Wade returning to the Heat.

Not everyone felt the same way about that though.

While some were ready to welcome the three-time champion back with open arms, others wished him well but said there was no longer a place for him on the current team.

But in the end, it did not matter. Because yesterday, it was officially announced that Wade would be signing with the Cavaliers, on a one-year, $2.3 million deal.

Cue heartbreak number two.

Now, no one should have been surprised by this news. Best friend and former teammate LeBron James has been trying to play alongside Wade again for years now. And although there were rumors of the guard considering joining Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Russell Westbrook via the Oklahoma City Thunder, and still the chance he came back to Miami, nothing made quite as much sense as heading to Cleveland.

After all, why would he not want to team up with James again? Especially when for now, it seems only the Cavaliers have a chance to dethrone the Golden State Warriors.

Yet, not everyone took it so well.

While people may not be burning any jerseys, a part of Heat Nation did not take kindly to Wade joining the so-called enemy.

(Despite James’ departure no longer seeming to have any impact on the present Heat narrative.)

However, there may be hope for a return still.

Recently, Wade spoke on his desire to retire in South Beach.

"“Miami, the door’s always unlocked. One day I want to retire in a Miami Heat jersey. I don’t know how that will happen, but I definitely want to make sure that when I decide to hang it up, that jersey is on. Whether it’s being back there or signing a one-day deal like Paul Pierce, I want to make sure that I go out the way I came in.”"

So why did he forgo returning now?

"“Honestly, I didn’t feel they needed me there. I feel that those guys are in a good place. They deserve to come back this year and see what that 30-11 was about. They don’t need me there over their shoulder or anything like that. That’s kind of how I approached it.”"

And he was not wrong. It would have been great having the face of the franchise back, but Miami’s success moving forward is in no way dependent on that.

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Will Dwyane Wade be back in a Miami Heat uniform one day? All signs point to yes. But for now, it is time for the team to go to work without him.