NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Extend Dwyane Wade Contract; Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside Deal Still Doubtful

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets
Feb 5, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) prepares to drive to the basket as he is defended by Charlotte Hornets forward center Frank Kaminsky (44) during the first half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat are turning themselves into a strong force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. With only a handful of games left before they can reach LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dwyane Wade squad has proven they can overcome adversities amid the injuries plaguing their team. Moreover, the absence of key stars on the roster gave rise to surprising basketball players in the form of Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng.

One of the crucial players on the Miami Heat roster is Wade. One of the closest buddies of King James, Wade struggled alongside Chris Bosh when the third member of their Big Three opted out of the team to form his championship squad. Since the departure of James from the Miami Heat, some fans felt that it might also be time for both Bosh and Wade to build their empires elsewhere. However, it looks like the 34-year-old NBA star has no intention of getting out of his current basketball squad.

"I go out there each year and try to do what I can within that season and I'm gonna try to do that until I don't want to do that no more," shared Wade, referring to the comment of Pat Riley that he can play for the Miami Heat until he turns 40. He added, "If God continues to bless me where I'm able to have the health to play, then I will do it. When I feel like I don't want to do it no more, hopefully I can walk away from it when that time comes. But I'm enjoying it, man. I really like this team. I really like the vibe that we're building in the city of Miami. No complaints here."

While Riley appears to be confident of Wade's future with the Miami Heat, the same could not be said for veteran Bosh. The latter has been suffering from injuries throughout the season, with the latest setback forcing him to sit out the majority of the games. Although the Miami Heat is supportive of his concerns, Riley has yet to officially comment on whether Bosh still has a spot on their roster.

"We're just supportive of Chris and what he's going through, and we're just going to wait and see what the future holds," said Riley of Bosh's situation. He added, "Right now, it's the way it is right now. There really isn't any comment. I have great empathy for the man. I just know how he wants to play, and so we'll just see where that goes."

Some fans believe that one of the reasons behind Riley's lack of conviction on Bosh's return is the continuous improvement of Whiteside. The younger star rose to fame when both Bosh and Wade were injured. Given the absence of two key players, the Miami Heat had no other recourse but to use a different gameplay. The more aggressive and fast-paced plays eventually highlighted Whiteside and his skills.

"I've never been around that kind of turnaround," commented Riley of Whiteside's improvement. He added, "We've had some players that we've opened our eyes upon, but I think what Hassan did last year and what he's doing now, his level of play- it's just all about more experience, more reps, understanding how important he is for us.

Riley added, "But in my 50 years in the NBA, I have never seen that kind of phenomenon. I know this is hurting me right now as far as his free agency goes because I'm complimenting him, but he's grown a lot."

What do you think? Should the Miami Heat still look into Chris Bosh and his return? Or is time for a new era to begin? Can Hassan Whiteside be the face of the Miami Heat next season?

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