Death of a dynasty: the avoidable end of Miami Heat’s Big Three era……

In sports, prosperous periods come and go, and dynasties are more difficult to uphold than ever because of the prospect of free agency wealth, rising pay caps, and contract disputes between rivals.

Miami’s legendary Big Three of Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh have been reduced to one with the shocking departure of the team’s cornerstone, Dwyane Wade, who has agreed to a two-year deal with his hometown Chicago Bulls. There are significant questions regarding whether Bosh will ever play professionally again.

LeBron James was not retained despite four straight visits to the finals and two championships, though they probably should have been. Dwyane Wade also felt that the opportunity to cap off his incredible career and leave a lasting legacy as a one-club man wasn’t enough.

What then went wrong?

Sadly, Miami will have a difficult time placing the blame elsewhere than on itself for this championship empire’s premature collapse.

After a stellar 13-year career that produced three Heat championships, Wade decided to leave the franchise that drafted him. This was not an easy choice; rather, it was the result of years of conflict over free agency and unfulfilled sacrifice.

More than anybody else, Wade worked to mediate the agreement with his pal, having initially agreed to lighten his wallet in order to bring LeBron James to Miami. Of the Big Three, he was the one with the lowest salary.

James quickly returned to Cleveland, and Wade had to concede once more in order to maintain Chris Bosh and attract the players needed to keep Miami competitive.

Wade was challenged to perform once more this summer as Miami prepared to discard him in its disastrous, Hail Mary pursuit of Kevin Durant, while the stormy, immature, and still completely unknown center Hassan Whiteside walked away with a four-year, $98 million maximum contract.

Wade was challenged to perform once more this summer as Miami prepared to discard him in its disastrous, Hail Mary pursuit of Kevin Durant, while the stormy, immature, and still completely unknown center Hassan Whiteside walked away with a four-year, $98 million maximum contract.
But in a gratuitously inflated free agency period that followed a raise in the salary cap, the man who had never been the highest paid player on the Heat wanted his market worth. He desired that Miami fulfill the promises made to him throughout the years that he would be taken care of.
He received an insulting offer of $10 million for the 2016–17 season (via the Vertical), which amounted to a 50% salary reduction, in a week when players in his position signed unbelievable deals. Over four years, Portland gave Evan Turner $70 million.