Wade said he appreciates the tension created by him and James having yet to commit to their current teams beyond this season. But he also reiterated that the Heat remains his focus, both now and in the future.

"As I continue to say, you can take comments any way you want: From Day One, I continue to say that my main focus is I want to be here, in Miami, for the long haul," Wade said. "I want to be one of those players that retires in Miami. My job is also to make sure that we get the best players down here, so we can win championships."

Wade said what he wants to see now is growth from within.

"People are going to say what they want to say," he said, "but I'm always going to do my job to make sure that we continue to help better our team."

No matter who talks or doesn't talk, Wade said he appreciates the interest in how next summer will shake out.

"No one knows," he said. "It's the unknown and uncertainty of what happens, and that's what makes it a good story."

CAVALIERS 111, HEAT 104: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade put on one of their typical Heat-Cavalier shows, with Wade winning the scoring battle 36-34, but losing the game. James now holds an 11-9 edge over Wade in head-to-head match-ups. The Heat fell behind by the game's only double-digit deficit when Wade dared take a breather at the start of the fourth quarter.