One pervading thought about the upcoming 2010 free agent NBA class is that some teams (read Knicks, Nets ) hope to attract two max-out players. The thinking is one might attract the other.
Well, if the Knicks and Nets are thinking of perhaps using Dwyane Wade as a lure for the like of LeBron James, they might want to re-think the position. That's because Wade isn't even thinking of them. "Not in my mind," Wade said yesterday when asked if the Knicks and Nets had a shot at his services. "I'm not thinking about the Knicks or the Nets . Only when we play them."
Wade was at the Meadowlands for filming of the movie, "Just Wright," with Queen Latifah and Common. He was bombarded with the usual free agent questions and admitted Miami is the clear-cut favorite to keep him - despite building a new house in his hometown Chicago. So talks with the Heat continue.
"I haven't ruled it out yet. We're still talking. I owe the Heat that much to really consider it. And I'm a loyal person and I'm with a loyal organization so I'm going to do my homework, make sure I'm making the right decision," he said.
"A lot of times, I just smile and keep it moving. When I'm in Chicago I get, 'Come home, come next year.' So I just say it's going to be a big year around the sport and I think the players in it are going to make the best decisions for them and their families," Wade added.
The Knicks have appeal, especially with the whole New York package, Wade claimed. But don't discount the Nets - at least for other free agents.
"It's a good organization," Wade said of New Jersey. "It's a class organization and when the time is right, they're going to go get the players they need to get. I think people around the league see that. They've had success, especially when J. Kidd was here . . . so everyone knows this organization has the want to be great. It's just about if they get the players. They've got some now. Devin Harris is a great, great star. He's a centerpiece."
There's a problem for the Knicks: the roster. Both the Nets and Knicks will have $20-plus million to spend. But the Nets have Harris, Brook Lopez and Courtney Lee, all young studs, already in place.
"Guys know they ( Nets ) will be in the mix because they're setting themselves up to be there," Wade said. "It's not a bad city. There's going to be some chatter about the Nets when they come around. I know the main chatter right now is about the other side, New York, but I'm sure the Nets are going to get some love as well."
