Free-agent guard Dwyane Wade has been offered a three-year, $25 million contract by the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, according to Chinese media reports.
The deal, which is before taxes, would make Wade the highest-paid player in China, slightly ahead of Andray Blatche, who plays for Xinjiang in the Chinese Basketball Association.
It also would be one of the largest overseas deals ever. Josh Childress received $6 million after taxes from Greek club Olympiacos in 2008.
Wade, 36, finished last season with the Miami Heat, the team he has played for the majority of his 15 seasons. The 12-time All-Star averaged 11.4 points in 67 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Heat last season. He has averaged 22.5 points per game in his career but hasn’t averaged at least 20 points in a season since 2014-15 with the Heat.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, because the Heat are currently above the NBA’s salary cap, the most they can offer Wade for next season is $5.3 million (the mid-level taxpayer exception).
Wade recently signed a lifetime pact with Chinese apparel company Li Ning and was in China for a promotional tour. He said earlier this month that he would make a decision on his future once he returned to the United States from that tour.
Source: ESPN