Will Kevin Durant Face LeBron James And Dwyane Wade In Next Year’s NBA Finals?

The ripple effect of Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors is being felt across the NBA. And currently, that ripple has found its way to Cleveland, where LeBron James and the defending champion Cavaliers are trying to lure Dwyane Wade into the fold.

As reported by Complex, LeBron and the Cavs just started following Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union on Twitter, causing a fury of speculation on social media that a possible reunion between James and Wade could be on the horizon. Of course, it’s only a rumor at this moment, but one made relevant after Dwyane reportedly turned down a two year, $40 million dollar offer from the Heat, as originally reported by Tim Reynolds of the AP.

Source tells AP: Heat offer Dwyane Wade 2 yrs, $40M. Player option for second year.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) July 4, 2016

Brian Windhorst of ESPN, meanwhile, is reporting that Wade is currently demanding at least $50 million over the same two years, a price tag the Heat just aren’t willing to budge on.

“Dwyane Wade’s representatives have told teams that the All-Star shooting guard is seeking a deal worth around $50 million over two years, currently leaving the salary cap-strapped Miami Heat short.”

Wade is apparently miffed, according to the Miami Herald, that the Heat prioritized the aforementioned Kevin Durant, who eventually went on to sign with the Golden State Warriors for a shocking two-year contract. The Heat also retained Hassan Whiteside who, according to rumors, didn’t always get along well in the Heat locker room.

“Wade and the Heat are not on great terms. That is coming from both sides. ‘Ugly’ has been the common descriptor. Wade did not feel like the Heat prioritized him…. again. The Heat wanted Wade to be patient, while it was securing Hassan Whiteside and trying to land Kevin Durant.”

Enter LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who is right now vacationing with Dwyane and Gabrielle Union in Spain. Having already secured the first championship in Cavalier history, LeBron is in no mood to slow down in his quest for more rings and is no doubt filling Wade with thoughts of donning a Cavs uniform and playing beside him once again.

And while Ohio Dot Com is reporting that the Cavs don’t have much in the way of salary to offer Wade at the moment, they could dump both Imam Shumpert and Kevin Love to help free up the cap space necessary to both sign Wade and retain LeBron James, who is currently a free agent as well.

And while Kevin Love played a nice series against Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals, if LeBron and the Cavs hope to compete against the new “Big Four” in San Francisco that now includes Kevin Durant alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, James is going to need the kind of help Wade can provide.

In fact, according to Yabada, a sign-and-trade deal between the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers has been explored, which would make sense considering Love’s salary is close to the asking price of Dwyane Wade.

If the Cavs deal with Wade falls through, the Denver Nuggets have reportedly offered the requisite $50 million that Wade is asking for, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.

The Nuggets’ two-year offer to Dwayne Wade is north of $50 million, according to league sources, with Denver still hopeful Wade accepts it.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 6, 2016

The Cavs meanwhile are also reportedly exploring trades with the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins that would find Kevin Love heading out to the West Coast instead.

Whatever ends up happening, one thing is certain: this has been an NBA free agency to remember.

[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]