Learning Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade was becoming a part-owner of the Utah Jazz wasn’t just a shock to fans, but an unexpected development for the franchise’s front office.
Adding insult to injury, Wade’s son, Zaire Wade, 19, is expected to sign a contract with the Salt Lake City Stars, the G League affiliate for the Jazz, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charnia.
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“Zaire Wade, the son of Dwyane Wade, is signing a contract in the NBA G League and is expected to join the Utah Jazz’s affiliate Salt Lake City Stars. Dwyane Wade is a part-owner of the Jazz,” Charania tweeted.
It would’ve been a full-circle moment if Wade, who helped bring three NBA titles to Miami, had a son who then played for the Heat, but that dream has now been shelved.
Zaire Wade was a point guard at Sierra Canyon School in California, but in April 2020, transferred to the Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He’s set to graduate as part of the 2021 class, per ABC 4.
While Wade attended college at Marquette University in Milwaukee before becoming the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, it appears his son will be skipping his collegiate career and go straight into the professional league system.
Zaire Wade, who’s 6-foot-3, and 170 pounds, was given a scout grade of 76 out of 100 by ESPN, and received college offers from Toledo, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and DePaul University.
Wade Explained Why He Chose the Utah Jazz Over Not Just the Miami Heat, But Any Other NBA Franchise
So why did Wade ultimately choose to become an owner in Utah over Miami? The first reason is Wade’s relationship with Jazz owner Ryan Smith.
“Ryan and I have been friends for a while,” Wade told GQ. Ryan is 42 years old and I’m 39. He’s in a business and space in tech that I want to one day get in and learn more about. And I know what I can bring to the table from a basketball standpoint and he sees my values. It just was the right fit.”
The second reason Wade was lured to Utah was the distance between his home in Southern California and Salt Lake City.
“I live in LA, man. Utah is an hour and 15-minute flight right over the mountains. Everything was right for this phase in my life. For this part in my life [ownership with the Miami Heat] wasn’t the step I wanted to take… Once you retire and you aren’t a player anymore, it’s about business. And you have to put yourself in a situation for the best business opportunity for you and your family. And Utah was that for me.”
Heat Owner Micky Arison Said He Offered Wade a Chance to Be an Owner in Miami
When the news first broke that Wade would become an owner for the Jazz, it was largely assumed that Heat owner Micky Arison never offered the former MVP a piece of the team, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Immediately after Wade announced in mid-April that he’d be joining the Jazz, Arison put out a strong statement on the issue. Arison tweeted, “I want to congratulate Dwyane on his recent announcement. We had discussed having him join our ownership group after his retirement but he was not prepared to commit at the time. Of course, I am disappointed that he didn’t reconsider.”
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