Wade predicted Heat return: 'I always felt that one day it would happen'

Dwyane Wade is happy to be heading home.

Though a native of Chicago, it was with the Miami Heat with which Wade first made a name for himself in the NBA, leading the side to three NBA championships in the first 13 seasons of his career before opting to sign with his hometown Bulls two summers ago as a free agent.

Now, after being swapped for a second-round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers at Thursday's deadline, Wade is getting a chance to return to where it all began, though he didn't expect it to be this soon.

"I always felt that one day it would happen," Wade told The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds. "For me, it's always been a hope. You just don't know how or when you're going to get there."

Upon their arrival in Miami, Wade, and perhaps more notably, wife Gabrielle Union, looked ecstatic to ditch the frigid Cleveland air and be back in the warmer Florida weather. As for his role with the Heat, team president Pat Riley told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he expects Wade will be used in a reserve role, though he added the 36-year-old shooting guard "still has a lot left in the tank."

Wade is more than happy to come off the bench if he has to.

"Don't matter," Wade told Reynolds. "I can't wait to embrace whatever role I have."