Haslem: We'd love to have Wade back on Heat

The Dwyane Wade Era in South Beach may not be over after all.

The veteran shooting guard left the Miami Heat last summer after spending the first 13 years of his NBA career with the club. Wade joined the Chicago Bulls, and after an up-and-down campaign, he picked up the player option for 2017-18.

But that doesn't necessarily mean he's sticking around with his hometown team, as the two sides will reportedly reach a buyout in the coming months.

When that happens, the 35-year-old may have the option of returning to his old stomping grounds. His former teammate and close friend Udonis Haslem indicated the Heat would welcome him back.

"My advice to him is, 'Hey, we'd love to have you but take it one step at a time, take it one day at a time," Haslem said Thursday, as transcribed by Palm Beach Post's Tom D'Angelo. "The situation with Chicago and everything that's going on it's just a frustrating situation on both sides and I think he just made a decision based on frustration."

Haslem, who entered the league with Wade and played alongside him for the entirety of his Miami stint, has been determined to eventually bring Wade back so they can end their careers where they started. Now with Chicago apparently poised for a rebuild, a reunion could be in order.

"We kind of understand the direction Chicago is going in," Haslem said.

However, as nice as it'd be to ride off into the sunset together, Wade still has some decent years left in him and may consider latching on with a contender to chase a ring.

"We kind of understand the direction that Dwyane wants to go in the last couple of years of his career," added Haslem, who won three championships with Wade. "The business side of things sometimes doesn't always allow both sides to co-exist."

Wade has career averages of 23.3 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. With the Heat, he earned 12 All-Star nods, 2006 Finals MVP honors, and the 2009 scoring title.