The contract negotiation between Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat seems to be going downhill as the team reportedly offered him less than $10 million per year while he wants a maximum salary.

According to SB Nation's Satchel Price, the Heat recently offered Wade a salary of less than $10 million to play for them next season if he decides to opt out of his current contract. This is another significant pay cut, which is something that the three-time NBA champion and 11-time All-Star finds offensively too low for someone like him.

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Actually, Wade has been playing for the Heat at a bargain price for as many years as he would have wanted. Before the 2010-2011 season, Wade agreed to take a pay cut for Miami to form a super-team composed of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Last summer, he opted out of his two-year $41.6 million contract to settle for another two-year agreement valued at $31 million only. He is set to receive $16 million next season if he decides to opt in his contract right now. However, if he opts out, then he has to accept the even lesser offer or he can test the free agency waters for more lucrative offers from other teams.

At this juncture, the Heat management seems to be pushing Wade to sign up and play for another team this October because of their stinginess. Even at age 33, D-Wade is still considered a top-level talent in the league, and he definitely deserves a max contract as he believes so.

But Wade is willing to receive a little under the max if the Heat wants to retain him. CBS Sports' Ananth Pandian reports that D-Wade would welcome a one-year $20 million contract to stay in Miami.

This absolutely makes sense from a player's perspective when you consider all the things that Wade has accomplished and contributed to the success of the franchise. If the Los Angeles Lakers can give Kobe Bryant a $23.5 million per year salary for only playing a fraction of the regular season, why can't Miami give something a little lower than that to D-Wade who had been the face of the Heat franchise as Kobe had been the face of the Lakers?

As Slam Online's Marcel Mutoni reported, there is a huge divide between Wade and the Heat right now, and the team's management is said to be firm on preparing for next summer's potential acquisition of Kevin Durant.

If Miami gives in to Wade's asking price, which is what they should rightfully do, then the dream of acquiring Durant may finally be over.

TagsNBA 2014, NBA news, NBA News 2015, NBA rumors, NBA Rumors 2015, dwayne wade