Dwyane Wade has never desired to coach in the NBA, but after seeing what some locker room leaders are making not to coach, the retired Hall of Famer might be persuaded to change his mind. Monty Williams walked away with a $65 million buyout after a disastrous tenure with the Detroit Pistons last season, and now Mike Budenholzer will be cashing in a similar check for the same reason.
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Wade joked about coaching after seeing how much Coach Bud, who was fired after just one year, would bring in after the Phoenix Suns fired him. Budenholzer has had a successful stint in the league, including helping guide the Milwaukee Bucks to a championship in 2021, but it simply didn’t work out in Phoenix.
With $56 million coming his way to not coach, though, Budenholzer probably doesn’t feel too bad. Getting paid that much to do nothing is intriguing to anyone, even Wade, who shared his thoughts on Instagram after seeing the hefty eight-figure paycheck.
“Sheesh!!! I guess I’m going to buy a clipboard today,” the Heat legend wrote over the news of Budenholzer’s firing and the money he’d be paid out over the next several seasons. The three-time champion pulled in nearly $200 million throughout his illustrious playing career, but it required plenty of blood, sweat, and tears.
Dwyane Wade is a troll! pic.twitter.com/0A2HNeHk63
— Top NBA Fan (@TopNBAFanToday) April 16, 2025
Despite the 43-year-old’s humorous trolling, it’s unlikely Wade will step into the coaching ring any time soon. The Flash has made it known that his wife and children are his top priority at this stage in his life, and while he does like to join a broadcast from time to time, Wade has downplayed the idea of that type of commitment.
Dwyane Wade doesn’t see himself as a coach in the NBA
Most top players don’t like to close the door on any opportunity that presents itself after retirement, but Dwyane Wade adamantly shut down the possibility of him beginning a coaching career after hanging it up. He simply has no desire to coach.
“I don’t want to be a coach. That’s not my expertise. That’s not my strength as a basketball mind,” Wade said. “I don’t want to go back and live the same schedule that I just retired from. Coaches live the same schedule and even worse, because they got to be there before you and after. I don’t want that life. Not at all.”
After 16 years of hard work and travel, Wade’s sentiment is understandable. With a young family still at home and a wife he was often away from throughout the latter half of his career, Wade appears content with just an occasional broadcast appearance for now.
