As expected, Dwyane Wade will become a free agent Wednesday, and when he does, the three-time NBA champion will be looking to cash in on a big pay day.

According to ESPN, the Miami Heat shooting guard decided to opt out of his $16.1 million salary for next season and will hit free agency this summer. Since he has given generous team discounts, $27 million on the table throughout his career, D-Wade wants to be rewarded for those sacrifices.

Wade, 33, is believed to be seeking a deal that would pay him at least $16 million in each of the next three seasons. Although Heat president Pat Riley wouldn't want to see Wade leave Miami the way LeBron James did last summer, he has been pretty rigid about keeping a flexible salary cap moving forward. So, that all adds up to the crossroads that Wade and the Heat are at now. 

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Helping the cause is the Heat's commitment to rebuild a winner. After selecting Justise Winslow with the 10th pick in the NBA Draft last Thursday night, the Heat picked up a $10.1 million option on small forward Luol Deng. That should definitely signal the organization's will to win.

Wade has played his entire 12-year career with the Heat.

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