August 12, 2016
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It's the moment NBA fans were waiting nearly two months for, and Thursday night's reveal of the 2016-17 NBA schedule certainly lived up to the hype. The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will play in several must-watch games this season, but one particular storyline is already garnering plenty of buzz on the secondary ticket market.
Kevin Durant's decision to join the Warriors sent seismic waves across the league last month, strengthening a team that already boasts superstars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. However, just days later, Dwyane Wade signed with the Chicago Bulls, ending a fruitful 13-year career with the Miami Heat.
Wade's departure has already caused prices to skyrocket for his sole game back at AmericanAirlines Arena this season. In fact, Miami Heat tickets against the Bulls for the November 10 game are already more expensive than LeBron James' two games back in Miami after joining the Cleveland Cavaliers two seasons ago. Check out the side-by-side ticket prices below, according to TicketIQ:
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As it stands now, the average resale price for Wade's first game back in Miami on November 10 is $495.09. That is 11% more expensive than LeBron's first visit as a member of the Cavaliers on Christmas Day 2014, where tickets averaged $446.28. If looking just to get into see Wade play in November, the cheapest tickets are currently listed from $127.
Wade caps a Miami career that yielded three championships, a Finals MVP in 2006, 12 All-Star selections, a scoring title in 2009 and two All-NBA first team selections. He is the Heat's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Alonzo Mourning by more than 10,000 career points. He'll join a new-look Bulls team that parted ways with stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah this offseason. The Bulls broke a seven-year playoff berth streak last season despite a winning record of 42-40.
As for LeBron, he recently signed a three-year, $100 million deal with the Cavaliers after bringing Cleveland its first professional sports title since 1964. He'll earn $31 million during the 2016-17 NBA season, making him the highest-paid player in NBA history.
