Back in the mid-2000s, the Miami Heat were riding high. Fresh off their 2006 NBA championship, the franchise had a core that blended star power with grit, and at the center of that identity was Udonis Haslem - the ultimate glue guy, the enforcer, the heartbeat of the locker room. But as Haslem recently revealed, his tenure with the Heat almost took a dramatic turn.
In a conversation that’s since gone viral, Haslem shared that he was once part of a proposed trade package that would’ve sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for none other than Allen Iverson. Yes, that Allen Iverson - the cultural icon, former MVP, and one of the most electrifying guards the league has ever seen.
Naturally, Haslem was stunned when he found out he’d been included in the talks. He wasn’t just a role player - he was a foundational piece of the Heat’s identity. So when he got the chance to ask Dwyane Wade about it during an appearance on NBA on Prime, he didn’t hesitate to put his longtime teammate on the spot.
Wade didn’t dodge the question. In fact, he leaned right into it, confirming that the conversation with team president Pat Riley did happen.
“Riles came in to talk to me about the possibility of trading for Allen Iverson,” Wade said. “That’s one of my favorite players, and I love him.
I was like, ‘Bet! Let’s do it!’
He was like, ‘You in?’ I said, ‘I’m in.’”
You can’t blame Wade for being excited. Iverson was still a dominant force in the league - a player who could take over games and electrify crowds. Pairing him with Wade, who was already establishing himself as one of the league’s premier two-way guards, would’ve made for a backcourt nightmare.
But then came the catch.
“Then he was like, ‘We’re going to have to trade UD.’ I said, ‘I’m out.’
That was it, I was out,” Wade said. “I love AI, but AI wasn’t going to stick up for me.
He wasn’t going to fight for me. He wasn’t going to take no fines for me or nothing.”
That wasn’t just loyalty talking - it was respect. Wade knew what Haslem brought to the team went beyond the box score.
He wasn’t just a rebounder or a tough defender. He was the guy who held the locker room together.
The one who would get in your face in practice, take a charge in the fourth quarter, and back up his teammates no matter what.
And Wade wasn’t wrong. Early in his career, Haslem was one of the best defensive power forwards in the league. He played a pivotal role in the Heat’s 2006 title run, doing the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in highlight reels but wins championships.
According to Wade, the deal was dangerously close to happening.
“Whenever Pat Riley is involved in making a move, you’re always close,” Wade said. “Iverson sounded great until the heart and soul of the team had to go, and that just wasn’t going to be.”
That moment - that decision - may have changed the course of Heat history. Haslem stayed put.
Iverson never came to Miami. And Haslem went on to become a franchise icon, spending 20 seasons in a Heat uniform and earning his place as one of the most respected veterans in the NBA.
Looking back, it’s one of those fascinating “what if” moments. What if Wade had given the green light?
What if Haslem had gone to Philly? Would he have carved out the same kind of legacy?
Would the Heat have still built the culture they’re known for today?
We’ll never know. But what we do know is this: Wade’s loyalty kept the soul of the Heat intact.
And Haslem? He didn’t just stay - he became the standard.