Dwyane Wade wants nothing but the best for his friend and former coach David Fizdale, which is why the retiring Miami Heat guard will be rooting for the Knicks in free agency this summer.
Wade, who will play his final game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, has faith Fizdale can take the Knicks in the right direction and hopes the head coach can lure the top free agents to New York this summer.
"We'll see," Wade said at Saturday's shootaround. "It's his second head-coaching job but first time in a role like this in New York. You hope so. I'm a big fan of his, he's a good friend of mine. I hope so."
The 37-year-old developed a close relationship with Fizdale when the Knicks coach was an assistant on the Miami Heat staff during the Big Three era of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
The Knicks would like to build a Big Three of their own and are expected to pursue Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency and hope that their NBA-worst 14-61 record lands them the top pick in the NBA Draft -- which would most likely be Duke phenom Zion Williamson.
It would give Fizdale the necessary talent to build a winner in New York, which he does not have in his first year with the Knicks.
"I see you ain't happy with his first year here with these questions," Wade added. "It's a long road. It takes a long time to implement what you're trying to do, especially when you've had guys in and out and don't know who's going to be in the lineup.
"It takes time and the right talent, too. It's going to take time to build it in New York. He knew that. If you don't have the right personnel in the league, you don't got a chance. It's not an easy system."