So, in a previous blog post I pretty much laughed off the idea of Dwyane Wade going to the Lakers this summer, but this morning I'm going to reverse course a bit.

It still seems unlikely to me that Wade would seriously entertain leaving the Heat for Los Angeles, but the idea shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. After all, there is one major faction of Team Wade that would certainly be thrilled with Wade joining Kobe Bryant next season. That entity is Li Ning, Wade's shoe company.

Wade signed with Li Ning during the height of the Heat's popularity, and while his "Way of Wade" shoes have only increased in quality since then, the brand probably benefited by Wade playing with LeBron. Wade's shoes have a niche following here in the United States, but the large majority of the product's sales come from the Chinese market. In China, Wade's shoes are popular, but not anywhere near the top of the market. Among active players, Kobe has long lorded over the Chinese shoe market with LeBron coming in second.

Seen through the prism of sneaker sales, Wade moving to the Lakers starts to make sense. (Well, at least it doesn't seem quite so crazy.) Wade's popularity in China would probably enjoy a substantial bump if he paired up with Bryant for the season-long farewell tour, and that could mean more money through sneaker sales. Wade is already well paid by Li Ning, but he could make much, much more if his shoes surged in popularity.

So, let's play this thing out...Wade opts out of his final season with the Heat, and then flies to China to begin free agency. After a nationwide shoe tour, Wade ends his journey in Shanghai, where he announces with an international press conference that he's joining Kobe in Los Angeles...Wade plays with Kobe, and then Wade headlines by himself in Los Angeles for a few years before finishing his career with the Shanghai Sharks and becoming a Chinese shoe mogul.

Yeah...before we venture any further down this rabbit hole, let me point out that the best way to sell shoes internationally might still be the old-fashioned way, by beating LeBron on the court in the playoffs. The Heat, and its projected lineup for next season, probably gives Wade the best chance of doing that.