Dwyane Wade has been no stranger to injuries throughout his all-star career, and this season has been no different. He has been struggling with a sore foot, and most recently missed a big game against the Golden State Warriors.

The Heat have dealt with injuries throughout the 2013-2014 to some of their biggest stars, with Dwyane Wade falling victim to a foot and knee injury, and even Lebron James was forced to sit out for a couple of games.

The big NBA All-Star game that has been anticipated for months is coming up this Sunday, and his injury may force him to sit out of that game. He has played in the All-Star game multiple times, and was selected as a starter for the Eastern Conference for the 2014 game.

If he is not able to play, a replacement will be assigned to the team, while Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers may be a likely possibility to replace him after his outstanding first half of the season. The Pacers remain at the top of the conference with a record of 40-12, and despite the multiple injuries to the Heat, they are still in second place with a 37-14 record.

When speaking about the injury, Dwyane Wade said “First, I want this to calm down a little bit and get back to feeling regular and I will go from there…I’m not optimistic, I’m not pessimistic. I just wanna get better.”

The issue of Dwyane Wade’s health is a consistent issue for the Miami Heat, and has caused Lebron James to step up and take much of the load during their recent games. When Wade is healthy, he and James are one of the best duos in the league, but with his health in question, Lebron James’ free agency also comes into question. James wants to continue to win championships, and may not be able to do that without the help of another star.

At 32 years old, the best days of Wade’s career may be over, and Wednesday’s game was the 15th game that he was forced to miss out on during the current season. He was most recently diagnosed with foot drop, which causes an inability to lift the front part of the foot.

Either Kyle Lowry or Lance Stephenson should take Dwyane Wade's place if he misses the All-Star game.

— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) February 13, 2014

Dwyane Wade is still planning to fly to New Orleans with the possibility of the playing in the 2014 NBA All-Star game, but it is likely that he will continue to rest, and not take the chance of making anything worse. He will continue getting treatment from the team trainer while in New Orleans.

Image via Wikimedia Commons