Dwyane Wade is already preparing for his "big change", acknowledging that he will seek therapy when he leaves the NBA.

The veteran Miami Heat guard is retiring following his 16th season in the league and expects that he will struggle to adapt, despite having previously been sceptical of seeing a therapist.

Wade's career could end with the regular season - the Heat are half a game out of playoff contention - but he knows what he will be doing in retirement.

"I'll be in therapy. Seriously," Wade told ESPN. "I meant it - it is going to be a big change. I told my wife, I said, 'I need to do therapy, and we need to do a little bit'.

"I was always against someone that doesn't know me telling me how to live my life or giving me instructions. But I need someone to talk to about it. Because it is a big change.

"Even though I've got a long life to live, other great things I can accomplish and do, it's not this. So it's going to be different."

Regardless of exactly when his career comes to an end, Wade has enjoyed a final season that has brought tributes around the NBA.

He added: "It's been surreal. It's like you have this vision of how you want things to go with everything in life. And when something surpasses that vision, it's like an out-of-body experience.

"I couldn't have written this book any better. This is a best-seller. And I couldn't have written it about my life."

Wade, 37, is averaging 14.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his final season. 

The three-time NBA champion and 2006 Finals MVP is playing just over 25 minutes per game. He is averaging 17 points in the team's past five games.

"I'm gonna go out the way D-Wade's supposed to go out" Wade said. "You know what I mean? I think it helps, too, that we are in this playoff battle. Because I'm just trying to win."