According to reports, unrestricted free agent shooting guard Dwyane Wade has agreed to a two-year, $47.5 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on Thursday.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical broke the news on Wednesday night:
Dwyane Wade has informed the Bulls he plans to sign a deal with them, sources tell @TheVertical. Bulls sending out contracts now.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2016
Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago then reported the terms of the deal:
While I was on air, Bulls confirm 2 years and $47.5 million for Wade
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) July 7, 2016
Report: Dwyane Wade Agrees to Contract with Chicago Bulls
The contract will take Wade through the 2017-18 season. According to Wojnarowski, the deal includes a player option for the second season, meaning that Wade can choose to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent again in the 2017 off-season.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com originally reported on June 28th that Wade might explore other options in free agency after talks with his incumbent team, the Miami Heat, started out slowly. Wade was reportedly angry because the Heat started with a low-ball offer worth about $10 million per year, a paltry amount for a player of Wade’s caliber, especially in comparison to some of the hefty contracts that have been agreed to thus far in free agency. Reports about Wade potentially signing with teams such as the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks all came out since free agency started on July 1st. But in the end, it came down to signing the Bulls or staying in Miami. Wade chose to sign with the Bulls, his hometown team, with whom he also met as an unrestricted free agent back in 2010.
Despite turning 34 years old this past January, Wade continued to play at a high level and earned a 12th consecutive All-Star appearance last season. He averaged 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last year for the Heat, playing in all but eight regular season games.
For Chicago, Wade will bring veteran leadership to the Bulls. He can still post up smaller shooting guards, get to the rim, and make mid-range jumpers, especially out of isolation plays. Wade also has sneaky court vision, which allows him to find teammates for open three-pointers and easy baskets inside. He’ll look to help revitalize the Bulls and help them make a playoff run next year, after Chicago missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008.
The dynamic between Wade and the Bulls recently signed point guard, Rajon Rondo, is something to keep an eye on. Both Wade and Rondo are talented players, but neither can shoot beyond mid-range, and Rondo can’t even do that at a high level. They’re also two ball-dominant guards, which may make it very tough for them to share the floor, as each player usually needs the ball in his hands to be effective. When motivated, both can be great two-way players, but their best years are behind them and it may be difficult for the two of them to co-exist. The signing of Wade indicates that the Bulls are aiming to be competitive next season, but they might need to trade All-Star Jimmy Butler anyway. Butler needs the ball in his hands, just like Wade and Rondo, and he primarily played shooting guard last season. Even if Butler slides up to the small forward position, it remains to be seen whether he’ll want to play with the other guards, as he and Rose struggled when on the floor together last season. Butler’s name cycled through trade rumors on draft day, and the Boston Celtics are still reportedly interested in acquiring him.
In order to sign Wade at this price, the Bulls need to clear some cap space. According to Wojnarowski, they are already finalizing trades that will send small forward Mike Dunleavy to the Cleveland Cavaliers and newly-acquired point guard Jose Calderon to the Los Angeles Lakers. Calderon was traded to the Bulls less than two weeks ago in a deal that saw former MVP Derrick Rose head to New York.
Wade spent the first thirteen years of his NBA career in Miami, after the Heat selected him fifth overall in the famous 2003 NBA Draft. He’ll start a new chapter of his career now that he’s back in his hometown of Chicago.
Check out the LWOS 2016 NBA Free Agency Tracker for all of your NBA free agency coverage, and be sure to follow @LastWordHoops on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest NBA news.
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