The Chicago Bulls are getting younger, and Dwyane Wade is getting older. Is Wade already making moves for an eventual buyout?
After a one-year vacation in Chicago, Dwyane Wade may yet again be on the move.
The Chicago Bulls and Wade are expected to reach a buyout agreement, and ESPN’s Nick Friedell reports that should happen “in the coming months.” That would put Wade on the open market and, while he’s not the All-Star level player he was a few seasons ago, he’s still a capable and impactful player. Connecting the dots is easy: Miami and Cleveland make the most sense.
According to Miami sports radio host Andy Slater, Wade has moved his kids from Chicago and enrolled them in school in South Florida. Also, as documented on his Snapchat, Wade was recently in Miami teaching his kid how to drive (in a flippin’ Ferrari, by the way).
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And so the speculation of Wade returning to Miami–where he spent the first 13 seasons of his career and won three NBA titles–grows. But hold up. According to Cleveland.com’s Jo Verdon, people close to LeBron James believe Wade will be playing for the Cavaliers next season.
"As of right now, people close to James are fairly confident that, at some point this year, Dwyane Wade is going to end up on the Cavs."
Before Wade rejoins the Heat or his buddy LeBron, however, he first needs to get bought out by the Bulls. Wade is set to earn $23.8 million this season, and Chicago doesn’t want to pay that to Wade just so that he doesn’t play for them. Likewise, Wade shouldn’t be expected to give up and cash to facilitate a buyout. Chances are, he’ll end up with a big portion of what he’s owed.
Wade can still help a contender. He is a season removed from making the Eastern Conference All-Star team and, in the 2014-15 season, averaged 21.5 points and 4.8 assists per game. Without Wade last season, the Heat missed the playoffs due to a tie-breaker with Wade’s Bulls.
If he were to rejoin the Heat, it’s unclear what kind of role it would be in. Miami is set in the backcourt, with Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters developing a chemistry last season that never materialized between Dragic and Wade. Wade played in a three-guard lineup for much of last season in Chicago, and Miami played a lot of three-guard units last season as well. They could start all three of them. But, along with Hassan Whiteside, that’s four non-All-Stars who need the ball to be effective. Wade may consider coming off the bench in a Manu Ginobili-type role, but that seems like a longshot.
That could open the door for Cleveland. The Cavaliers still need more ball handling since LeBron not-so-politely asked for it, and Wade fits the bill. Wade could start at shooting guard or even “point guard” if Kyrie Irving is traded. LeBron, after all, is the de facto ball handler. There would actually be less of an adjustment than if he were to re-sign with the Heat, since he knows already how to play with LeBron.
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We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Wade. He’s not a free agent yet. The Heat and the Cavaliers make sense as eventual landing spots, but other teams may emerge as well.