Chicago Bulls NBA Trade and Roster Rumors: Dwyane Wade Felt the Bulls Misled Him
The Bulls' front office duo of John Paxson and Gar Forman have made several questionable decisions in the past few years. Firing Tom Thibodeau and diminishing all he has done for the franchise was just one of them. Former franchise cornerstones Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng also ended their tenure in Chicago on a sour note.
And now HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy has reported that Dwyane Wade felt that the Bulls' front office lied to him so he would opt-in to the final year of his contract.
"As his June 27 deadline to opt-in to the final year of his contract approached, the veteran shooting guard wanted assurances from the front office that the Bulls would field a competitive team during the 2017–18 season. Wade didn't want to opt-in and then watch the franchise enter a rebuilding period. Sources close to the situation say that Wade received those assurances. Jimmy Butler was also given the impression that he wouldn't be traded, according to league sources," Kennedy said.
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Well, that would explain why Butler's trainer, Travelle Gaines, criticized the Bulls by saying that the organization has the "worst culture in the league." At least Butler's happy to be reunited with Thibodeau in Minnesota.
The Bulls actually traded Butler to the Timberwolves a day after Wade opted in, so he's obviously not happy with the way he was blindsided. His relationship with the Bulls' front office tandem has clearly deteriorated, and it might only be a matter of time before he's bought out of his contract.
The Bulls could have saved themselves the trouble by informing Wade that they were going to go through a rebuild before he opted in. Now they will have to negotiate a buyout with the 12-time All-Star.
The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be the frontrunners to sign him if he leaves the Bulls, and they are reportedly going to put him in the starting lineup once he joins them.
