Chicago Bulls Trade Rumors: Would Dealing Dwyane Wade Be a Good Move for the Team?
Wade will be a free agent at the end of the 2017-18 NBA season
The Chicago Bulls are rebuilding. That much was clear after the team's biggest move this offseason that involved trading away versatile star Jimmy Butler. But is there another deal in the works, one that may even concern veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade?
Wade certainly stands out among the Bulls' collection of talented yet raw youngsters.
A quick look at the Bulls' roster on NBA.com reveals that the team will likely be giving many minutes to young players this upcoming season.
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That strategy in and of itself is not a bad one as going through the growing pains now can help young players better prepare themselves for the seasons ahead. However, it is hard to see how that plan of attack can benefit the aforementioned Wade.
Wade is a unique kind of NBA veteran in that he does not need to "chase rings" – he was a member of three championship teams – but is his place really with this iteration of the Bulls?
What should the Bulls even do with Wade?
An option that has gained traction recently involves the Bulls buying out Wade, but the team does not stand to benefit much from that aside from potentially saving dollars depending on the terms of the deal.
It is possible that the Bulls may look to trade Wade, but that too is not guaranteed to bring back any significant return.
Though Wade is far from being a bad player, he is not the same elite scorer that he was earlier in his career. Plus, with only one year left on his current contract, it is hard to see any team offering any kind of valuable long-term asset to acquire a possible rotation player who will likely hit the free agent market in a year anyway.
At this point, the Bulls may just be better off keeping Wade and having him serve as a mentor to the young players in need of some guidance as they try to get settled in to the NBA life.
Wade himself seems to be okay with the idea of remaining a member of the Bulls, as he told the Chicago Tribune recently that he intends to attends training camp with the team as soon as that gets underway.
A veteran on the downside of his career like Wade may not offer much trade value, but the Bulls' young players may be more than happy to have someone wise to the ways of the league around as they go through the upcoming NBA season.
