NBA Free Agency 2017: Dwyane Wade, Chicago Bulls Agree on Buyout; His Next Team Likely the Cavs
This week, basketball pro veteran Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls confirmed they have agreed to reach a buyout, which makes the player a free agent weeks before the new season starts. Meanwhile, there are several speculations that Wade is likely to join the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the reports that followed the confirmation of the buyout, it appears that Wade and the management of the Chicago Bulls have very different goals for the incoming season.
For the team, they are focused in undergoing a total rebuilding process. This also explains why in the past few months leading to the Wade buyout, Chicago has let go of the big names in their roster such as Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Meanwhile, Wade, who is now 36, is obviously looking to bag more championship wins. This was somehow implied when the Chicago Bulls VP of basketball operations John Paxson addressed the media recently and said (via the Chicago-Sun Times) that the front office understood if Wade "at this stage wants to play for a contending team."
Wade recently told the Associated Press in an interview: "My decision is a pure basketball decision and I'll make the one that fits me best at this point in my career, and with what I feel I have to offer a team that needs what I have to offer."
Meanwhile, with only a few weeks left before the NBA 2017-18 season starts and with training camps already kicking off, Wade needs to find a new team quickly. He then told the AP that he would take the first couple of days of this week to negotiate with the "teams or players that are on my list and go from there."
Since the confirmation of the buyout, Wade has never mentioned any of the teams he preferred. However, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the Cleveland Cavaliers was the "clear frontrunner with LeBron James."
Wade and James – with Chris Bosh completing the "Big 3" – were key players for the Miami Heat's championship win for the NBA 2012-13 season.
Having been able to share his first championship win with Wade is enough reason for James to be excited about the possibility of playing again with his co-Big 3 player.
In a recent press conference, James said: "I would love to have D-Wade a part of this team."
On the other hand, if a deal with Cleveland will not happen, other highly possible destinations for Wade include the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.
