Dwyane Wade recently met with the Chicago Bulls management for his season-ending player meeting. The 35-year old Shooting Guard met with the team's management to discuss the future and hopefully, both sides will agree on the same terms. Wade has a player option on his contract for the next season and it is expected of him to opt in since it will bring him a lot of money.
On the other side, there is a chance that Wade opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent. If he does so, he will be one of the top shooting guards on the market and a lot of teams would be interested in his services.
Considering that his first season with the Chicago Bulls was rather disappointing, there is a possibility that the veteran guard will take his talents elsewhere, or maybe go back to Miami.
Dwyane Wade's player option is valuable
Last summer, Dwyane Wade signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bulls and he has a player option on the second year of it. The option is worth $23.8 million and because of its value, most people predict he will exercise it and stay with the Bulls for another year.
Since he is 35 and no longer in his prime, Wade most likely wouldn't be offered $24 million or more, if he was a free agent. Opting out of his contract would mean that he will hit the free-agent mark and potentially lose a lot of money.
Despite his experience, multiple championships and high basketball IQ, it is very unlikely that NBA teams would be willing to offer the shooting guard a huge contract.
Even though salary cap will reportedly increase to $102 million for the next season, Wade's big contract would be a liability and the Chicago Bulls will also have to deal with it if he decides to stay with the team.
Will D-Wade join another team?
Dwyane Wade has until June 27 to decide whether he will opt in or choose to sign a new deal. However, if he decides to the latter, he will undoubtedly become one of the top targets in the free agency.
Earlier this year, the shooting guard mentioned Jimmy Butler, who influenced his free-agency decision last summer.
"At the end of the day it is a me decision," Wade said in late April. "Everyone knows that Jimmy's my guy, and I'm here because of our conversation. But a lot of it depends on the whole big picture."
If he decides to pursue a new deal, he knows that he could always come back to Miami. However, another possibility would be teaming up with LeBron James and helping the Cleveland Cavaliers reclaim their championship title.
