When the 2017-18 NBA offseason started, the fate of Dwyane Wade was one of the biggest topics of discussion. Wade had a player option for the 2017-18 season where he could opt out and become a free agent or he could accept the option and get paid $23.8 million to play for the Chicago Bulls for the season. To almost no one's shock, Dwyane chose to accept the option and take the big money year - possibly the last he will ever see of that size at the age of 35.
The Chicago Bulls want to get younger
The problem is that the Chicago Bulls want to get younger.
There was a monster trade at the NBA Draft that saw the Bulls send their best overall player Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves and received little of substance in return. ESPN graded the trade an "F" on the part of the Bulls and it was obvious that Chicago was planning to rebuild from the ground up.
With Jimmy Butler, the "Face of the Bulls," no longer even a Bull, Chicago executive vice president John Paxson said that the team wanted to "go young" and build the team up with a youth movement. The problem is that Dwyane Wade is 35 and Rajon Rondo is an old 31.
Knowing that he won't make $23 million anywhere else, Dwyane Wade opted into his contract year knowing there was now little chance for a title in Chicago.
Now, the Chicago Bulls have to decide what to do about it.
John Paxson said Dwyane Wade trade has to be for something
When it comes to Dwyane Wade playing for an NBA contender in 2016-17, the Chicago Bulls have made it clear that they won't give him away and get nothing in return. Sure, the Bulls let Jimmy Butler - a much better player at this point in their careers- leave for little but this time it is not about talent - it is about money.
John Paxson said that if Dwyane Wade changes his mind and wants to play somewhere else this upcoming season, he will have to pay the Chicago Bulls back a large amount of the player option he agreed to last week. It is thought that Wade had every intention of playing for the Bulls but that agreement was made before they traded Jimmy Butler and threw away the 2017-18 NBA season.
Not only did the Chicago Bulls trade away Jimmy Butler, but they also might choose not to bring back Rajon Rondo either, continuing the demolish the team around Dwyane Wade. Paxson said that he feels that Wade will stay in Chicago as they rebuild, much as he did in Miami. However, Dwyane was younger in Miami and now he sees the end of his career coming and rebuilding now would cause a lot of heartaches to end a great career.
