Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside welcomed a possible reunion with Dwyane Wade, who is rumored to be working a buyout with the Chicago Bulls. When asked by Ira Winderman of Sun-Sentinel about Wade rejoining the Heat, Whiteside said: “It’d be great.” Whiteside added that Wade would be a great addition to the team as a former three-time NBA champion helping out. Whiteside, who played two years alongside Wade with the Heat, said there would be no concerns about the return of the franchise's all-time leading scorer and his role under coach Erik Spoelstra’s offense.
Whiteside called Wade as a “great basketball-IQ guy” and a great scorer who can help the team in any way he can.
Wayne Ellington, who joined the Heat after Wade signed a two-year, $47.5 million deal with the Bulls, said he welcomes Wade’s possible return to the Heat, saying the team well respects him during his 13 seasons in South Beach. Ellington also downplayed speculations that Wade could disrupt the roster that Spoelstra established with his return. The Heat selected Bam Adebayo in the first round of the NBA Draft and signed former Boston Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk to a four-year, $50 million deal. The Heat also retained their core by signing Dion Waiters and James Johnson to long-term deals.
Haslem also welcomed Wade’s possible return
Earlier, veteran forward Udonis Haslem said the Heat are ready to welcome Wade with open arms. Wade led the Heat to three NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013 before he left last season and joined the Bulls, where he averaged just 18.3 points in 60 games, the lowest scoring output of his career since his rookie year.
Despite an uneventful season with the Bulls, Wade exercised the $23.8 million player option in his contract.
However, after Wade exercised the player option in his contract, the Bulls shipped All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, signaling a change in the team’s direction. According to Nick Friedell of ESPN, the Bulls might buy out Wade’s contract in the coming months, giving him a chance to join another team before the regular season begins.
The Heat can sign Wade using their full $4.3 million room exception.
Wade could join Cavaliers
If he chooses to, Wade can also reunite with former Heat teammate LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who can sign him through their available $2.4 million taxpayer mid-level exception. Wade and James played together with the Heat for five years, leading the team to two NBA titles. Wade can also provide veteran leadership and stability to the Cavaliers in case Kyrie Irving gets traded. Wade averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 915 career games with the Heat and the Bulls.
