The Chicago Bulls have made some significant roster changes this offseason. The Bulls narrowly made the playoffs last season, as they finished eighth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 41-41 record. Their season was over in the first round of the playoffs when they blew a 2-0 lead and lost to the Boston Celtics 4-1 in the opening round. After that, it became evident that the team needs to make some changes in order to stay relevant in the East next season.
The Bulls then traded Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, and the fans are left wondering is the team headed in the right direction.
Rebuilding process begins for Chicago
After trading Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves, the Bulls also lost their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo this summer. Rondo joined the New Orleans Pelicans as a free-agent, and it seems like the Bulls are ready to start rebuilding. They acquired Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn from the Timberwolves in the Jimmy Butler trade and also received the seventh overall pick from this year's NBA Draft - Lauri Markkanen.
Dunn, LaVine, and Markkanen are expected to be the cornerstones of the Bulls' future as Chicago is still looking for its first NBA title since 1998. If the Bulls are really committed to start rebuilding this summer, they will also have to part ways with one other NBA legend - Dwyane Wade.
Wade joined the Bulls in 2016 as a free-agent as he left the Miami Heat after 13 seasons. He signed a two-year deal with Chicago in 2016, but things haven't worked out the way both sides thought they would. Wade played 60 games for the Bulls last season due to various injuries, but his numbers were still solid for a player in his 14th season in the NBA. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 43 percent shooting from the field.
His numbers went down in the playoffs as he averaged just 15.0 points per game and shot 37 percent in the first round against the Celtics.
Wade and the Bulls parting ways?
Next season will be Wade's fifteenth in the NBA, and it seems like his career is slowly coming to an end. He has one year left on his current contract with Chicago, but it was reported this week that Wade and the Bulls are expected to reach buyout that would make Wade a free-agent. ESPN's Nick Friedell reported that Dwyane "isn't long for the organization's future and is expected to reach a buyout agreement at some point in the next few months." He is projected to earn around $24 million next season with the Bulls, and he is the most expensive player on the Bulls roster.
If Wade reaches a buyout agreement with Chicago, we should expect him to join one of the elite teams that could compete for the championship next season. He was linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers before, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Wade teams up with LeBron James once again.