Reports: Dwyane Wade Headed To Bulls
CHICAGO (CBSNewYork/CBS Chicago) -- It's time to start picturing Dwyane Wade in a new uniform.
After spending his entire 13-year career up to this point with the Miami Heat, shooting guard Wade has informed the Bulls he will come back to his hometown of Chicago on a two-year, $47.5 million deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowki of Yahoo! Sports.
The Bulls have agreed to trade Mike Dunleavy to the Cavaliers and Jose Calderon to the Lakers in an effort to clear cap space for Wade, according to Wojnarowski.
Wade's move was made possible when his negotiations fell apart with the Heat, who upset him with what he viewed as an initial lowball offer. On his previous three contracts while he was a star player, Wade took less than maximum money in an effort to help Miami stock its roster with more talent.
Wade, 34, doesn't fit Bulls general manager Gar Forman's stated desire to get "younger and more athletic," but was a quality, productive player last season who should put Chicago squarely back in the playoff picture after it missed out last season. He'll immediately slot in as the starting shooting guard, moving Jimmy Butler to small forward.
The Bulls also recently agreed to a two-year deal with point guard Rajon Rondo.
On Wednesday, Bulls management cancelled its arranged afternoon meeting with Wade after their flights were repeatedly pushed back. Still, reports suggested that Chicago had a fair chance.
Both Butler and Rondo were reportedly recruiting Wade to Chicago. That combined with the fact that Chicago is his hometown likely influenced this decision.
A 12-time All-Star, Wade averaged 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season while shooting 45.6 percent from the field. He shot 16 percent on 3-pointers. There will certainly be some questions as to how Chicago's backcourt will mix, as Rondo, Butler and Wade are all below-average 3-point shooters, but the Bulls have added some playmakers.
The Bulls are expected to make their signing of Wade official on Thursday.