After 13 seasons with the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade will start a new chapter of his NBA career, as he has officially signed with the Chicago Bulls, the team announced on Friday. The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski initially reported the agreement was in place on July 6.
Wade spoke about his decision shortly after the Bulls announced the move:
Bulls general manager Gar Forman spoke about the signing in Chicago's news release:
"I look back with pride and amazement at all we have accomplished together," said Wade in a letter released to the Associated Press (via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press). Wade added:
The shooting guard took to Twitter on Thursday to say goodbye to Heat fans:
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 7, 2016
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 7, 2016
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 7, 2016
Wade discussed the decision to sign with the Bulls on Thursday during an appearance on Live with Kelly:
Heat owner Micky Arison released a brief statement on Wade's decision on Twitter:
— Micky Arison (@MickyArison) July 7, 2016
Heat president Pat Riley commented on the decision, per Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald:
However, Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald reported Riley never contacted Wade during the process.
ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst noted that while teams such as the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks were reportedly in the running for Wade's services, they may not have been viable destinations compared to the Windy City:
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 7, 2016
The 34-year-old veteran is coming off yet another strong season, as he led the Heat to within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals.
D-Wade averaged 19.0 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game during the regular season en route to his 12th consecutive All-Star selection before dropping 21.4 points, 5.6 boards and 4.3 dimes per contest in the playoffs.
Synergy Sports on Twitter noted Wade was efficient in several areas throughout the postseason:
— Synergy Sports Tech (@SynergySST) July 7, 2016
Injuries have been an issue for Wade as he has gotten older, but his total of 74 regular-season games played in 2015-16 was his highest mark since he appeared in 76 during the 2010-11 campaign.
Wade was healthier and better than he had been in years, which prompted Heat guard Goran Dragic to make a fitting comparison, according to NBA on ESPN:
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 15, 2016
After Wade proved deserving of the $20 million that Miami paid him in 2015-16, the Heat made it clear that keeping him in the fold was among their top priorities.
Team president Pat Riley said as much following Miami's second-round playoff loss to the Toronto Raptors in seven games, per ESPN.com's Michael Wallace:
Although the assumption was that he would re-sign with the Heat, Wade didn't reveal his intentions ahead of free agency.
According to Adam Lichtenstein of the Palm Beach Post, the three-time NBA champion expected some potentially tense negotiations: "I don't pay myself, so I can't anticipate anything being smooth. So, like I said early in the year, in my hope, it is [smooth], hope everything for myself is quiet and everything works out the way I want it to, whatever that is."
Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Wade flirted with signing elsewhere last time he was on the open market before returning to Miami.
Skolnick noted Wade's displeasure with the way the Heat handled negotiations contributed to his departure:
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) July 7, 2016
Chicago may not be a title contender with Wade, but it's one of the league's most compelling teams now that he's slated to suit up next to Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez. Rondo signed a two-year, $28 million contract, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
And while the Cleveland Cavaliers are the undisputed kings of the Eastern Conference, Miami would have had a team capable of challenging them with Wade.
Now that he is out of the picture, however, the Heat are in danger of seeing their championship window slam shut.
Wade bypassed the opportunity to be identified solely as a member of the Heat for his entire career, which is something Kobe Bryant accomplished with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Wade is an unquestioned future Hall of Famer and one of the best players of his era, one can argue that leaving the Heat at this juncture of his career slightly detracts from the considerable legacy he's built.
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