Dwyane Wade and the Bulls agreed to a buyout on Sunday night, with the veteran guard giving back $8 million of his near $24 million salary and Chicago letting him become a free agent to sign with a contender. While mutually beneficial to both sides, the move ends a strange one year return to his hometown for Wade that did not go anything like he or the Bulls had hoped.
Wade became quick friends with Jimmy Butler and played pretty well, averaging 18.3 points per game, but the supporting cast, namely the young Bulls, did not gel nearly as well with the veteran. However, despite the at times rocky locker room experience of the last year, Wade firmly believes this could have gone down differently.
In speaking with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Wade explained that if Rajon Rondo’s injury and the Bulls’ subsequent playoff collapse never happen, he’d likely still be a member of the Bulls, insinuating that Butler might also still be around.
Wade: "I was a little disappointed. Up 2-0 vs. Boston on road. Rondo goes down. If that doesn’t happen, we’re having different conversation"
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) September 25, 2017
Wade:"They never told me Jimmy’s not going anywhere.They gave me their take on the possibility of trade and left it open, which they should"
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) September 25, 2017
Once the Bulls failed to take advantage of their 2-0 lead on Boston, it was clear where the ceiling was for this team and the Bulls front office decided to blow it up. Butler was shipped off to Minnesota for young assets, Rondo was waived, and only Wade remained of the veteran core. He was never going to want to be a part of a rebuilding team, which is why he’s now a free agent, but it’s interesting to note that one bad break involving Rondo may have changed the course of the Bulls as a franchise.
