In what may be the single most surprising move of the summer, Dwyane Wade is reportedly leaving the Miami Heat for the Chicago Bulls. It’s going to be a really, really weird sight seeing Wade in a Bulls jersey, but barring something crazy happening between now and the start of the regular season, it appears that we’re going to have to get used to that.
Like always, the internet reacted swiftly to the news that Wade is splitting. The more humorous tweets mostly made fun of Pat Reilly, who unsurprisingly got the crying Jordan treatment from a few folks.
https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/750862963008045061
Pat Riley like… pic.twitter.com/mKS00ZGJtp
— Thicc-Fil-A, a Habitual Pot Stirrer (@SwooshMcDuck) July 7, 2016
There was also DWade…no, not Dwyane Wade, we mean Dan Wade, the poor guy on Twitter who has the handle @DWade and is currently the owner of an amazing array of mentions.
Aw crap
— Dan Wade (@Dwade) July 7, 2016
— Brian Witte (@wittethekingjr) July 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/BarroldBonds/status/750870104456433664
@Dwade pic.twitter.com/AaYysKoMKk
— Congresslemania (@congresslemania) July 7, 2016
But Wade’s decision to leave brought out a number of basketball people who tried to contextualize Wade’s decision, both by discussing how big this move is for Miami and mentioning how he’ll fit in Chicago.
The Bulls' new backcourt shot a combined .524 percent from 3 last year. Like, if you add their indivual rates together.
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) July 7, 2016
"If we land Wade it's going to be a zoo around here. He'd be coming back home. It's the Bulls. Not too many offers better," – Rajon Rondo.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 7, 2016
Man, Dwyane Wade IS the Heat. This is…this is a lot to process.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 7, 2016
Dwyane Wade vacationed with Chris Bosh this summer, and then bolted to Chicago. Have to wonder about Bosh's health/future.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) July 7, 2016
Wade has told those close to him the only place he could see himself playing other than Miami was Chicago
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 7, 2016
Hard to ask a guy to take less $ (again) and stay out of 'loyalty'…when the team isn't showing it themselves. https://t.co/7FaVZL5tIS
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 7, 2016
One of the more interesting takes on this comes from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who talked to someone who said that this move was a case of “Miami dared a very proud man to go home, and that man’s best friend just won a title by going home.”
Oh, and back to Reilly for a second. While a lot of people just made jokes about how his franchise’s most legendary player just split town, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today found a quote that Reilly gave about how he planned on approaching Wade in free agency.
Pat Riley to reporters after the season and before free agency: pic.twitter.com/ew27SNZ8IA
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) July 7, 2016
Considering that part of the reason that Wade reportedly began looking around was that Miami lowballed him on its initial offer, that quote is something else in retrospect.
Also, this:
The Heat did not increase their offer to Dwyane Wade, to compete with other teams.
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) July 7, 2016
Now, what did the rest of Twitter think?
Bosh right now pic.twitter.com/go22b2Rcq6
— Chillin in my Bacta (@DarthAmin) July 7, 2016
Dwyane Wade on the Chicago Bulls…. pic.twitter.com/8TBA1CisUU
— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD_) July 7, 2016
Dwayne Wade wanted nothing to do with a Joe Johnson-less Miami Heat squad.
— Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) July 7, 2016
After a rocky debut season, there's no pressure on #Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg. He only needs to win in 2017 with a 1975 roster.
— Bradford Doolittle (@bbdoolittle) July 7, 2016
Wade’s former teammate has responded:
https://twitter.com/youngwhiteside/status/750875480765698048
And, it’s official:
Sources on @TheVertical: Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade has informed the Miami Heat that he's accepted the Bulls offer.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2016
Just got a message from Dwyane Wade: "it's real."
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 7, 2016
Chicago has traded guard Jose Calderon to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2016
Sources: No team offered Wade a guaranteed third season, including Miami.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2016
Mike Dunleavy has been informed he has been traded to the Cavaliers.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 7, 2016
Because this involves something happening in his hometown of Chicago, we’ll let Kanye have the last word on this.
