Dwyane Wade’s relationship with the Bulls appears to be fractured beyond repair, as the star guard believes he was duped by the front office into opting in to the final year of his contract, HoopsHype reports .
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Wade signed his one-year, $23.8 million option on June 21 with the expectation that the Bulls would put a competitive team on the court this season. The Bulls assured both Wade and Jimmy Butler they would do so, according to the report.
Then, on June 22, the day after Wade opted in, Butler was traded to Minnesota. Wade has not spoken to anyone in the organization, aside from a few non-team related conversations with coach Fred Hoiberg, since.
Now, it’s just a matter of time until Wade’s departure, as a buyout appears inevitable, multiple reports have said.
Negative stories about Wade have surfaced in the news – one saying young Bulls players do not want to play with him, another saying he and Butler didn’t get along, however Butler called reports about discord between him and Wade “crazy,” saying he “love(s) that guy like a brother,” and HoopsHype noted Wade got along just fine with young players in Miami.
"Obviously, everyone wants to compete"
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) September 8, 2017
Dwyane Wade opens up on buyout reports and his future with Bulls: https://t.co/7YzRhhT8wA pic.twitter.com/PSoBXrEMbw
Buyout negotiations are expected to begin soon, and while Wade is prepared to move forward with the Bulls if a deal isn’t reached, he also has his eyes on free agency, HoopsHype reports. A reunion with LeBron James in Cleveland or a return to the Heat seem to be most likely scenarios, although other teams – the Lakers, Nuggets or Bucks, for example – could emerge as contenders for Wade’s services, too.