Chicago Bulls: How Long Will Dwyane Wade Stick Around?

NBA superstar Dwyane Wade may have left the Miami Heat after 13 years for the Chicago Bulls this summer, but how long will he really be sticking around?

Dwyane Wade had one heck of a decision to make this summer.

Re-sign with the Miami Heat, a team he had been a part of for 13 years, the only team he had ever played for. Or start a new chapter, somewhere else. Like with the Chicago Bulls.

And as we all know, he chose the latter.

Maybe it was really because he wanted to come home. Or perhaps it had more to do with Heat president Pat Riley making a mistake in not prioritizing his contract. In any case, Wade signed his new two-year, $47 million deal in July, and so started his run in Chicago.

However, it has not exactly been smooth sailing for the NBA superstar.

Between head coach Fred Hoiberg having no control over the team, public feuding among teammates, and currently falling to seventh in the Eastern Conference … it is safe to say this is not the situation Wade signed up for.

Which begs the question of, how long will he really be sticking around?

Probably not much longer.

Chicago Bulls /

Chicago Bulls

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. And Wade’s antics could not be clearer: he has had enough.

Although Wade started things off with the Bulls on an optimistic and positive note, things have obviously taken a turn for the worse. He has apologized for his own lackluster performances, called out teammates for not trying hard enough, and even alluded that Hoiberg lacks leadership.

In fact, it is hard to recall Wade being at the center of anything but drama as of late.

Something that has never previously been the case for the 35-year-old.

Not even when Miami’s Big Three was formed.

Yes, he, Chris Bosh and LeBron James were looked at as villains for a little while there. But he was always excused as a guy simply trying to improve his team. And never did Wade acknowledge the hate, much less turn against his own teammates and the organization.

Unfortunately however, Chicago seems to have brought out the worst in him.

Maybe not on the court. After all, the guard is currently averaging 18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 30.4 minutes of play.

And he has moves.

He still has plenty of supporters, too. Much of Heat Nation still hoping for his return to South Beach.

More from Hoops Habit

But no one can argue that this version of Wade is different. Angrier. More frustrated. Down.

From the start, many speculated that the Bulls were merely a stepping stone for the legend. A way to show Riley his worth, before heading back to the Heat. Or even a means to end up back with best friend James, this time by joining him and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And now, that assumption seems more accurate than ever.

Because how can he continue to exist in such a hostile environment? How can this be the way he ends his career?

Wade has accomplished far too much in this league to go out on such a sour note.

"“I wouldn’t lie to you and say no, of course,” Wade said, when asked if he would consider becoming a free agent again this offseason. “I take my career seriously, and where I am, where I want to be, and I will do the same thing this summer. I can’t play this game forever. I just turned 35 and I have a number in my head on how long I want to play. At the end of the day, you want to be in a situation, whether it’s a competitive situation or whatever it may be.”"

How about one that does not mimic a daytime soap opera?

Next: 25 Greatest Rookie Seasons Of All-Time

Whether Wade will indeed return to Miami as a free agent or perhaps seek a trade to the Cavaliers, is anyone’s guess. But Chicago should certainly be prepared for his departure, down the line.

Home/Chicago Bulls