Chicago Bulls: Dwyane Wade's departure is all but a done deal

Dwyane Wade may have opted in to the second year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls earlier this summer, but it does not look like he will be sticking around for much longer.

Dwyane Wade‘s so-called homecoming has been more or less a total fail.

From the city’s lukewarm welcome to fans now counting down the days until his exit, the Chicago Bulls were never quite the right organization for the NBA superstar.

Despite the franchise’s legacy, it was never going to be the Miami Heat 2.0 for the guard, but it never even came close. So it seems his time here was truly a waste of time.

Sure, he still finished last season averaging 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.9 minutes of play. Yes, he grew close to former teammate Jimmy Butler. And he did indeed reach the postseason.

However the 35-year-old veteran deserved more than that.

With most likely only a few years left in his tank, the three-time champion should look to go out on a high note, if not with another title, at least the chance to compete for one — something that unfortunately cannot not be the case with this roster, under this front office.

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Now Wade probably should have known better than to join the Bulls in the first place, first and foremost because he was only leaving the Heat as a way to stick it to president Pat Riley, who for one reason or another would not prioritize his contract. It was less wanting to go home after 13 years and more doing so proving a point.

(Which may explain why he looks to be near tears in his 2016-17 headshot, but that is for another day.)

Chicago was also still a work in progress, not having entered a full-out rebuild just yet but certainly having experienced enough of an overhaul to guarantee bumps in the road. Those bumps turned into sinkholes when they added a soft head coach and an incompetent front office — not exactly an attractive situation to walk into, especially for a seasoned All-Star.

But a year later and it seems like Wade finally has his head on straight again. Because although earlier this summer the guard did opt in to the second year of his contract with Chicago, according to reports, a buyout from the Bulls is only a matter of time.

(Unless of course you ask vice president John Paxson, who said they’re “operating under assumption that he’ll be here.”)

As of now, the two parties may not have discussed the topic. However, there are plenty of other signs that point towards a split, like the veteran having enrolled his children in a South Florida school, for example.

And best friend and former teammate LeBron James‘ party indicating that the two will once again join forces down the line.

Not to mention ESPN‘s Nick Friedell divulging that most of the team is fed up with the star:

"“…the young players on the Bulls really can’t stand Dwyane, and it’s like the little secret in Chicago. They have had enough. He didn’t practice…but they really got upset because he called them all out in the media. And he said, ‘You guys aren’t working hard enough.’ And then they had a big team meeting the next day, and they said, ‘Who are you to say we’re not working hard? Because we’re out there every day busting our butt.’ So there’s a lot of friction there, a lot of tension.”"

So much for a mentorship role in Chicago.

The questions now are how long will a buyout from the Bulls take, and most importantly, where will Wade end up next? (Spoiler alert: either back in Miami or with the Cleveland Cavaliers.)

Next: NBA Trade Grades - Cavaliers send Kyrie Irving to Celtics

While it is unfortunate that Dwyane Wade’s time with the Chicago Bulls did not exactly go smoothly, the inevitable upcoming buyout will benefit both sides.

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Chicago Bulls: Dwyane Wade’s departure is all but a done deal

By Allana Tachauer | Aug 24, 2017

Dwyane Wade may have opted in to the second year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls earlier this summer, but it does not look like he will be sticking around for much longer.