Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
WADE’S BACK IN TOWN
Ex-Heat star spending time in South Florida.
MIAMI — It’s no longer a throwaway line, at least not in South Florida, not since LeBron James ended his 2014 Sports Illustrated essay with, “I’m coming home.”
But there also is an importance in not reading too much into such words, either, such as Wednesday, when Dwyane Wade posted on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, “Back home in Miami!!!”
This time, the words from the iconic former Miami Heat guard had nothing to do about a permanent relocation from the Chicago Bulls, but rather a post about his relationship with a South Florida luxury-car dealer taking care of his offseason transportation.
Still, the timing of that post came shortly after Bulls executives John Paxson and Gar Forman spoke about the team’s plans going forward and the uncertainty of where Wade fits into that mix.
Wade has a $23.8 million player option for next season with the Bulls as part of the two-year free-agent contract he signed last summer after spending his first 13 NBA seasons with the Heat. That option much be decided before the July 1 start of free agency.
“Dwyane has an option and we’re going to sit down with him and talk to him about all of this,” Paxson told media in Chicago.
“He has an option in his contact that was negotiated, so he has the right to pick that up if he chooses.”
Wade appeared in 60 games for the Bulls, averaging 18.3 points in 29.9 minutes per game. He was sidelined at the end of the regular season with an elbow injury before returning to average 31.7 minutes and 15 points in Chicago’s six playoff games, until the Bulls were ousted 4-2 by the Boston Celtics in the first round.
“In a lot of ways,” Paxson said, “Dwyane was really good for us. His injury toward the end of the year hurt him.”
Much of the focus of a news conference was about an attempt to play more at pace next season, an approach that does not necessarily fit the measured, halfcourt approach of Wade, who turns 36 next season.
Both Wade and Heat President Pat Riley have left the door open to a possible reunion with the franchise’s all-time scoring leader. The Heat, however, are not in position to match the $23.8 million Wade could receive from the Bulls for next season, which was among the reasons the talks between the Heat and Wade broke down last July.
The Heat are anticipated to have roughly $37 million in salary-cap space once Chris Bosh’s salary is cleared due to the blood clots that have kept him from the court. Among the Heat’s impending free agents are forward James Johnson and guard Dion Waiters, players who helped to collectively step into the void created by Wade’s departure.
Wade’s 2017-18 fate ultimately could be tied to the future of forward Jimmy Butler in Chicago, with the Bulls executives offering little clarity in that regard Wednesday, other than to say a discussion with Butler also is planned in coming weeks.
“The thing with Jimmy,” Paxson said, “is all of us would love to go out and get another a superstar player to go along with him, but right now the situation we’re in with the salaries we have, that type of thing, that’s a difficult thing for us to manage.”
The Bulls would be able to open up salary-cap space should Wade bypass his option.
Wade has not indicated retirement is an option.
As opposed to Wade controlling his option, the Bulls hold a $13.4 million option on Rajon Rondo next season, with Paxson indicating an interest in moving forward with the point guard as the team’s veteran leader.
“As we get younger,” Paxson said, “it’s still really important to have quality veterans around your young players. To a man, our young people loved Rajon. He was great in the locker room. He was great off the court with these guys. He took them under his wing in a lot of ways, and he was responsible for a lot of the good things that came from them. We have a lot of respect for Rajon, especially how he believes in the game.”