Wade is scheduled to make $23.8 million from the Bulls next season. If he wants to play in Cleveland, he’ll have to leave some cash on the table.
Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls could reach a buyout agreement that would allow the three-time NBA champion to pursue a fourth ring at the end of his Hall of Fame career. But don’t get it twisted: If Chicago buys him out, it’ll have to be in their best interest.
Bulls president John Paxson hopped on The Mulley and Hanley Show on WSCR-670 AM Thursday morning where, for the second time in as many months, he said any buyout agreement with Wade would have to benefit Chicago.
“Some dialogue is going on,” he said, via The Chicago Tribune. “We understand where (Wade) is at this time of his career. We’re more than willing to work with him. But as I said when we had the press conference to introduce the new players after the draft, we have to always do what’s in our best interest. So there has to be something that is mutually agreed upon. It can’t be something the player wins because that’s what he wants.
“We want to work with Dwyane because we respect him very much. If he doesn’t want to be here, then we want to do (the buyout). But again, the bottom line is always — and it has to be — that we have to do what’s in our best interest.”
Why Wade wants a buyout
Easy: He wants to play meaningful basketball, and that ain’t happening in Chicago.
The Bulls went 41-41 last season. That was with a healthy Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo. Butler, of course, is in Minnesota now, and Rondo is in New Orleans.
Now, Wade is the old guy at the YMCA playing with high school kids that just haven’t put it together yet.
A buyout would allow Wade to rejoin LeBron James, this time in Cleveland, where they could compete for a championship like old times. At this stage of his career, that’s probably all he wants
Why the Bulls might want to keep him
Let’s be clear about one thing: It’s not for production reasons. Wade’s 18.3 points per game were the worst since his rookie season, his 43 percent shooting a career-low. One reason Chicago wasn’t very successful last year? Wade just wasn’t effective as a two-way player.
But he’s still a perennial All-Star and three-time NBA champion who can provide valuable mentorship to the Bulls’ young guards: Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and Jerian Grant.
That and there’s the fiscal aspect of the buyout: If Chicago’s going to pay Wade $23.8 million, they’re gonna want their money’s worth. Giving him a good portion of that money just to walk away? That doesn’t make much financial sense, especially since the basketball bottom line — wins and losses — won’t be affected much whether he’s there or not.
Part of the reason Chicago signed Wade in free agency last year to help sell tickets. They need him more than ever now that Butler is gone and the team is in total rebuild mode.
This could get ugly
If I’m Dwyane Wade, I want out of Chicago as fast as possible, but I’m also trying to secure as big a bag as I can get on my way out. I’m going to have to take a minimum offer on the buyout market to join forces with LeBron in Cleveland. This might be my last big pay day in the NBA and I’m used to living on a $20-plus million salary.
But if I’m the Bulls, there’s no way in hell I’m giving Wade anything close to his $23 million salary. Just to leave? We could sit him on the bench and have him mentor our young guys for the same price. That’s not gonna work for us. I’ll give you $8 million, take it or leave it.
That sets the scene for a bloody negotiations war between Wade’s representation and Chicago management. And whichever side budges first is going to walk away with the better end of the deal.