McGraw: Bulls finally land Dwyane Wade
The Chicago Bulls missed out on Dwyane Wade twice before and felt the pain both times.
Now they've convinced the longtime Miami Heat star and three-time NBA champion to finish his career as a hometown hero.
Wade, a native of Southwest Suburban Robbins, went to Miami with the No. 5 pick of the 2003 draft, two selections before the Bulls settled for Kirk Hinrich at No. 7. Three years later, Wade led the Heat to its first NBA title.
Then in 2010, the Bulls were battling for free agent prize LeBron James. They recognized Wade as the most influential voice and tried to lure both he and James to Chicago. No luck. Wade, James and Chris Bosh teamed up in Miami and led the Heat to two more championships.
The third time is a charm, apparently. Wade informed the Bulls he plans to sign a contract to return to his hometown, as first reported Wednesday evening by Adrian Wojnarowski of thevertical.com.
Wade told The Associated Press, "This was not an easy decision, but I feel I have made the right choice."
"Watching the Bulls growing up inspired me at an early age to pursue my dream of becoming a basketball player," Wade said. "My most treasured memories were watching my dad play basketball on the courts of Fermi Elementary School and developing my game at the Blue Island Recreation Center. I have never forgotten where I came from and I am thankful to have an opportunity to play for the team that first fueled my love of the game."
If Bulls fans want a look at their team's newest player, he's scheduled to co-host "Live with Kelly Ripa" on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Central.
The deal was reported as two years for a total of $47 million. The Bulls worked two trades to create more cap space, with Mike Dunleavy heading to Cleveland and Jose Calderon to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Is it too little, too late? Well, at age 34, Wade's best years are definitely behind him. The Richards High School and Marquette University product averaged 19.0 points and 4.6 assists last season and helped push Miami to the second round of the playoffs, where it lost to Toronto in seven games. He has never been much of a 3-point threat, but shot 45.6 percent from the field overall last year.
The Bulls are making this move with an eye on the future. They'll have enough cap space to lure a significant free agent next summer - probably not two now that Wade is on board - and believe he'll help their cause.
Now Wade can work as the Bulls' lead recruiter next summer as they try to land another star. The best free agents on the market figure to be Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin, but there are plenty of other players available.
The Bulls are hoping Wade and point guard Rajon Rondo, who agreed to join the Bulls on Sunday, will make the team more competitive next season and set the stage for a big free-agent push.
A couple weeks ago, there seemed to be no chance Wade would leave the Heat. But there have been multiple reports Wade felt disrespected by Miami's initial contract offer, along with its pursuit of free agents Kevin Durant and Hassan Whiteside. At the same time, the Heat's future is unclear since Bosh may consider retirement due to blood clot issues.
So Wade looked around to other teams. There were rumors he would rejoin James in Cleveland, but the Cavs could pay him very little, so that idea had no traction.
Wade reportedly met with Milwaukee and Denver in New York on Wednesday. The Bucks have only about $10 million in cap space, while the Nuggets reportedly offered a two-year deal worth $52 million.
The Bulls did not meet with Wade on Wednesday, but stayed in touch by phone. Eventually, he decided the only reason to leave Miami was to head home.
The new additions will make next season more interesting in Chicago. The Bulls now have a projected lineup of Wade, Rondo, Jimmy Butler, Robin Lopez and either Taj Gibson or Nikola Mirotic, with Doug McDermott, rookie Denzel Valentine and point guard Jerian Grant coming off the bench.
Wade and Rondo might be the worst 3-point shooting backcourt in the league, so the Bulls will be relying on McDermott, Mirotic and probably Valentine to space the floor.
The plan to get younger and more athletic this summer has been thrown out the window. But the Bulls are hoping Wade can help build them a championship contender.
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