Days after he agreed to a contract buyout with the Chicago Bulls, Dwyane Wade has chosen his next destination. According to the ESPN’s NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Wade has decided to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers once he clears waivers on Wednesday. Sources say he will sign a one-year, $2.3 million veterans minimum deal.
Wade and the Bulls struck the buyout agreement on Sunday evening, with Wade leaving $8 to $9 million on the table from the $23.8 million he was set to make. After he became a free agent, multiple teams expressed interest in acquiring his services including his former team the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. After acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder also became a serious contender and a dark horse in the race for Wade’s signature. Still, the overall consensus was that Wade will probably join forces with LeBron James in Cleveland, which turned out to be true at the end.
James and LeBron already played together from 2010 to 2014 as members of the Miami Heat, winning 2 NBA championships in the process. James himself previously expressed a desire to rejoin with Wade.
“I would love to have D-Wade a part of this team,” James said the press conference held on Monday. “I think he brings another championship pedigree, championship DNA. He brings another playmaker to the team who can get guys involved, can make plays and also has a great basketball mind.“
Wade had one year left on his contract with the Chicago Bulls, but with the team deciding to concentrate on the younger players, buyout became imminent. In his one season with the Bulls, Wade averaged 18.3 points, 3.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Although Wade is past his prime, his experience will surely be valuable for Cleveland on their road to another NBA Finals.
