Dwyane Wade doesn’t feel the need to “ring-chase” as he considers his options for next season, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Wade has a $23.8MM player option and is in no hurry to make a decision. He plans to take a vacation, then meet with GM Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson to discuss their plans for the team’s future. Wade’s first season in Chicago after 13 in Miami didn’t turn out the way he hoped, with the Bulls struggling to make the playoffs, then getting dispatched in the first round. Still, he likes being in Chicago and stands by the choice he made last summer. “If I could say anything, one word I could pull out, it’s just ‘different,’ as I expected to be different,” Wade explained. “Only playing in one organization my whole career [prior to this season]. The biggest thing, I came here and I was embraced, not only by the city. Up top, I was embraced by the coaches, the players, and it was some good moments and bad moments. Just like every season. But I don’t regret my decision at all.”
There’s more today out of Chicago:
- If Wade does return, he wants Fred Hoiberg to be with him, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Wade defended his coach today and criticized the fans who chanted “Fire Hoiberg” during Friday’s Game 6 loss. “I definitely don’t agree with the chants that were going on in the arena,’’ Wade said. “I definitely believe [Hoiberg] got better throughout this year. And I think you have more a grasp moving forward with what he wants to do with this team. You have to give people a chance.’’
- Rajon Rondo missed his exit interview today, but it’s not a Kristaps Porzingis situation where he’s protesting the state of the team, Friedell tweets. Rondo had a family commitment and plans to reschedule the interview for next week. His future in Chicago remains uncertain as the Bulls decide whether to pick up his $13.397MM option for next season. Several young players expressed their admiration of Rondo in today’s exit interviews (Twitter link).
- Second-year power forward Bobby Portis was playing with a severely burned foot since March 4th, Friedell reveals in a separate story. The burn was caused by a heat pack that Portis used before a game, and he kept it secret so it wouldn’t threaten his spot in the rotation. “I had a third-degree burn on my foot,” Portis said. “On top of my foot. Every time I tied my shoe up, it was right there on the spot. After the game, it would be bloody and nasty.”
- Paul Zipser plans to play for the Bulls’ summer league team, but isn’t sure if he will join the German National Team after that, Friedell tweets.
Wade can leave. He’s not helping. Hoiburg HAS to go. He lost the team months ago. But Reinsdorf must be incoherent because nothing’s being done about the coaching staff or his dysfunctional front office.
Wade needs to be our 6th man we need Rondo to return and sign Ben Mclemore a SG that doesn’t need the ball to be effective.
Draft-Back Up PG/And PG
Yeah, lets draft more PGs to add to the collection of ineffective PGs behind Rondo.
And seriously, you want to pay Wade another $24MM to sit on the bench and shoot bricks 20 minutes a game? That’s not setting this team up for success, it’s the exact opposite.
simple choice for dwade. either money or a chance at a ring. either one is understandable
I think he takes some $$ with a reasonable shot at a ring, like San Antonio for example. Don’t see him taking the minimum to play with Lebron and blatantly ring chase, but I don’t see him going to the Nets either even if they offer a lot of cash.
Wade’s going to stay. He has $24 million dollars waiting for him right where he’s at, and he probably would only get 1/3 of that if he signed somewhere else.
Like he said, he isn’t hungry for rings and couldn’t care less. He feels he was shorted in Miami for all of those years, and now he wants to cash in.
Unfortunately for Bulls fans, this is all at their expense, because the guy has just phoned it in, and is also a shell of his former self.
The only thing he’s doing is slowing the development of the younger guys, and majorly bogging down the financial books.
It’ll be another year of mediocrity next year.