Hoiberg, Bulls Not Expecting Dwyane Wade Buyout

Shortly after Dwyane Wade committed to picking up his $23.8MM option for the 2017/18 season, the Bulls decided to rebuild their roster, trading Jimmy Butler and cutting Rajon Rondo. While Wade is the last player standing out of Chicago’s “three alphas” from last season, no buyout is imminent, and head coach Fred Hoiberg doesn’t believe one is coming, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com.

“As of right now, no. I don’t see that,” Hoiberg said of a possible Wade buyout.

Hoiberg’s stance on the matter echoes that of executive VP John Paxson, who addressed the issue in a press conference last month when the team introduced its newly-acquired players from the Butler deal. Asked about a buyout, Paxson said that any arrangement with Wade “would absolutely have to benefit” the franchise.

As Friedell notes, there’s a “widespread belief” among team officials that Wade won’t be willing to give up enough of his $23.8MM salary to make a move worthwhile for the Bulls. It’s possible that the two sides explore that possibility later in the offseason, or after February’s trade deadline, but Hoiberg indicated he’d like to see Wade stick around and provide veteran leadership for a team that has gotten younger this offseason.

“Dwyane, he’s going to have an important role on this team as a mentor,” Hoiberg said. “He’s going to obviously play for us and hopefully play well. And take the role of leadership; it’s going to be very important with him.”

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