- The Bulls squandered Jimmy Butler and it has left the franchise a wreck, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports says in his review of the club’s offseason.
- Time to bring out your tinfoil banana boat again — LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are working out together, Alex Tekip of ESPN writes. If the Bulls buy Wade out, he could join his former teammate on the Cavaliers.
Speculation that Dwyane Wade could become a free agent this offseason hit a new level this week when the Bulls guard said that he’d be willing to sit down and chat about his future with the organization. If he were to be bought out in order to pursue a role elsewhere, what sort of impact could he reasonably expect to make? Frank Urbina of HoopsHype decided to take a look.
The two teams most often linked to Wade have been the Cavaliers and the Heat. A move to Cleveland would pair Wade with former teammate LeBron James while Miami is, of course, the place he spent the first 13 seasons of his career. Urbina, however, argues that the 35-year-old could have more suitors than just that and could end up being a game-changing reserve for a team’s second-unit if he parts ways with the Bulls.
In a comprehensive look at the type of value Wade is still capable of providing in the twilight of his career, Urbina writes that the Bulls vet has carved out a few reliable offensive moves that have helped him remain competitive despite dwindling athleticism, including an impressive post-up game and a potent fadeaway jumper.
SEPTEMBER 8: The Bulls have provided another update on Payne, announcing today in a press release that he underwent successful surgery on his right foot on Wednesday. The point guard is expected to make a full recovery in three to four months, according to the team. That would put Payne on track to return in December or January.
AUGUST 31: The Bulls have issued a formal update on Payne, confirming that he’ll undergo surgery on his broken foot next Wednesday.
According to the team, a six-week period of rest in a boot was prescribed for Payne after he suffered the injury in mid-July, but the fracture hasn’t healed satisfactorily since then, resulting in a surgery recommendation.
AUGUST 30: Cameron Payne will undergo surgery on his right foot and his recovery is expected to keep him out of action until late November, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Payne dealt with injuries to the foot earlier in his career and he re-aggravated the injury this offseason playing for the Bulls’ Summer League team. It was his first offseason with Chicago, as the organization traded for him at the 2017 trade deadline.
The Thunder selected Payne with the No. 14 overall pick out of Murray State in the 2015 draft. In his two seasons as a pro, the point guard averaged 5.0 points and 1.5 assists in 13.2 minutes per game.
Dwyane Wade reportedly hasn’t spoken to the Bulls’ front office for the last couple months, and hasn’t publicly indicated that he wants to be bought out of his contract. However, he’s aware that there’s plenty of speculation about a possible buyout, and seemed to acknowledge on Thursday in an NBA TV interview that those discussions figure to happen at some point (link via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel).
“When the time is right for me and the Chicago Bulls organization to sit down and talk about the future, we will do that,” Wade told NBA TV’s David Aldridge. “The time hasn’t been right, obviously, to this point. But I’ll be in Chicago soon enough and hopefully we’ll get an opportunity to sit down and just talk about the future and the direction and go from there. I’m 35 years old. I’m a grown man. I can definitely sit across the room from you and listen to your truth and hopefully hear mine and go from there.”
[RELATED: Wade to consider Miami, L.A. if bought out?]
While Wade didn’t state outright that a buyout from his current contract is probable, it isn’t hard to read between the lines and deduce that he wouldn’t mind moving from the rebuilding Bulls to a team with a better chance of contending.
“It’s no secret,” Wade said, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, when asked if he’d like to be part of a team that could contend for a title. “And everyone knows that. I’ve been lucky. I’ve been to five Finals. So If I never go to another one, I can’t complain. But I would love to. I would love to because I feel I can add to something a team that’s in that position. That’s not something I can focus on or something I can worry about right now.”
For now, Wade says he plans to be in attendance when training camp opens for the Bulls in less than three weeks, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. While the veteran guard may not relish the idea of spending most of the season with a team not expected to make the playoffs, buyout talks won’t necessarily move quickly — the Bulls indicated earlier this summer that any buyout would have to be “advantageous” to the franchise, meaning Wade would likely have to give up a substantial portion of his $23.8MM salary.
This season Butler has been reunited with former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, the man at the helm in Chicago when Butler evolved from a fringe roster player to a key rotation piece into a star. For the last two years, however, Butler played under a different coach.
“I’m confrontational. I feed off of confrontation. It makes me go,” Butler said. “Not everybody’s like that. [Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg] is not that coach, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are different coaching styles and people are gonna say—which is what they did say—’It’s gonna be Jimmy’s team or it’s gonna be Fred’s team.’ Two total opposite ends of the spectrum.”
- In a pair of pieces for NBA.com, Shaun Powell takes a look back at the offseason moves by the Bucks and Bulls, noting that Milwaukee continues to focus on developing its talented young core, while Chicago’s Jimmy Butler trade signals that the Bulls are also trying to make youth a priority.
- Speaking of that Butler trade, while many Bulls fans weren’t particularly fond of the return for their All-Star forward, rookie big man Lauri Markkanen is helping to ease that blow, according to Mike Schmitz of ESPN. As Schmitz details, the 20-year-old Markkanen has looked very impressive for Finland in Eurobasket play this offseason.
Dwyane Wade feels misled by the Bulls and hasn’t talked with anyone from the front office for two months, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. Those strained feelings have led to rumors of an impending buyout and the possibility that Wade might be headed to Cleveland, Los Angeles or Miami.
Sources tell Kennedy that Wade asked management for assurances that Chicago would have a competitive team next season before deciding to opt in for $23.8MM. The front office promised him it would, so Wade announced June 21 that he will stay for another year. The next day, the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves and signaled the start of a rebuilding process.
At 35, Wade doesn’t have a lot of years left in the league and he doesn’t want to waste a season playing for a lottery team. Kennedy states Wade’s only discussions with the organization since the deal were with coach Fred Hoiberg and didn’t involve anything related to the team.
Several recent stories in the national media have been negative toward Wade, which Kennedy speculates is the Bulls’ way of angering him so he might be willing to accept less in a buyout just to get out of Chicago. A recent report from ESPN suggested the Bulls’ younger players don’t like having Wade as a teammate. A Fox Sports story claimed Wade and Butler had a strained relationship, which Butler denies.
Even if a breakup is imminent, all public comments from the Bulls’ front office have indicated Wade is staying with the team. Kennedy adds that Wade is preparing to report to training camp if a buyout doesn’t happen in the next three weeks.
A source tells Kennedy the Cavaliers and Heat are the most likely destinations for Wade once a buyout is completed. If he does go to Cleveland, he will probably become a starter, with J.R. Smith being moved to a reserve role. The Cavs see a Wade addition as a way to improve their roster and appease LeBron James before he enters free agency next summer.
Wade recently took his children out of school in Chicago and moved them back to Miami, but Kennedy warns not to read too much into the move. Wade and Heat president Pat Riley have barely communicated since their 2016 breakup, and Wade wouldn’t be guaranteed a starting spot in Miami. Other teams, such as the Nuggets and Bucks, who both tried to sign Wade last summer, could also get involved.
Following last week’s completed blockbuster trade, the Cavaliers‘ roster — on paper at least — appears to be set for training camp. The only pressing issue is the health of point guard Isaiah Thomas, who is currently dealing with a hip injury that will likely force him to miss the start of the season. If Cleveland’s current roster struggles and Thomas misses significant time, the team could shop the Nets’ 2018 first round pick (acquired in last week’s trade) in search for a starting point guard, Buddy Grizzard of Basketball Insiders writes.
We examined the importance of the Cavaliers’ signing of Derrick Rose in a Community Shootaround last week. The former Most Valuable Player is a diminished player but showed he can still score with authority if healthy. However, Rose is under contract for the veteran’s minimum and not a long term piece. One player Cleveland could target with their draft pick is Suns’ point guard Eric Bledsoe.
“If Rose is not seen as the answer and too many questions surround Thomas,” Grizzard writes. “Bledsoe could be the solution. He’ll have one season remaining on his contract after this season, which could at least entice James to stay on for another two-year contract with a second-year player option.”
Check out other news tidbits from around the Central Division:
- Reggie Jackson has not returned to basketball activities yet but Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy hopes he will be ready soon, per Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
- Two-time dunk contest winner and new Bulls guard Zach LaVine is a “wild card” on the sneaker market, ESPN’s Nick DePaula writes. LaVine’s rookie deal with Nike expires at the end of September and DePaula notes that moving from the third option in Minnesota to main option in Chicago is a chance for LaVine to cash in on his new deal.
- The Pelicans will send $2.5MM to the Bulls as part of the deal that sent Quincy Pondexter to the Windy City last week, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Dwyane Wade remains under contract with the Bulls for 2017/18 and appears virtually certain to open the year with the club, but he’s also considered a strong bet to be bought out at some point during the season. If and when that happens, Miami and Los Angeles are among Wade’s possible landing spots, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
According to Jackson, a Wade associate has been telling people that Miami and L.A. would appeal to the veteran guard. The Herald scribe adds that this same source was the first to inform him of trouble in contract negotiations between Wade and the Heat before the former Finals MVP left Miami as a free agent.
A return to the Heat certainly wouldn’t be out of left field for Wade — despite a breakdown in contract talks last summer, he still has a good relationship with Udonis Haslem and others within the organization. Wade’s children are also currently enrolled at a South Florida school, Jackson notes, citing WINZ-940’s Andy Slater.
As for Los Angeles, Jackson doesn’t specify whether Wade would have his eye on the Clippers or Lakers, but the Clips figure to be closer to contention this year, even without Chris Paul. The Lakers may become a more viable option for Wade in future seasons, particularly if the team could land LeBron James or another marquee free agent.
In addition to Miami and Los Angeles, Cleveland is considered a very real possibility for Wade, and the Cavaliers may still be the favorite if and when the Bulls buy him out. However, as Jackson’s report suggests, the Cavs won’t be the only team in the mix.
So far, Wade and the Bulls reportedly haven’t engaged in discussions about a buyout, though that’s expected to change in the coming months.
- Bulls officials aren’t concerned about an injury that rookie Lauri Markkanen suffered during Saturday’s EuroBasket tournament, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago (Twitter link). Playing for Finland, Markkanen hurt his leg on a shot at the buzzer that could have tied the game and had to be helped off the court by teammates. However, the seventh pick in this year’s draft appears to be fine and is expected to play today.
- A series of offseason moves has left the Bulls without the talent to compete for a playoff spot, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE in his “30 teams in 30 days” series. Chicago signaled the start of a rebuilding project on draft day when it traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the chance to draft Markkanen. That leaves the team with two veterans in Dwyane Wade and Robin Lopez, surrounded by a lot of unproven talent. Blakely criticizes the front office for several bad deals that turned two first-round picks, four second-rounders and Taj Gibson into a group of youngsters with Cameron Payne as the “prize” addition.