Dwyane Wade Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Bulls, Smith, Johnson

September 28th, 2017 at 10:11pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bulls have fully embraced a rebuild and it’s centered around Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen. Vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman declared as much at media day, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“We’re in a position now where we have supportive ownership, we’ve defined our direction and we’re looking forward,” Paxson said. “That’s all Gar and I can do every day.”

The three players mentioned were all acquired a draft day deal between the Bulls and Timberwolves that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. The change of course to embrace a rebuild came after a season of trade rumors and speculation that the organization should dismantle its core (among other things).

“I do think we can win our fans’ trust back by showing them we can put a group of young players out there who care and show them there’s promise ahead,” Paxson said.

There’s more from the Central Division:

For now at least, J.R. Smith is the starting shooting guard on the Cavaliers, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. “I’m not going to sit here and get into a ‘blank’ measuring contest with Dwyane Wade,” Smith said. “I’m not going to win that. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to continue to work hard for our team and however they choose to do it, that’s who it’s going to be.”
Citing mental maturation and a commitment to improving, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy is optimistic about third-year forward Stanley Johnson‘s progress, Keith Langlois of the team’s official site writes. Van Gundy also praised rookie Luke Kennard‘s performance at training camp thus far.
There’s a case to be made for Cavaliers forward LeBron James winning the MVP this season. Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes that the 15-year veteran is coming off one of the best offseasons he’s had since he came into the league.

Dwyane Wade Wants To Eventually Retire With Heat

September 28th, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

After being bought out by the Bulls earlier this week, Dwyane Wade officially signed with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, choosing Cleveland over potential suitors like the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, and Warriors. Another notable team that had interest in Wade was the Heat, and while the veteran guard didn’t return to Miami this season, he made it clear to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that he envisions a reunion down the road.

“Miami, the door’s always unlocked,” Wade said. “One day I want to retire in a Miami Heat jersey. I don’t know how that will happen, but I definitely want to make sure than when I decide to hang it up, that jersey is on. Whether it’s being back there or signing a one-day deal like Paul Pierce, I want to make sure that I go out the way I came in.”

[RELATED: Cavaliers sign Dwyane Wade]

In his report earlier this week on Wade joining the Cavs, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN noted that Wade is open to returning to the Heat at some point, but believed Cleveland gave him a better shot this season at competing for a championship, which is still his top priority.

Reynolds also indicates that, while Wade considered the Heat this week, he didn’t view Miami as an ideal fit given the team’s depth at shooting guard. Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder, and Wayne Ellington are all candidates to see time at the two for the club this season.

“Honestly, I didn’t feel they needed me there,” Wade said. “I feel that those guys are in a good place. They deserve to come back this year and see what that 30-11 was about. They don’t need me there over their shoulder or anything like that. That’s kind of how I approached it.”

Wade’s deal with the Cavs is reportedly just for a single season, so it will be interesting to see if the three-time NBA champion finds his way back to Miami during the 2018 offseason.

Cavaliers Sign Dwyane Wade

September 27th, 2017 at 4:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 27, 4:09pm: After clearing waivers, Wade has signed his new contract with the Cavs and will report to the team’s evening practice session tonight, says Wojnarowski. Assuming Wade’s signing is official, that means the Cavs have also waived JaCorey Williams, as reported earlier today.

SEPTEMBER 26, 4:37pm: Dwyane Wade plans to sign with Cleveland once he clears waivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wade agreed to a buyout with the Bulls earlier this week and he’ll be free to sign with any club on Wednesday. Cleveland currently has 20 players under contract–the maximum allowed for training–so an immediate corresponding move will be needed to make the transaction official.

It was reported earlier today that Wade had “no intention of going anywhere” else besides Cleveland and that the two sides were nearing an agreement. The Thunder, Heat, Lakers, Warriors, and Spurs were all linked to the 35-year-old, though it appears Wade simply wants to compete for a championship alongside his good friend LeBron James.

Wade’s deal with the Cavaliers will be for one season at the minimum salary, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Chicago native is entering his 15th season in the league, meaning his minimum salary will come in at approximately $2.33MM.

Wade was scheduled to make $23.8MM in Chicago this season, but the team’s offseason plans forced him to consider a buyout agreement. The Bulls traded away Jimmy Butler and appear to be in a full rebuild, something that didn’t appeal to Wade. After seemingly amicable negotiations with Chicago’s front office, Wade ended up forfeiting roughly $8MM for the right to be a free agent.

With Wade in the fold, the Cavs could roll at as many as three new starters on opening night, just four months after representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The team traded away Kyrie Irving this summer, netting Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder along with Ante Zizic and a pair of future picks, and many speculate that the team could slide Kevin Love to the five in order to make room for Crowder in the first unit.

Wade played a career-low 29.9 minutes per contest in Chicago last season and it would be surprising if he tops that mark with Cleveland this year. In 60 games with the Bulls in 2016/17, he averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while posting a player efficiency rating of 18.5.

Photo courtesy of USA Today.

Latest On Dwyane Wade Joining Cavs

September 26th, 2017 at 9:38pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Cavaliers reached an agreement earlier today with three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade on a one-year, $2.3MM deal. Once Wade clears waivers and the signing becomes official, the veteran guard will be reunited with longtime friend, LeBron James, and have the chance to compete for his fourth NBA title.

Before the move is completed, the Cavaliers will have to make a roster move as the team is presently at the 20-man training camp limit. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland is expected to initially cut a non-guaranteed training camp invitee to make roster space for Wade.

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports (via Twitter) that Kendrick Perkins, who the Cavaliers officially signed on Monday, will likely be cut. Perkins, 32, did not play last season and his last NBA action was a 37-game stint with the Pelicans in 2015/16. Perkins previously suited up for Cleveland during the team’s run to the NBA Finals.

Cleveland will need to trade or waive at least one player on a guaranteed contract to accommodate Wade once rosters shrink to 15 players for the start of the regular season.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Wade, Gortat, Magic

September 26th, 2017 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets turned over their backup point guards behind Kemba Walker this offseason, with Michael Carter-Williams and Julyan Stone replacing Ramon Sessions, Brian Roberts, and Briante Weber. Unfortunately for Charlotte, the injury bug is plaguing the team’s new-look backcourt as training camp gets underway.

As Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer details, Carter-Williams, who is recovering from platelet-rich plasma procedures on his knees, has yet to be cleared for contact drills, and Hornets head coach Steve Clifford isn’t sure when that will happen. Stone is also dealing with an injury, though his nagging groin issue isn’t expected to be a major problem.

If the Hornets do need additional point guard depth this preseason, it will be interesting to see if rookie Malik Monk gets some reps at the position. The team wanted to experiment in Summer League with Monk playing point guard, but he was battling an ankle injury of his own at the time.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Although Dwyane Wade hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to the Heat within the next few years, his desire to join a championship contender trumps his desire to reunite with his old team at this point in his career, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The low-post role in the NBA has evolved considerably in recent years, with teams prioritizing bigs who can shoot, but Wizards center Marcin Gortat isn’t too worried about the league’s shifting philosophy. “I’ve got two, three more years in me, [and] I’m gone.” Gortat said with a smile, per Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “I’m glad I’m at the end of my career right now. I’m not going to shoot threes; I’m not going to develop threes. I’m not going to do that. I’m not going to try to bring back real centers. I’m just going to try to survive. I’m going to play my best. I’m going to try to spend all my six fouls as best as I can, get as many rebounds as I can, get some blocks, get some charges. Hopefully we’re going to win some games, then I’m gone.”
The Magic announced their training camp roster on Monday, and one name notably absent was Rodney Purvis‘. A report last month indicated that the former UConn shooting guard had agreed to a deal with Orlando. The Magic are currently carrying 19 players on their roster, leaving one open spot, but it’s not clear whether that reported agreement with Purvis will be finalized.

Warriors Reached Out To Dwyane Wade

September 26th, 2017 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwyane Wade appears likely to strike a deal with the Cavaliers at some point this week, but several teams reached out to express interest in him after he reached a buyout agreement with the Bulls, and one of those clubs was the Warriors, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.

According to Kennedy, while Golden State displayed interest in Wade, the discussions between the two sides didn’t last long. The former Finals MVP has conveyed to potential suitors that he wants to have a substantial role on a contending team, and the Warriors didn’t make it clear what sort of role would be available for him in Golden State.

With or without Wade, the Warriors will head into the 2017/18 season as massive title favorites, so adding another future Hall-of-Famer to their roster seems unnecessary. Still, it makes sense that the team would do its due diligence. The Dubs don’t have any cap room or exceptions, but Wade’s primary suitors – the Cavaliers and Thunder – are expected to make minimum salary offers, which Golden State could match. If they’d been able to land Wade, the Warriors also would have kept him away from a Cavs club that they’ve faced in the NBA Finals for three consecutive years.

Despite league-wide interest, Wade looks like a very good bet to join the Cavaliers sometime after he clears waivers on Wednesday, as we detailed earlier today.

Cavaliers, Dwyane Wade Nearing Agreement

September 26th, 2017 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

11:08am: Wade is nearing a commitment to sign with the Cavaliers, and could finalize his decision as soon as Wednesday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

10:29am: Dwyane Wade is strongly leaning toward signing with the Cavaliers when he becomes a free agent, and may in fact have already made the decision to join old friend LeBron James in Cleveland, league sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Wade is on track to clear waivers on Wednesday.

Although Wade is expected to receive interest from several other clubs, including the Spurs, Thunder, Heat, and Lakers, the Cavs have been cited as the frontrunner for his services since even before his buyout with the Bulls was finalized.

One prominent league source with knowledge of Wade’s thinking tells Vardon that the future Hall-of-Famer has “no intention of going anywhere else” besides Cleveland. Meanwhile, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times hears from a front office source in Chicago that the Bulls also anticipated Wade would ultimately land with James and the Cavaliers.

While the Cavs can’t offer as much money as the Heat, Lakers, or Spurs, Cleveland almost certainly offers Wade a better chance to compete for a title than any of those clubs, not to mention an opportunity for a reunion with James, his good friend and former teammate. The Thunder would be an intriguing destination for Wade, with Carmelo Anthony and Paul George reportedly recruiting the veteran guard, but Oklahoma City is limited to the minimum salary.

The Cavs will likely end up offering Wade the minimum as well. The team has about $2.55MM left on its taxpayer mid-level exception, but the difference between that figure and Wade’s minimum salary ($2.33MM) would be marginal. Additionally, the NBA would pick up part of the tab on a minimum salary deal, leaving only about $1.471MM on the Cavs’ books, which will be a key consideration as the team tries to keep its projected tax bill in check.

If the Cavs do sign Wade, they’ll have to trade or waive a player with a fully guaranteed contract before the regular season begins. Cleveland is currently carrying 15 such players, so adding Wade would take them over the opening-night limit.

Bulls Buy Out Dwyane Wade

September 25th, 2017 at 4:25pm CST by Austin Kent

SEPTEMBER 25, 4:25pm: Wade has been formally placed on waivers, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. He will clear waivers on Wednesday, Charania adds.

SEPTEMBER 24, 8:36pm: The Bulls and Dwyane Wade have reached an agreement on a buyout, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets.

The early favorites for Wade’s services are the Spurs, Cavaliers and Heat, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Miami is currently positioned to pay him the most money this season.

Within minutes, Wojnarowski followed up with another tweet saying that Cleveland was a “clear frontrunner.”

Per Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Heat can sign Wade for $4.2MM and the Spurs can sign him for $3.3MM. The Cavaliers at $2.5MM could pay little over the veteran’s minimum.

The idea of Wade suiting up elsewhere in 2017/18 has been a popular topic ever since the organization traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves earlier this summer.

It’s been said that Wade felt misled by the organization at the beginning of the offseason, given assurances that the team would remain competitive in his final year with the squad should he opt into his 2017/18 player option.

Wade, of course, did opt in but the Bulls soon changed course, trading Butler for a package centered around Zach LaVine and Minnesota’s No. 7 overall pick.

In the months since, the Bulls and Wade have gone back and forth in seemingly amicable negotiations.

Per Wojnarowski (also on Twitter), Wade will forfeit about $8MM of his $23.8MM contract, leaving the Bulls on the hook for around $16MM through 2017/18.

Considering that Chicago currently runs the risk of falling below the salary floor for the season, keeping the bulk of the veteran’s deal on their books isn’t particularly cumbersome.

Chicago came to an agreement with Nikola Mirotic earlier today that would have pushed the Bulls above the $89.2MM floor but the Wade buyout will drop them below yet again as training camps around the league begin in earnest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Northwest Notes: Wade, Westbrook, Anthony, Favors

September 25th, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George has launched an electronic full-court press to try to convince Dwyane Wade to come to Oklahoma City, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Wade has become the hottest free agent on the market since agreeing to a buyout with the Bulls Sunday night. “I’m in his phone text, his DMs, Snapchat,” George said, “whatever it takes to get this dude here.”

Thunder GM Sam Presti is a little more reserved in his pursuit of Wade, but he would definitely like to have him as part of a Big Four with George, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. OKC finalized its camp roster earlier today with the signing of Markel Brown, but a move would certainly be made to accommodate Wade. “He’ll go through the process and we’ll be in touch,” said Presti, who adds Wade may have already decided where he will sign next (Twitter link).

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Cavaliers, Thunder and Heat were consider the early favorites to sign Wade, but the competition may be more intense than originally believed, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), who adds that “many more teams” are pursuing him.
Westbrook declined to give a direct answer to questions today about the five-year, $207MM extension the Thunder have offered him, posts Royce Young on ESPN Now. “Man, it’s been a long, long summer,” Westbrook responded. “Had a baby. Been working on a little fatherhood. But like I’ve said before, this is a place I want to be.” Westbrook has an October 16 deadline to accept the deal, and former Oklahoma City center Enes Kanter believes he is leaning toward taking it. “I feel like he’s going to sign (the extension)” Kanter told reporters today in New York (Twitter link).
The Nuggets considered trying to bring Anthony back to Denver before the trade with the Thunder was announced, tweets Eric Goodman of Mile High Sports Radio. Although they weren’t among the teams Anthony said he would waive his no-trade clause to join, the Nuggets were interested in trying because the price for Anthony kept falling.
Jazz forward Derrick Favors has a chance to rebuild his reputation before heading into free agency next summer, relays the Associated Press. Favors says he has overcome the knee and back injuries that plagued him over the past two seasons and dropped 15 to 20 pounds during the summer. Utah needs to replace about 40 points per game with the loss of free agents Gordon Hayward and George Hill, and Favors is a prime candidate to increase his production. Favors will be an unrestricted free agent in July after making $12MM this season.
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey isn’t concerned that his team is headed into a difficult Western Conference playoff race with one of the youngest rosters in the league, tweets Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Recently signed free agent Anthony Morrow is Portland’s only player older than 30. “It’s a roster that still has some upside to it, because of its age,” Olshey said. “We’re expecting a lot of internal growth.”

Latest On Dwyane Wade

September 25th, 2017 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls reached a buyout agreement with Dwyane Wade on Sunday, and while that transaction hasn’t yet been made official, the future Hall-of-Famer is expected to be waived and reached the free agent market very soon.

We heard on Sunday night that the Cavaliers are the early frontrunners for Wade’s services, and that hasn’t changed today — Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype notes (via Twitter) that LeBron James and other Cavs are recruiting the veteran guard, and TNT’s David Aldridge tweets that there’s a “strong belief” Wade will end up in Cleveland.

Still, the Cavs will hardly be the only team in the running for Wade. Let’s dive in and round up all the latest on the situation…

Carmelo Anthony and Paul George have started recruiting Wade on behalf of the Thunder, sources tell Kennedy (Twitter link). The Lakers are also among the teams that have reached out to Wade, Kennedy adds (via Twitter).
The Heat would welcome back Wade with open arms, with one player suggesting that the locker room is “100% hoping it happens,” tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. However, Miami hadn’t formally reached out as of Sunday night, per Kennedy (Twitter link).
Speaking to Reynolds, Wade indicated on Sunday night that he’s looking to find a new NBA home quickly. “I’m going to take tonight and some of tomorrow and speak to the teams or players that are on my list and go from there,” Wade said on Sunday night. “My decision is a pure basketball decision and I’ll make the one that fits me best at this point in my career, and with what I feel I have to offer a team that needs what I have to offer.”
In a conversation with K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune, Wade praised the Bulls and said he had no complaints about the way the franchise dealt with him, though he questioned the club’s decision to trade Jimmy Butler and embark on a full-fledged rebuild. “You’ve got one of the top five or six players in the game [in Butler],” Wade said. “That’s what you want and you were able to build that in-house. I was a little disappointed because being up 2-0 versus Boston on the road, Rondo goes down. If that doesn’t happen, we’re having a different conversation.”