Chicago Bulls: Dwyane Wade waiting for management to make moves before deciding his future

Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade has a $23.8 million option for next season. He is waiting for management to set the course for the 2017-18 season before exercising that option.

Now that the up-and-down Chicago Bulls season is over, we look forward to an offseason that may be filled with deals that overhaul the roster. Rumors persist they may trade star Jimmy Butler for a huge treasure. Point guard Rajon Rondo has a team option. Also, there are questions about other players on the roster such as Nikola Mirotic.

Another key question that needs to be answered is the status of future Hall of Fame guard Dwyane Wade.

Wade has an option for next season. If he exercises it, the Bulls pay him $23.8 million. That is an amount that no other team will think of paying him. That’s an easy decision for Wade, right?

Not so fast…

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Wade loved his time going back to his home city. He felt the love from players, front office, and the city, so he says he doesn’t regret his decision.

"The biggest thing is I came here and I was embraced,” Wade said. “Not only by the city, by up top. I was embraced by the coaches, the players, and it was some good moments and some bad moments, just like every season. But I don’t regret my decision at all."

While he feels comfortable with his decision, he can now decide that he wants another title and take less money to play for a contender.

"I don’t need to ring chase, but I can,” he said on Saturday. “It’s a great luxury to have if I want to do. Or I can be a part of passing down my knowledge to younger players."

Wade sounds like he is still on the fence. For right now, he wants to wait until he sees what the front office decides to do before he makes his decision. Once he sees the course set by John Paxson and Gar Forman, he’ll make his choice.

One thing is sure, Wade better play better defense than what he showed late in the season, especially in the playoffs. If he wants to impart wisdom on younger players, that showing he displayed shouldn’t be a part of it. Didn’t he complain about younger players not playing hard earlier in the season?

As much as Wade loves Chicago, if GarPax moves Butler (which is a real possibility, especially if the Boston Celtics win the Draft Lottery), I find it hard to believe Wade comes back. Yes, he talks about passing down his knowledge, but at this point of his career, he wants some wins. That won’t happen if the Bulls tear it all down and start a rebuild. If the Bulls do that, Wade won’t be around for the end of the rebuild. With not much time left in his career, another title would be a nice topping on the cake that is his career.

Next: Will Paxson have an expanded role on the Bulls?

After the disappointments of the seasons of the Blackhawks, Bears, and Bulls, this is certainly an interesting offseason for Chicago sports. Let’s see which of those teams do the best job in coming back strong.

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