Dwyane Wade calls his first half season in Chicago “average” and says he’s still adjusting to life with the Bulls, relays Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Wade is still playing at an All-Star level, averaging 18.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game, but the team has been disappointing at 21-22. Because his $47MM deal includes a player option for next season, Wade will face another decision on his future this summer. Wade admits he left his “comfort zone” after 13 seasons in Miami. “Whenever I feel a certain way about anything, I always think about that, that I made the decision, and it’s a challenge that I wanted for myself,” he said. “Like I said maybe in the [introductory] presser or somewhere, the easiest for me to [have done is] to just ride off into the sunset in my comfort in Miami. And no one [would have] judged me at all. … But I made it a little more difficult than that because I’m a competitor, so I challenged myself.”
There’s more this morning from Chicago:
- Wade’s future with the Bulls may be tied to Jimmy Butler‘s, Friedell writes in a separate piece. There are internal discussions in the organization about committing to a rebuilding process, which Wade wouldn’t be interested in at age 35. He said Butler played a key role in recruiting him to Chicago and will affect his decision when free agency arrives again. “One of the main reasons I’m here is Jimmy,” Wade said. “He’s the one who called me and got me to come here. So that’s a big part of my decision and everything else, is what Jimmy’s doing, what his future looks like and all that. And I’ve made it very clear. So I have no idea from that standpoint. You just have to wait and see and then see what works out.” Butler is signed through the 2019/20 season, but was the subject of multiple trade rumors last offseason.
- Horace Grant, who serves as special advisor to president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf, says Chicago doesn’t need any drastic moves to reach the postseason. In a video posted on CSNChicago, the former Bull says the team just needs its key players to stay healthy. “I wouldn’t worry about trading anyone,” Grant said. “I wouldn’t worry about trading Jimmy or anything. I will find a way with the pieces that we have now, which I sincerely think that we’re going to make the playoffs, that we’re going to make a push.”
- Rajon Rondo, who has had several run-ins with his coaches, would like to be an NBA head coach when he’s done playing, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
Rondo, a coach?? D league maybe. If that. He doesn’t seem to deal well with adversity how would that look in charge of a team?
Paxon and Foreman have created a disaster for the Bulls. From terrible drafts to poorly selected free agents to picking a poor pro coach and not even getting the coach the players he needs for his system. But since both idiots change Reinsdorfs diapers they won’t go anywhere.
Yup. This team is the joke of all jokes. No direction, signing aging stars, executives that have no clue how to run a team (my 9 year old could run this team better….not kidding. He kills it in fantasy), no accountability, keeping clueless Fred Hoiberg. Honestly, I think this guy forgets his own name, sometimes. This is basically reminiscent of the 1999 post Jordan Bulls. I got a feeling it’s gonna be a loooooooong decade, just like before.
i am hoping its not another long decade… but honestly, i feel like unless we completely fall apart, reinsdorf wont blow the team up. we will go 41-41, get 7-8th seed and get another mid round pick and the cycle continues.