Dwyane Wade‘s homecoming with the Bulls hasn’t gone as planned and rival executives expect him to hit free agency this summer, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes. Wade holds a player option worth $23.8MM for next season.
Wade recently suggested that “upper management” should be the people answering questions on coach Fred Hoiberg‘s lineup decisions. “I don’t want to say too much,” Wade said after a recent game. “I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”
Hoiberg has been experimenting with the rotation, something that’s atypical this late in the season for a team trying to stay afloat in a playoff race. The Bulls entered the day with the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
This wasn’t this first time that Wade showed frustration this season. In late January, Wade and Jimmy Butler criticized their teammates via social media for how they how handled a tough loss. Point guard Rajon Rondo then took to Instagram to criticize them, exclaiming that his “vets” in Boston wouldn’t take to social media to address their concerns. Sources tell Berger that as a result of the bickering, all three were fined by the team.
Here’s more from Berger’s piece:
- Some rival teams always felt that the additions of Wade and Rondo were never going to work out. “It’s a three-point shooting league, and they have a backcourt where that’s not their forte,” a rival head coach told Berger.
- Chicago’s lack of shooting is problematic, but Hoiberg contributes to the organizations’ issues. There’s a belief around the league that Butler is not a fan of the coach and a rival scout told Berger that he’s seen instances of Butler, Wade, and Rondo ignoring the coach’s play calls. “When Fred would call plays on the sideline, Rondo would just flat-out blow him off,” said the scout. “Wade does it, too. Butler does it, too. … That becomes infectious.”
- Another rival coach told Berger that the Bulls‘ front office wants Hoiberg to work out, adding that the franchise was entertaining trade offers for Butler because dealing the 3-time All-Star would “protect” Hoiberg. “Getting rid of Butler saves Fred’s job,” the source said. “Otherwise, malaise continues.”
- According to Berger, league sources “insist” that the Bulls haven’t ruled out bringing Rondo back for the second season of his contract. His salary for 2017/18 is mostly non-guaranteed.
Who’s did Hoiberg ? Don’t understand what the end game is with this guy, he works out and turns into the next Vinny Del Negro??
This is why the Bulls will never win while Paxson, Forman and Hoiberg are in charge. Nobody takes them serious and they deserve all this backlash.
Wade and Butler didn’t go to social media. Rondo did. Rondo said “his” vets wouldn’t go to the media.
Am I the only one that thinks Rondo has been the most professional we’ve seen him in his career? I mean in Boston he has not been this mature and definitely not in Dallas or Sacramento. I think Rondo has done a good job of taking everything in stride this year.
i agree 100%
Sounds like a lot of Bull to me. *Hey! Someone had to post it.
KCelts, I get what you are saying…. However. I disagree slightly. In Sacramento… Rondo was very professional. The crazy crap was more about the Drama between Cousins and the coaches and front office. Not saying Rondo was perfect, but he was trying to keep the locker room held together. That is more than anyone could say about Boogie or Rudy Gay, who has been a bit of a pain in the ass for 2 years because he wants traded. But now, because of his injury, we might get stuck with him, and frankly… I would rather see the Kings try to lock down someone like Otto Porter than be stuck with Gay.
As a Bulls fan, I’ll say this, Rondo is the real team leader. He’s the guy that everyone respects and looks up to. Respect is earned, it isn’t given.
I’m sure they respect Wade for his rings, but he’s a complete primadonna. The guy doesn’t practice and he only shows up to games when he feels like it. It seems like he sits out every other night.
As far as Butler, no one legitimately believes this guy is a team leader or someone you can build around — at least not the real basketball people.
Um…WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM DWADE!?
He Got shoved to the curb by Pat Riley…in a city where he’s an ICON.
And Bulls brass/fans expected what…..24-5-5 in 77 games??!
We expected Wade to act like a leader. So far he’s behaved like the selfish prima dona that he was in Miami. That’s why Riley let him leave. Wade gets paid too much not to practice or play. Keeping his mouth shut when a mic gets shooved in his face would be an improvement also.
I’m fine with Wade not practicing. He’s 35. That’s not uncommon. I’m not fine with some of the comments he’s made.
I wish my employer would shove me to the curb like Riley did to Wade!!
Wade wanted to go to Chicago, and he only got a little more than 1 mil a year to make that move, so he was looking to leave MIA, it wasn’t about the money. Ego maybe, not money.
Maybe Riles didn’t want to end up sucking like the Lakers did the last 4 years of Kome’s career. Good call Riles!!
every team rondo goes to has no chemistry
Rondo’s poor shooting gets him run out of town everywhere he plays. The chemistry stuff is just a convenient excuse for GMs.
But the Bulls had chemistry problems before Rondo got here.