Dwyane Wade was not playing around this time. The longtime guard announced on Wednesday night that he was signing with the Chicago Bulls, ending his 13-year stint with the Miami Heat.
“This was not an easy decision, but I feel I have made the right choice for myself and my family,” Wade said in a letter published by the AP.
Wade had been flirting with other teams during the free agency period, but most did not think he would actually leave the Heat. This time he decided to move on.
His new team, the Bulls, will have a completely new look after trading Derrick Rose and losing Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. They have also added Rajon Rondo, Robin Lopez and now Wade.
Wade had taken pay cuts all throughout the era of the Big 3 in Miami so he, LeBron James and Chris Bosh could play together. The trio went to four NBA Finals and won two titles together, so it paid off. But Wade took less money then, and he also took less money so the team could afford Udonis Haslem. After LeBron left the Big 3 and broke up the Heat, Wade decided he was no longer going to sacrifice money. He made $20 million last season and was believed to be seeking more on his next contract. The Heat were playing hard ball with him all along, leading to this eventual split.
Drafted fifth overall in 2003 by the Heat, Wade won three titles in Miami, reached 12 All-Star Games and was the team’s franchise player. Heat fans are going to have a tough time getting over seeing one of their favorites in a new uniform, but with Pat Riley being unwilling to overspend on an aging player who has knee problems, they had to know this day might eventually come. And fans also should have paid attention to Wade’s 2012 comments about how much he liked the Bulls.
