NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls Should Pursue Dwyane Wade In NBA Free Agency

The Chicago Bulls have entered an offseason of change this year and are hoping to bring in a piece or two in free agency. Derrick Rose was traded to the New York Knicks to begin the offseason and the Bulls could use a star to put alongside of Jimmy Butler. There are a few available, although it remains to be seen if the Bulls will spend big money in free agency.

If they do decide to make a move, they need to make an aggressive move to sign star shooting guard Dwyane Wade. He has opened talks with the Miami Heat, but is reportedly now open to listening to other teams as the talks with Miami have started off really slow.

Wade would be an excellent pickup for the Bulls and would keep them in contention in the Eastern Conference.

Last season with the Heat, it appeared that Wade found the fountain of youth. He averaged 19.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. Wade ended the season shooting 45.6 percent from the field and knocked down 79.3 percent of his foul shots.

At 34-years-old, there is a good chance that Wade will be signing one of the last deals of his career. He could choose to go with a one-year deal in order to cash in on free agency next offseason when the cap soars again, but that would be just fine with the Bulls.

If the Bulls came calling, there is a very good chance that Wade would listen to them and consider a deal. He would be heading back home, as he was born in Chicago back in 1982. Playing for his hometown team would be a very intriguing thing to do to say the least.

Fred Hoiberg has to be a bit concerned about the roster that he has put together for next season. Butler will have a big season, but after him there is no true No. 2 scorer. Wade would immediately take that role and could become the primary ball-handler for the Bulls as well if they chose to go that direction.

Looking ahead at the upcoming season, the Bulls have a slight chance to get into the playoffs as a low seed. They do not have the firepower to climb into the top-five at this point, but could snag the seventh or eighth seed.

Whether the Bulls could offer Wade the chance to compete for a championship or not is another question. They would need to find another piece or two to put alongside of Butler and Wade in order to do that.

Needless to say, adding Wade to the market makes the offseason even more intriguing. He was originally expected to return to the Heat immediately in free agency without any kind of drama. With all of the money that teams have to spend this offseason, there is a chance that Wade could leave now if he feels disrespected by Miami.

Miami is still likely the front-runner to bring Wade back, but Pat Riley will have to mend the bride before that happens. If he is unable to mend it before free agency, Wade could take a visit or two from other teams.

Expect to hear plenty of rumors surrounding both the Heat and Wade this offseason. Both parties will be very busy when July 1st hits. Wade certainly isn’t happy at this point in time and it will be interesting to see which teams try to jump in and steal him away from the Heat.

Do you think the Chicago Bulls should pursue Dwyane Wade when free agency opens up? Would he propel the Bulls back to serious playoff contention? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Photo by AP Photo/Darren Abate]