For Dwyane Wade, the decision to return to Chicago was a simple one: where else could he could he make $24 million next season?
Asked Dwayne Wade tonight why he opted in for 2017-18 in Chicago: "24 million reasons."
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) June 21, 2017
Wade, 35, exercised his player option and then playfully explained why he’s worth the money.
18.3 points a game in 29mins on 43% shooting at 35 years old. if I'm 25 with the same numbers I'm getting 150 million 😂 #Fading #petty
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 21, 2017
Wade did not wait for the uncertainty around Jimmy Butler‘s future to be cleared up.
Per the Chicago Tribune:
That Wade decided before the trade talks surrounding Butler fully played out in advance of Thursday’s NBA draft gave credence to what Wade said on April 29.
“Jimmy is, you know, a huge component in me being here. You know, what’s his future like? But at the end of the day it is a me decision,” Wade said. “Everyone knows that Jimmy’s my guy, and I’m here because of our conversation (last summer). But a lot of it depends on the whole big picture. Jimmy’s a big piece, but it’s a big picture as an organization.”
At one point during last season, Wade did say he would prefer not to be part of a rebuild. But the day after the Celtics eliminated the Bulls, Wade also said this: “I can be a part of passing down my knowledge to younger players.”
Now, he’s on board for that — with or without Butler.
