CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 08: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Chicago Bulls tries to get off a shot after being fouled by Dewayne Dedmon #3 of the San Antonio Spurs at the United Center on December 8, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Dwyane Wade is headed to Cleveland, according to several reports.
The 12-time NBA All-Star guard is leaving the Chicago Bulls after just one season and only needs to clear waivers on Wednesday in order to join the Cavaliers on a $2.3 million contract. Wade, 35, and the Bulls agreed to a buyout on Sunday.
Wade will now become teammates again with LeBron James. The pair played together on the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014 and won two national championships during that stretch.
Wade — the 2006 NBA Finals MVP who played his first 13 seasons in Miami — joins a talented Cavs roster that also includes Kevin Love, JR Smith and Tristan Thompson. Cleveland will be missing newly-acquired All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas until at least January due to a hip injury.
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The team will initially cut a non-guaranteed training camp invitee to make room for Wade on the 20-man training camp roster, a Cavs source told ESPN. It will need to make an additional move beyond that to make space for him on the 15-man regular-season roster.
Thompson said he believes Wade will be well-integrated into the team’s roster.
“He’s pretty familiar with most of the guys on our team, whether playing against or playing with,” said Thompson. “I think he’s going to jell pretty well. He’s a veteran. He’s always been a good locker room guy. We’ve never heard anything bad.
“It would be great for our team to have another championship-mentality player on our team. It’s just more pieces to the puzzle.”
Wade averaged 18 points for the Bulls last season. In 14 seasons, he has averaged 23.3 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds a game. According to ESPN, he returned $8 million of his $23.8 million 2017-2018 salary to reach a buyout agreement with the Bulls.
The Cavaliers also signed former Bull Derrick Rose in July, after he spent just one season with the New York Knicks.
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 08: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Chicago Bulls tries to get off a shot after being fouled by Dewayne Dedmon #3 of the San Antonio Spurs at the United Center on December 8, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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