NEW YORK—Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion with Miami, is set to join his hometown Chicago Bulls following 13 seasons with the Heat, the US media reported Wednesday night.
The 34-year-old free agent and 12-time all star reportedly balked at a two-year, $40 million deal from the only franchise he has known.
His new deal will reportedly pay him $47.5 million over two years, with a player option in year two.
Heat owner Micky Arison wished Wade good luck with his new team on Wednesday night.
“Thank you @Dwyane Wade for a great 13 yrs! You’ve had a tremendous impact on our community and our organization. We wish you all the best,” Arison said in a tweet.
The Heat no doubt figured Wade was expendable as injuries – especially knee problems – have cut down his playing time over the last few seasons.
This past season he played a career low 30.5 minutes a game and averaged 19.0 points per game, which equalled his lowest total since his rookie season in 2003-04.
He was also reportedly upset with Miami making a priority of trying to re-sign Hassan Whiteside and attempting to woo Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City.