8 Difference-making players the Chicago Bulls signed past their prime

1. Dwyane Wade (2016)

Feeling somewhat disrespected during the 2016 NBA offseason, Dwyane Wade bubble-wrapped his departure from the Miami Heat and eventually free-agent signing with the Chicago Bulls as a homecoming. Born in Illinois, Wade was understandably excited to play for Chicago. However, his tenure with the Bulls wasn’t as successful as both Wade and the franchise had believed it would be.

Signing a two-year deal with the Bulls, Wade only played one season in Chicago after being bought out by the team. Wade only played in 60 games during that first season with the Bulls as they sneaked into the postseason as the 8th seed. Wade averaged a career-low 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 37 percent shooting from the field in the postseason for the Bulls that season as they eventually lost in six games during their first-round playoff series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics.

Shortly before the start of the 2017-18 NBA season, Wade was bought out by the Bulls and he would go on to sign with the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade was still a good player for Chicago during that first season, but it clearly became clear that the Bulls were not in a position where they could compete with their current core and that the signing of Wade was a few years too late.