The Chicago Bulls took some heat for their handling of superstars Jimmy Butler Dwayne Wade during the 2016-17 NBA season. Not only did the Bulls largely underwhelm, but their star duo's frustrations with head coach Fred Hoiberg clearly boiled toward the end of the year.
Although Butler has maintained his central role with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the veteran Wade has taken somewhat of a backseat with the Cleveland Cavaliers by coming off the bench. While it may seem like a bit of a surprise to see the 12-time All-Star accept such a role, it was not the first time he had been asked to do so. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Hoiberg had discussed that possibility with Wade more than once last season:
“We did have a couple conversations about that but obviously with the buyout, I’m happy for Dwyane. He's in position again to compete for a championship and playing very well.”
While he may have wished his former player the best, Hoiberg's comments indicate that those conversations did not go over too well with Wade. Needless to say, it was only a matter of time before tensions brewing within the team started to go public.
To be fair, the situation in Cleveland was much different than that of the one in Chicago last year. Not only was Wade in his hometown, but the Bulls were nowhere near as formidable as the Cavs have been this year. That said, his arrival with the defending Eastern Conference champs has not come with the warmest of welcomes from his new teammates.
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