Lakers Rumors: Dwyane Wade Reportedly Was Targeted Before Opting in to Contract

One offseason changed the whole vibe around the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before this summer, it felt like the Lakers were crawling in the right direction. With Magic Johnson now controlling the ship, the front office has pounced on any and all opportunist angles, provided it keeps next summer squeaky clean from a financial standpoint.

It turns out one of those angles was pursing Dwyane Wade.

Gunning for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope when he unexpectedly hit the market because the Detroit Pistons needed to clear space for Avery Bradley is the best example of everything the Lakers want to do—KCP has upside yet settled for a front-loaded deal, meaning plenty of cap space to pursue a Paul George or maybe even a LeBron James in 2018.

A pursuit of Wade would've allowed for similar themes, so it isn't a surprise to hear the Lakers wanted to lure the veteran guard to town before he opted back in with the Chicago Bulls, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Lakers Nation's Trevor Lane): "...if Dwyane had gotten a buyout in Chicago the Lakers absolutely had interest in signing him, but once that space got filled up by Caldwell-Pope that wasn't on the board."

Wade had every reason to opt back in with the Bulls, starting with the $23 million he's owed for one season, per Spotrac, and moving on down to the fact the Bulls flirted with the idea of upsetting a No. 1 seed in the playoffs before Rajon Rondo suffered an injury.

But the report mentions the vibe coming from Wade's camp changed when the Bulls dealt Jimmy Butler. The Lakers weren't able to make something happen, though, and moved on to KCP.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The angle here isn't hard to see—throwing droves of cap space at Wade for a year with perhaps an option slapped on might've made the Lakers more attractive to LeBron if he truly hits the market in 2018. We've already heard plenty of rumors linking the King to the Los Angeles area, according to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor back in June.

Which isn't to suggest the Lakers overlooked Wade's value on the court. He's 35 years old, but still posted averages of 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 29.9 minutes last year while shooting 43.4 percent from the floor. He'd be perfect at the 2 rotating with Jordan Clarkson or even the 3 with Brandon Ingram in smaller lineups.

Instead, the money went to KCP, a 24-year-old guard who flashed at times over his four years in Detroit and could blossom while running free next to Lonzo Ball during a rebuilding year. Magic hasn't been shy in talking about what the Lakers love about KCP's game. 

"Rich had called us with a possibility he would consider us for a one-year deal," Johnson said, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. "Rob and I really started watching film and we were just blown away. ... I wanted somebody mean and tough that we could count on to get that big stop for us."

KCP seems like the ideal counterpart for Ball, as he'll take on the opponent's best backcourt scorer every night while the rookie focuses on being the court general on the offensive end—which he didn't have any problem doing in the Las Vegas summer league when he dished out a pair of triple-doubles leading to the MVP award. That said, further depth would be nice because he's currently recovering from a strained calf, according to the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

But said depth is going to be hard to come by, even if Wade and the Bulls unexpectedly sever ties. The money going to KCP has made it hard for the Lakers to even reload behind Ball, hence the failed courtship of Rajon Rondo, who went on to sign with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.

The Lakers certainly aren't waiting on Wade. With only about $4 million to offer right now, the team has been linked to names such as Ian Clark or even re-upping with Tyler Ennis, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Other links as of late include veteran Rodney Stuckey, per Medina, and even a possible reunion with Jordan Farmar, according to HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy.

None of those options, of course, share the same possible impact as Wade, both on the court and as a mentor for a young roster off it. There's also the seemingly impossible LeBron angle to keep in mind.

For now, it doesn't seem like the Bulls and Wade will go their separate ways, as captured by CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill recently:

These things change, of course, so it's important fans keep an eye on both the Lakers and Bulls running up to next year's trade deadline. Magic and the front office didn't blink when giving away D'Angelo Russell in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets when it meant shedding Timofey Mozgov's contract.

If the Lakers want to ax another contract, look no further than 32-year-old Luol Deng, who costs the team a cap hit north of $17 million over each of the next three seasons, per Spotrac. With the Bulls throwing up the white flag and heading into a full-blown rebuild, there's an angle here where both parties can benefit from a deal. 

For now, the Lakers couldn't nail down a pursuit of one of the league's biggest names in a future-looking approach. But a pair of avenues might make it happen over the course of the season's first half, meaning Wade-to-Lakers watch is only just beginning.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.