Dwyane Wade Reportedly Exercises Contract Option with Bulls

Dwyane Wade is returning to the Windy City for at least one more season.

According to Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, Wade will exercise his $23.8 million player option for the 2017-18 season. Wade's decision to opt into the final year of his deal with the Chicago Bulls comes after he told reporters in April he was comfortable with whatever route he decided to take. 

"I have a great luxury," he said, per ESPN.com's Nick Friedell. "I don't need to ring-chase, but I can. It's a great luxury to have if I want to do.

"Or I can be a part of passing down my knowledge to younger players. It's either way. Whatever I decide, I'm going to embrace whatever role I have on a team. That's sometimes being the second option. Sometimes I'm going to be the first."

The Bulls encountered their fair share of ups and downs during Wade's first season with the team, but he remained plenty effective at 35 years old. 

In 60 regular-season appearances, Wade averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from three. He also posted an above-average player efficiency rating (18.5) for the 14th straight season. 

However, the Bulls—who went 41-41 during the regular season—squandered a 2-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

"Losing, it's never easy," Wade said, per Friedell. "Especially when you've won championships before, whenever you lose, it always sucks. But you sit back, you reflect, you look on the positives, you look on things that came out of it."

Now headed back to Chicago, Wade will try to push the Bulls up the Eastern Conference standings. The Bulls could make a more earnest push if Jimmy Butler remains in the Windy City as well; however, Goodwill reported Butler may not be with the Bulls much longer, as they actively seek trades for him.

Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference.