Dwyane Wade, LeBron James Prioritized Bulls, Looked at Knicks in Summer of 2010

Dwyane Wade said conversations with LeBron James during the NBA's 2010 free-agent period first focused on the Chicago Bulls and then shifted to the New York Knicks before the superstars decided to team up in Miami since the Heat had the financial flexibility to also add Chris Bosh.

Wade provided behind-the-scenes details about the process Wednesday during an appearance on The Players' Tribune's Knuckleheads podcast:

The 37-year-old Chicago native, who retired from the NBA following the conclusion of the Heat's season, explained the dynamic duo was intrigued by the prospect of joining Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah in the Bulls' starting lineup at the time.

Things still worked out great for Wade, James and Bosh as they teamed up to win back-to-back NBA championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.

LeBron returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 to handle some unfinished business, leading the Cavs to a title in 2016. He's now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Meanwhile, D-Wade still ended up playing a season in his hometown, joining the Bulls for the 2016-17 campaign. He then spent part of the 2017-18 season with James in Cleveland before returning to Miami to finish his decorated career.

It's always interesting to hear how the course of the NBA could have changed, and Wade's comments illustrate how close the Bulls came to being the league's superpower from 2010 through 2014 rather than the Heat.