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It was a mere formality for the Bulls to officially announce the signing of Dwyane Wade, and they finally did so on Friday night before Wade left the country. The official Wade introduction will come when he returns:
Welcome Home, @DwyaneWade! pic.twitter.com/uEEtZb55IP
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 16, 2016
Wade also delivered a message to Bulls fans upon signing:
.@dwyanewade is coming home! Here's his message to all you #Bulls fans:https://t.co/kB72OLNjf8
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 16, 2016
Oh, yeah, Bulls GM Gar Forman delivered a short statement:
Bulls GM Gar Forman: "It's not often you get the opportunity to add a three-time champion and 12-time All-Star to your roster."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 16, 2016
The replies to KC's tweet offer a somewhat amusing snapshot of how a decent portion of the fan base feels about signing an obviously past-his-prime Wade, but this is obviously still a damn big deal. Which makes it pretty hilarious that they chose to announce this at 9 p.m. local time on a Friday night. I know there were some logistical things to work out here, but Friday night news-dumping one of your biggest signings ever is pretty goofy.
Nevertheless, Dwyane Wade is officially a Bull, and it's going to take some time to get used to that. While I'm not thrilled with the direction the front office chose and I do worry about Wade's decline, seeing him in a Bulls uniform will still be a cool experience, even if it's like 6 years too late.
Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is certainly excited about the addition, and KC got a few quotes from him:
Caught up with Hoiberg, who can finally talk Wade: "We're excited. He's a guy with championship experience who gives us another playmaker."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 16, 2016
Hoiberg: "We’ve got multiple playmakers now, multiple guys who can get in the paint. We do have floor spacing."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 16, 2016
Asked Hoiberg who gets last shot in tie game: "We'll see who has it going." Added much will depend on matchups.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 16, 2016
In addition to the Wade signing, it appears Denzel Valentine is officially under contract now as well:
Valentine and the Summer Bulls play tonight in Vegas as they look to stay undefeated and advance in the tournament.