Fansided

Fantasy basketball fallout of Dwyane Wade’s buyout from Chicago

By Bryan Toporek

SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 6: Michael Carter-Williams #7, Robin Lopez #8, Dwyane Wade #3 and Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls face off against the Sacramento Kings on February 6, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 6: Michael Carter-Williams #7, Robin Lopez #8, Dwyane Wade #3 and Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls face off against the Sacramento Kings on February 6, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Dwyane Wade era in Chicago came to a swift and inglorious end Sunday, as he and the Bulls came to terms on a contract buyout, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst reported the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are all on Wade’s radar as possible landing spots once he clears waivers Wednesday.

Until Wade settles upon a new team, fantasy basketball owners can’t reasonably project his 2017-18 outlook. He’s likely looking at a smaller role than he had in Chicago regardless of where he ends up, but how much his offensive responsibilities shrink will depend on where he chooses for his next destination. On the off-chance you have your draft before Wade signs with a new team, drop him down into ninth- or 10th-round territory, but recognize that he posted top-75 value this past season with the Bulls despite playing just 29.9 minutes per game.

For those remaining in Chicago, Wade’s departure opens a massive void on offense that needs to be filled. With Wade, Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo, Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and Michael Carter-Williams all having left the organization since February, the Bulls head into the 2017-18 season without six of their top nine minutes-getters from last year. Those six players averaged 78.4 points and 65.4 shot attempts per game between them, which means the Bulls effectively need to replace three-quarters of their offensive output.

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Zach LaVine figures to be the primary beneficiary from Wade’s departure, but his timetable to return from a torn ACL remains unclear. While he described himself as “very far along in the progress” during media day Monday, per Bulls reporter Sean Highkin, team executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson declined to give an update on when he’s expected to return, aside from saying it’s a “pretty safe bet” he won’t be ready to go on opening night. If your league has an IR spot, LaVine will make for a great late-round pick, as he could tout top-50 upside by the time the fantasy playoffs roll around. Those without an IR spot or in rotisserie formats may not want to burn a roster spot on him, though.

While LaVine remains sidelined, the Bulls are otherwise largely devoid of proven offensive talent. Nikola Mirotic, who came to terms with the team on a two-year, $27 million contract Sunday, per Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, has been infuriatingly inconsistent during his three-year NBA career. Starting center Robin Lopez has never averaged more than 11.3 points in a season. Six-year veteran Quincy Pondexter missed the entire 2016-17 season after undergoing knee surgery and has a career average of 5.3 points per game. Go further down the list, and the factory of sadness only gets more depressing.

Mirotic and Lopez tout mid- and late-round upside, respectively, but no other Bulls veteran deserves your attention in fantasy drafts. As Chicago enters the first stage of a long, painful rebuild, expect the team to rely heavily upon its young players instead of vets.

Kris Dunn, who the Bulls acquired alongside LaVine in the Butler trade, will have every opportunity to take the starting point guard job and run with it. Previous point guard of the future Cameron Payne underwent foot surgery in early September and will be sidelined for three to four months, leaving Jerian Grant as Dunn’s main competition for the gig. The Providence product averaged just 3.8 points per game on 37.7 percent shooting as a rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the Bulls don’t have much of a choice here. As such, he’ll be worth drafting with one of your final one or two picks.

Denzel Valentine also becomes an intriguing late-round flier in the wake of Wade’s departure, as the Bulls desperately need long-range shooting in their starting lineup. Valentine knocked down just 35.1 percent of his triples as a rookie this past season and was somehow even worse during the Las Vegas Summer League in July, but he may enter the year as Chicago’s starting 2-guard regardless. The Michigan State product’s value is likely to plummet once LaVine returns, but there’s enough early-season upside here to spend one of your final few picks on him.

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Outside of Dunn and Valentine, Chicago’s backcourt has the makings of a fantasy wasteland. Grant and Justin Holiday could each emerge as early-season options, particularly for those in deeper leagues, but neither touts enormous upside. David Nwaba should be left on the waiver wire in standard 10- or 12-team leagues. Paul Zipser isn’t likely to provide much value outside of points and 3-pointers, making him nothing more than a long-range specialist in deep leagues.

With Wade gone, the Bulls look like a team largely to avoid in fantasy outside of LaVine, Mirotic, Lopez, Dunn and Valentine.

All average draft position info via FantasyPros. All rankings via Basketball Monster are based on nine-category leagues.

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