National Basketball Association

Wade rips Bulls, plans free agent summit

Published May. 27, 2010 4:26 p.m. ET

foxsports

Any effort by the Bulls to lure Dwyane Wade to Chicago apparently would have to begin with the club explaining why its two greatest recent champions seem to be treated as outcasts.

The Bulls' image as unfriendly to former stars such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen could adversely affect the team's ability to land the Miami Heat guard or any of the other five-star free agents this summer, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

"I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty," Wade told the paper. "I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball … how loyal they are. I don't know about the Bulls."

Wade said he plans to speak with the Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Hawks' Joe Johnson before making a decision once free agency begins July 1. The potential to win NBA titles may matter, but so too will what happens after the championship parades ends.

"I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there. … You know, these guys are not a part," Wade said. "Things like that. So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person."

Wade said he's not sure when the top free agents will compare notes. They have spoken informally in the past.

"(Free agency) has been three years coming," Wade said. "We've discussed it prematurely, at different times. (But) you don't know what guys are thinking and where they're going. I think we'll all sit down, and before one of us makes a decision, all of us will have spoken to each other and (listened to the) thinking."

Wade would welcome sharing the stage with another top-rung star.

"I understand that you have to have a great team, a great supporting cast around you. That's all I want," he told the paper. "My ego is not that big. … I just want to win."