MIAMI _ Dwyane Wade said Friday that a change in philosophical approach from the Miami Heat, and not a rift with Heat President Pat Riley, was among the reasons he decided to sign with his hometown Chicago Bulls in NBA free agency.
Formally introduced to the media at the Bulls' practice facility, Wade stressed that returning to the city where he was born was an essential component in his decision.
"I got the opportunity to be selfish and I took it," he said.
While that played well in Chicago, casting this late-career move back to where he grew up idolizing Michael Jordan, the move also was made in the wake of an unbending approach from the Heat in free agency, a determination to maintain salary-cap flexibility for next summer and beyond.
"The direction and the focus for that organization in Miami, which I have nothing but respect for and love for, was a little different than it has been in the past," Wade said. "And with that being said, my direction and my focus was a little different than it's been in years past."
In the wake of Riley recently expressing regret over how the process played out with the franchise's all-time leading scorer, Wade insisted, as he did during a previous farewell media session in Miami, that the process never became personal.
"I have no rift with Pat Riley," Wade said.
The Heat, as was the case a year ago, put Wade's free-agency negotiations in the hands of owner Micky Arison and chief executive Nick Arison. Riley confirmed that he never got involved in the process and expressed remorse over the approach.
"It wasn't because he didn't reach out to me," Wade said. "How petty is that? I sat at a table with the guys who pay the bills. And I knew they wanted me to still be there, but ultimately I wanted to be here."
After years of working with the Heat during contract negotiations, and years of stepping back to accommodate the games of Heat teammates Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Wade said this time during free agency, "It was my decision to be selfish and to live out a dream of mine."
Wade, 34, ultimately took a two-year, $47 million contract with the Bulls that allows him to return to free agency next summer. He turned down a two-year, $40 million offer from the Heat that also would have allowed him to return to free agency next summer. He also had a standing two-year offer in excess of $50 million from the Denver Nuggets.
"Let's clear up the notion that Pat Riley orchestrated me getting out of Miami because he didn't offer the money I wanted," Wade said. "This was not a money deal for me. If it was a money deal, I would have taken the most money that was offered for me."
As he did during his Miami media session three days after committing to the Bulls on July 6, Wade said he appreciated Riley's organizational commitment.
"He has to make the decision for the organization, which he's done an amazing job over his tenure there," Wade said. "And we all benefited from it. But this decision was basically mine. And I couldn't concern myself or worry about someone reaching out to me or not reaching out to me."
