Dwyane Wade leaves Heat, joins Bulls for 2 years, $47.5 million

To land a player such as Dwyane Wade, the Bulls obviously were willing to make room under the salary cap at any cost.

According to a source, vice president John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman feverishly hit the phones late Wednesday to complete trades that sent guard Jose Calderon and forward Mike Dunleavy elsewhere, so they would have the cap space to bring Wade aboard for a two-year, $47.5 million contract.

A source close to Dunleavy confirmed he was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to The Vertical, Calderon was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The move not only brings Wade back home — he was born in Chicago and attended Richards High School in Oak Lawn — but also gives the Bulls a veteran shooting guard who won three championship rings with the Miami Heat.

‘‘This was not an easy decision, but I feel I have made the right choice for myself and my family,’’ Wade wrote in a letter to Miami, which was released to the Associated Press. ‘‘Watching the Bulls growing up inspired me at an early age to pursue my dream of becoming a basketball player. My most treasured memories were watching my dad play basketball on the courts of Fermi Elementary School and developing my game at the Blue Island Recreation Center. I have never forgotten where I came from, and I am thankful to have an opportunity to play for the team that first fueled my love of the game.’’

The addition of Wade, a 12-time All-Star who spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Heat, continued a rash of offseason decisions by the Bulls that have many scratching their heads.

After trading Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks in a five-player trade last week, Forman insisted the move was made to get ‘‘younger and more athletic.’’

Instead, the Bulls have gotten older with the free-agent acquisitions of Wade, 34, and point guard Rajon Rondo, 30, who last week agreed to terms on a two-year, $28 million deal.

One of the interesting things in all of this is that swingman Jimmy Butler, whom many have tried to portray as a diva, has been all in on both additions. A source said Butler was ‘‘front and center in recruiting his [butt] off.’’

‘‘If there was a valuable free agent out there the last few weeks, Jimmy was talking to him,’’ the source said.

That’s good, but the big question is how it all will work. Butler loves to have the ball in his hands and showed he could be a dominant point guard when he was forced to play the position when Rose was injured in April. Wade also remains capable of carrying an offense.

The reason coach Fred Hoiberg had to scrap a lot of what he wanted to do offensively last season was because his system isn’t built for isolation players. His offense also is predicated on outside shooting, and trading Dunleavy and Calderon doesn’t leave the Bulls with a good look from three-point range. Wade is a career 28 percent shooter from long range, while Butler is at 33 percent and Rondo at 29 percent.

The good news for Hoiberg is that he will have Wade playing at a high level, provided last season was any indication. Wade averaged 19 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 2015-16.

Follow me on Twitter @suntimes_hoops.

Email: jcowley@suntimes.com