Dwyane Wade Move from Heat to Bulls Illustrates Winners and Losers in NBA Offseason in One Signing

After reportedly picking up Dwyane Wade on Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls project to improve from 42-40 to 57-25 – enough to go from missing the playoffs to tying the Cleveland Cavaliers atop the East.

It is not all Wade, of course. Wade was worth an additional 11.1 wins last season, while the acquisitions of Robin Lopez (+7.8) and Rajon Rondo (+7.5), and the draft of Denzel Valentine (+7.2) give All-Star Jimmy Butler plenty of help. Even after subtracting for the loss of Pau Gasol (-12.7) and the normal -6.0 atrophy for each team – the Bulls project a 15-game improvement. This projected improvement also comes after losing former NBA MVP Derrick Rose.

All 30 teams are ranked below from biggest offseason loser to biggest winner based on moves and draft picks. Click here for a more detailed analysis of the 148 best players by team, which includes ESPNS NBA Estimated Wins rankings and College Value Add basketball rankings.

Whether or not Wade can duplicate the past season at the age of 35 remains to be seen. He grew up in Chicago before going up the road to attend Marquette University, but he has struggled in the arena he will now call home over the years.

Having also lost Luol Deng, the Heat currently projects to win 22.5 fewer games with today’s roster, to rank as the biggest loser of the offseason:

1. MIA -22.5, Key Changes: LOST Dwyane Wade to CHI -11.1, Luol Deng to LAL -5.4
2. OKC -15.9, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Victor Oladipo from ORL +7.4, DRAFTED Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga +4), LOST Kevin Durant to GSW -22.8
3. ATL -15.9, Key Changes: DRAFTED Taurean Prince (Baylor +4) and DeAndre Bembry (St. Joe’s +5.51), LOST Al Horford to BOS -11.6 and Jeff Teague to IND -7.8
4. NYK -13.8, Key Changes: LOST Robin Lopez -7.8 to CHI
5. ORL -13.4, Key Changes: LOST Victor Oladipo to OKC -7.4
6. SAC -9.5, Key Changes: ACQIURED Paul Gasol from CHI +12.7, LOST Rajon Rondo to CHI 7.5
7. BRK -9.0, Key Changes: LOST Thaddeus Young to IND -7.3
8. CHA -6.0, Key Changes: No impact drafts or moves
9. PTL -6.0, Key Changes: No impact drafts or moves
10. NO -3.2, Key Changes: DRAFTED Buddy Hield (Oklahoma +8.6), LOST Ryan Anderson to HOU -5.8
11. MEM -2.0, Key Changes: DRAFTED Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt +4.01)
12. DAL -1.8, Key Changes: DRAFTED AJ Hammons from Purdue +4.21
13. MIN -1.2, Key Changes: DRAFTED Kris Dunn (Providence +4.8)
14. UTAH -0.8, Key Changes: DRAFTED Joel Bolomboy (Weber St. +5.2)
15. WAS -0.5, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Ian Mahinmi IND +5.5
16. HOU -0.2, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Ryan Anderson from NO +5.8
17. LAL -0.1, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Luol Deng from MIA +5.4, DRAFTED Brandon Ingram (Duke +4.6), LOST Kobe Bryant to retire -4.1

Now the winners, starting with Detroit and Cleveland getting one-game better:

18. DET 0.9, Key Changes: DRAFTED Michael Gbinije (Syracuse +6.9)
19. CLE 1.1, Key Changes: DRAFTED Kahlil Felder from Oakland (ok, will see if 5-foot-7 Breitbart All-American can play at this level)
20. LAC 1.9, Key Changes: DRAFTED Brice Johnson (UNC 7.9)
21. DEN 3.7, Key Changes: DRAFTED Jamal Murray (Kentucky +5.7) and Juan Hernangomez (Spain +4)
22. SAS 6.7, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Pau Gasol +12.7
23. MIL 6.9, Key Changes: DRAFTED Malcolm Brogdon (Uva +6.87) and Thon Maker (Australia +6)
24. TOR 7.9, Key Changes: DRAFTED Pascal Siakam (NM St +7.0) and Jakob Poeltl (Utah 6.8)
25. PHI 10.1, Key Changes: DRAFTED Ben Simmons (LSU +8.1), Timothe Luwawu (France +4) and Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey +4)
26. IND 10.6, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Jeff Teague from Atlanta +7.8, Thaddeus Young from BKN +7.3, DRAFTED Georges Niang (Iowa St. +7.0), LOST Ian Mahinmi to WAS -5.5
27. PHX 12.3, Key Changes: DRAFTED Marquese Chriss (Washington +4), Dragan Bender (Croatia +7) and Tyler Ulis (Kentucky +7.3)
28. CHI +14.9, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Dwyane Wade from MIA +11.1, Robin Lopez from NYK +7.8 and Rajon Rondo from SAC +7.5, DRAFTED Denzel Valentine from Mich St +7.22, LOST Pau Gasol -12.7
29. GSW 22.7, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Kevin Durant from OKC +22.8, DRAFTED Patrick McCaw (UNLV 5.9)
30. BOS 23.3, Key Changes: ACQUIRED Al Horford fr ATL +11.6, DRAFTED Ben Bentil (Prov +5.69), Ante Zizic (Bos +4), Jaylen Brown (Cal +4), and Guerschon Yabusele (France +4)