Dwyane Wade's time in Chicago could be nearing an end -- only if team executive vice president John Paxson sees a buyout of the star's contract as a benefit to the team, that is.

 

In an interview on "The Mully and Hanley" show on Thursday, Paxson said buyout discussions are ongoing with Wade's representatives, but it would have to be a move that proves "advantageous" for the franchise, and Wade would potentially have to forfeit a chunk of the $23.8 million he opted into this summer to make it work.

 

"Some dialogue is going on," Paxson said via the Chicago Tribune. 

 

Wade, now entering his 15th season in the league, picked up his player option on June 20 with the Bulls. But since he did, the Bulls have seemingly taken a new direction as a franchise, trading away the team's cornerstone in Jimmy Butler to Minnesota and moving toward a rebuild -- a stark contrast from a season ago in which the team gave the top-seeded Celtics a challenging six-game, first-round playoff series.