Two Former Bulls Eligible For 2023 Hall of Fame Class

In 2014, Gasol joined the Bulls via free agency. When he signed he said, "It was gut feeling, I thought Chicago is going to be the best fit for me." While providing the Bulls their replacement for Joakim Noah, the Bulls never had enough to become true contenders. Injuries plagued Derrick Rose and the rest of the Bulls supporting cast.

While on the Bulls, Gasol accomplished some impressive feats. In 2015, he recorded 54 double doubles, and was the 116th player to reach 1,000 games played. He also became the fourth player, at 35 years old, to record multiple triple doubles in a season. In addition, he became the 38th player to reach 10,000 rebounds and the 36th player to record 10,000 points and rebounds.

Gasol went on to finish his career with the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks before injuries ended his NBA career. In 2021, he return to FC Barcelona to play one last season before retiring,

All this glosses over his international career in FIBA, where during his time with Team Spain they were viewed as the best team in the world other than the USA.

Dwayne Wade

Wade came to the NBA in the star power-filled 2003 NBA Rookie class. He was drafted by the Miami Heat and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. In 2004, the Heat traded for Shaquile O'Neal to pair with Wade's incredible scoring ability. The Heat went from .500 the previous year to making the Eastern Conference Finals.

In 2006, Wade helped lead the Heat to a championship by dropping 42, 36, 43, and 36 points in games 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the NBA Finals. His performance made Wade the clear choice for NBA Finals MVP.

After the 2006 Finals, Wade was plagued with injuries through the 2008 season. In the summer of 2008, Wade was part of the famous "Redeem Team" for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics. Team USA won Gold after capturing Bronze at the 2004 Olympics.

In 2010, the NBA changed forever. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Wade down in Miami to create an unforgettable Big 3. From 2010-2014, the Heat were the team to beat. During that span, they won championships in 2012 and 2013. 

After the 2014 season, the Big 3 era ended with James going back to Cleveland, but Wade ultimately re-signed with Miami. 

Wade became a free agent again in 2016, and signed with his hometown Bulls on a two-year, $47 million deal. Wade selected the Bulls because the Heat gave him a low ball offer and the Bulls slightly overpaid for his services. 

Wade was part of the "three alphas" with Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo. The trio, built by Gar Forman and John Paxson, failed miserably by losing 4-2 to Isaiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs that season. 

Wade finished out his career with stops in Cleveland, and ultimately back in Miami where it all started. He retired following the 2018-19 season. 

The Bulls Failures

Both former Bulls were key stars on their respective primary teams, but never had substantial success with the Bulls. This was largely due to the failures of the Bulls' front office, who were unable to surround them with healthy talent. John Paxson resorted to Gasol and Wade to be "big splashes" and failed to add other talent around them.

Wade and Gasol should both make the cut on the final vote. They both embodied what a Hall of Famer should be and they are icons of the past two decades of basketball.