Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls had a very strange season by just about any NBA metric that you can think of. They were a middling team all year before their locker room almost imploded and later found themselves up 2-0 in the 2017 Playoffs.

In the end, the Bulls were the definition of Jekyll and Hyde all the way to the end as they saw their season wrap up after a 105-83 beating at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The team that seemed so resilient and focused ended up losing their way and coughing up a lead.

Jimmy Butler was the only Bulls player on the floor that seemed interested in the outcome of the final game. He finished with 23, but battled injuries amid an up and down series that saw him dominate in the first two games and fade later on as his ailments got worse.

But what will the Bulls do now that the season has come to a close?

Number One: Hope that Wade wants to leave in free agency

Wade showed that he can still get it done on occasion, but his contract is one that demands that the most dominant player be there every game. At his age, that is just not going to happen, so it is time for both sides to look elsewhere.

The rub here is that Wade has a player option for next year and might not be able to command the same salary anywhere else. He might choose to stick around and that could be bad for Chicago if they want the full rebuild.

Number Two: Trade Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Buckets was a hot commodity right around the trade deadline and the Bulls thought about dealing him then. They rolled the dice on keeping their younger superstar and were rewarded with an entertaining series that sent them home in the first round.

Now, the bargaining table might want to be revisited in the hopes that you can begin a rebuild in earnest. Boston, for example, doesn’t need those picks, they need a superstar now. If the organisation is smart they will try and get those picks out of the Celtics.

Number Three: Change Regimes

Two games ago, Gar Forman and John Paxson had looked like they may have saved their jobs because of the tied series. No one expected Chicago to put up this much fight and they competed better than expected for an eight-seed.

Then, the carriage turned back into a pumpkin and they are left with the mess to clean up. Butler will have to be dealt with, an aging Wade and the elephant in the room of Rajon Rondo. Maybe it would be better to hire someone else to rebuild it from scratch.

Number Four: Enlist a new “process”

Sam Hinkie popularised the term, the process during his days with the Philadelphia 76ers. He placed the franchise on a path to stockpile assets and strike when a trade presents itself or the assets develop into great finds on cheap deals.

Chicago would be wise to follow this blueprint. If you can’t get D-Wade to leave, find him a destination or deal with him sitting. Go get that Nets pick if you can. Develop talent above all else, because that is the future now and it is time to start focusing on that.