After reaching a buyout agreement with the Chicago Bulls after only one season, NBA veteran Dwayne Wade has signed a one year $2.3-million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, joining good friend and former Miami Heat teammate LeBron James.
On the outside looking in it looks to be another one of LeBron’s moves bringing one of his buddies in to join the team.
Drafted in famous 2004 NBA Draft both LeBron James and Dwayne Wade formed a close friendship and played four seasons together in Miami winning two championships in 2012 and 2013.
LeBron left the Heat to rejoin the Cavaliers back in 2014 with Wade leaving the Heat to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2016. But here they are again in 2017 back together having a crack at another title together.
LeBron openly spoke about how happy he was the Wade signed with the Heat but says he didn’t pressure him or use their friendship to persuade him and knew that wade would make the best decision for his career.
He had offers from the Spurs, Thunder and the Heat but the Cavs won his signature. “It’s kind of like when you start school and you walk into the classroom and you’re not quite sure who your classmates are and when you walk in there and one of your best friends is in there, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun. It’s going to be a good class.’ That’s the type of feeling I got,” James said.
(Gabriel Li / Flickr)
But all the friendship aside this is a great move by the Cavs and makes them a better team. Wade is player with championship experience, he can be a playmaker having a very high basketball IQ. We saw in Chicago last season that even at 35 he can still make plays and make shots. But it’s the depth he adds which will be most valuable.
He won’t be asked to score all the time that will be guys like LeBron, Kevin Love, Isiah Thomas and Derrick Rose. He’s another who can handle the ball behind LeBron, Rose and Thomas. But when you think about it most teams in the league won’t have players of Dwayne Wade’s calibre acting as the fourth or fifth option when it comes to scoring and playmaking.
It is said Wade will start for the Cavaliers which is smart, can play off Rose and LeBron and feed the ball to Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.
That would push JR Smith to the bench will would benefit him I believe playing as a sixth man being the main scorer for the second unit.
With guys such as Channing Frye, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green, Jae Crowder and Iman Shumpert rotating through the line-up. Even if Wade does come off the bench that would be great for the Cavaliers as well where he can use his natural scoring prowess as a sixth man.
Coach Lue has many options for Wade, but the only way I could see Wade coming off the bench is that you wouldn’t want Rose and Wade playing too much together since they both struggle from behind the arc compared to JR.
Bringing in Wade is a masterstroke in my eyes their depth is great and once Thomas is back from injury it will be even better.
The Cavaliers are still the best in the East in my opinion. Yes Boston got Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward but they’ve lost a lot of depth in guys like Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson, Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynkyk.
They will have to rely a lot on their two stars and youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Star power both teams are very similar but it’s the depth that puts the Cavaliers ahead of the Celtics.
Mike Julz
Guest
Their bench is absolutely stacked with experience. If their starting 5 is Thomas, Wade, Lebron, Thompson, Love, then you got a second lineup in Rose, Smith, Korver, Crowder, Frye. Then you got Caledron, Shumpurt, Jefferson, Zeller, Green and other youngsters. Yet, you only can only put 7 on the bench. I don't know why people think the Celtics will be a threat to Cavs. They might have a better shooter in Hayward, but the Cavs are well covered and spoiled on all five positions, in terms of experience and playoffs experience. Their starting 12 is straight up stacked. My predictions will be for the Eastern conference, Cavs 1, Celtics 2, Wizards 3, Raptors 4. Celtics vs Wizards for that 2nd spot, but Cavs takes it, assuming everyone is healthy.
steve
Guest
Neither Rose nor Wade will start when Isiah Thomas returns from injury, they will both run the second unit. The Cavs aren't old at all. Their median age is 29. Both Rose and Wade were rated better defenders last season ahead of Kyrie Irving if I remember correctly. TBF I'm not 100% on that but I'm sure I read that. They aren't as bad defenders as is being made out.
Swampy
Guest
Geez - fairly wild prediction there Steve. Celtics also traded away their worst defender. I don't think they'll be too bad defensively - Brad Stevens has more to work with this time around. It's easier to hide kyrie than it is IT. As for the Cavs it's really going to be a case of beating someone with offence. They will now have 3 of the worst defenders in the league as starters - Rose, Wade and Love. Thompson is not an A grade shot blocker so the starting lineup of Rose Wade James Love & Thompson looks absolutely porous. Replacing Rose with IT somehow makes it even worse! I can't see Rose getting any where near as many minutes as most think. JR will be required just for some remotely competent defence. The Cavs are old too. They would be way more likely to endure injuries than the Celtics. If the bucks or wizards can progress a little this year there may be an opening for them but I still firmly believe it's the Celtics and Cavs domain still.
steve
Guest
The Cavs depth is really, really strong this season. It allows for a multitude of big and small ball line up options. Any number of guys like LBJ, IT, D Rose and Wade can run the point in 1st and 2nd units and there are many options also in the SF, PF and C positions. It will be a major surprise if the Cavs aren't looking at a 60+ win season and should be the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. As for Boston, even picking up the likes of Hayward and Kyrie Irving isn't going to make up for trading away their two best defenders in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder. Silly from the Celtics. I'm not seeing the Celtics in the top half seeds in the East, I'm thinking Cavs, Wizards, Toronto and Bucks will be the top 4 seeds.