Could the Cleveland Cavaliers sign Dwyane Wade in the offseason and reunite him with LeBron James?
Uh oh, here we go again. If you’re a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, there’s a chance that you’ve heard this before: what if Dwyane Wade wants to play with LeBron James again? What if he signs with the Cavs to do it?
In the summer, that was the talk of the town.
Wade on a flight with LeBron. Wade on flights to Cleveland. Wade meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers brass.
While fuming at being low-balled by the Miami Heat, as they gave their max dollars to Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside after the end of the Big 3 Era, it was always unlikely that Wade would really sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers who could only offer him their taxpayer’s midlevel exception.
Especially with the Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls offering Wade enough money for him to rub it in Pat Riley’s face.
However, after signing with his hometown Chicago Bulls and instantly creating a perimeter that had three-ball dominant guards that weren’t three-point threats, the season didn’t go as expected. That’s in part because of his fit with Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler on the court. It’s in part due to Fred Hoiberg’s struggles to balance winning with developing the young players on the roster.
It’s largely due to dysfunctional relationships that started brewing in the Bulls’ franchise. That’s why it’s even a discussion that the 35-year-old Wade would consider opting out of the second year of a 2-year, $47 million contract.
Yesterday, that was one of the topics of discussion for Wade. When discussing his impending free agency with the media, Wade raised eyebrows with the following statement:
Wade: "I don't need to ring chase. But I can. It's a great luxury to have."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 29, 2017
Wade added that he wants to know what direction the Chicago Bulls believe they should go this offseason, with so many questions surrounding their backcourt, shooting and frontcourt talent.
He doesn’t mind being the rugged and aged veteran on a young squad either. Wade says he’ll be comfortable with his decision and the role he’s in moving forward (quotes gathered by ESPN’s Nick Friedell):
"“Or I can be a part of passing down my knowledge to younger players. It’s either way. Whatever I decide, I’m going to embrace whatever role I have on a team. That’s sometimes being the second option. Sometimes I’m going to be the first. And sometimes this season, I had to be the third or fourth. It all changes, and you want to be the best at whatever role is presented to you. I’ve always been that way. It won’t change. That will always be me.”"
“There’s so many different variables that come into play, especially for me at this point in my career”, says Wade.
Those variables having already been discussed, what are the chances Wade opts out?
He likely wants to play with James at least one more time in his career. He also has a better chance of maintaining his health and extending his career on a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers. For all the drama surrounding the Cavs, he’d also have an organization with a clear direction and trust in its front office. In its leadership in general.
If Wade should choose to “ring chase”, it will likely come with a paycut. However, Wade has made over $200 million in his career and it’s possible that turning down $20 million to “ring chase” may not bother him.
Especially if some of that is recouped in endorsements and bonuses in his playoff performance. Playing beside James, depending on what role he’s in, Wade could also earn an All-Star appearance as it’s a vote largely based on who are the most sensational or well-known players in the NBA.
I digress.
On the court, Wade would actually be one of the better free agent signings for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He could play in the backup point guard role currently occupied by Deron Williams. While he’s never been as focused on facilitating as D-Will, Wade has long-been a high-level passer in the NBA, averaging as many as 7.5 assists per game in his long and storied NBA career. This season, Wade averaged 5.4 assists per game in the month of April.
For comparison, Williams averaged 3.6 assists per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers and 5.6 assists per game for the season.
Wade is also far better at penetrating the lane with his ball-handling ability and scoring, whether it be from the midrange, the post or slashing inside. He’s prone to actually looking like a 35-year-old NBA player at times, with his explosiveness limited by age and past knee injuries. However, he was relatively healthy all season, until fracturing his elbow late in the season.
He did come back to play in all 6 of the Bulls’ playoff games, averaging 15.0 points per contest.
Over the last three seasons, Wade’s health seems to be better than it was in his last two years in Miami. That should please James, who formed a terrific one-two punch with Wade while they were tearing up the strip in South Beach.
Wade isn’t a great three-point shooter, although he was better from behind-the-line this season with the Bulls than many thought he would be.
He takes his time on his three-point attempts and follows through showing consistent shooting mechanics. This led to four months of Wade shooting at least 34.0 percent from three-point range in the regular season.
At this point in his career, it will be hard for an old dog to learn new tricks. However, he can still be an x-factor from behind the line.
In any case, the Cleveland Cavaliers will rely on Wade to be more of a facilitator than three-point threat. After 14 years in the league, we know what Wade can and likes to do. He operates from inside the midrange better than anybody I’ve seen and his post play for a guard is excellent.
He doesn’t play like Flash anymore. He’s slow and steady.
For a bench that lacks a playmaker that constantly excels as a scorer in the second unit, Wade would provide a scoring punch that the Cavs could certainly use.
Defensively, Wade’s inactivity and an inability to consistently stay in front of his man because of declining athleticism can, at times, be maddening.
In a smaller role, Wade’s energy and ability to play with the defensive energy he needs to at least be a decent on-ball defender should be better. He’ll always be one of the better block artists at the shooting guard position, especially in timing jump shots.
Last season, Wade also had two games with at least 5 steals. His hands are still cobra-quick and his knowledge of player’s tendencies and ability to anticipate their next move only aids his ability be a thief on the perimeter.
He won’t be any worse than Williams was.
However, Tyronn Lue would likely keep Iman Shumpert beside Wade whenever he’s on the court like he’s done with Williams this season.
The most interesting thing about Wade signing will be lineups that feature he, Irving and James; those that feature him, James and Kevin Love; and those that feature him beside the Big 3.
The level of ball-handling in lineups with he, Irving and James and those beside him with the entire Big 3 could have deadly ball-movement.
Lineups with he, James and Love could reminiscent of lineups Miami used when James was a part of their Big 3.
If a Cavs fan tells you that they wouldn’t like Wade on the team, it would have to be because they don’t want a player with Wade’s inconsistent health, defense and energy level on the team. That’s understandable. However, in a smaller role, Wade’s inconsistent health and energy, and thus defense, can be solved.
Other than those concerns, Wade would be perfect for the Cavs on-the-court because of his scoring ability, passing ability, veteran savvy and chemistry with James. Off-the-court, Wade would be great for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ chemistry as a whole. He’ll be a teacher, mentor, a respected veteran as a future Hall of Famer and likely a lively, fun guy for the group to be around.
Can #WadeToCleveland happen for real this time?
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What do you think about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ possibility of signing Dwyane Wade in free agency? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.
*All stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com