Grading Dean Wade extension with Cavs from all angles

Grading Dean Wade extension with Cavs from all angles: Fit on roster

The Cleveland Cavaliers are stocked at the ends of the roster, with three point guards and two combo guards at one end, and four centers at the other. What they need most of all are players to man the middle of the lineup, and Dean Wade (mostly) fits that bill.

At 6’9″ and 228 pounds, Dean Wade is big and strong, and he is able to bang around with nearly any power forward out there, especially in the smaller ecosystem of the modern game. He is ideally deployed as a 4 who can space the floor next to a center and take on the task of defending opposing 4s.

Yet Wade absolutely can slide up to play the 3, as he did a lot last season for the Cavs. Cleaning the Glass estimates Wade spent 64 percent of his minutes playing small forward last season, and the Cavs outscored opponents by 6.6 points per 100 possessions when he did. Over the course of an entire season that would put the team on a 58-win pace.

Wade is not much of a playmaker or shot-creator, but on the Cavs he doesn’t have to be. They need 3-and-D players in the worst way, and Wade fits the bill. It would be nicer if he had a bit more foot speed and a slightly more accurate shot, but if he did he would be making $15 million per season and not $6. For a team that loves to play big and needs to fill minutes at the 3, Wade is a solid fit.

Grade: A-