Dean Wade’s extension
The best D. Wade in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ history (sorry, Dwyane) got a 3-year, $18.5 million contract in the offseason, with that being guaranteed for $16.5 million. From being undrafted from Kansas State to the starting small forward on a championship-level roster is really impressive, and he deserves more praise than he’s been getting. Wade has been tasked to be put up against the best small forwards on the opposing team and has been doing a good job defensively against them.
Dean Wade has also been shooting 41.1% from deep this season, which has been very helpful for a Cavs team that has players who aren’t the best shooters in the world. He is injured at the time of writing this article, and I’m not sure when he’s going to be back on the floor. He’s been a big factor in why the Cavs have won a lot of games early on in the season and look like a team on a mission.
I wasn’t the biggest fan in the world once Wade first joined the team. I thought he took too many contested 3-point shots whenever he caught the ball. Now, I want him to shoot more than he has. His 3-point shot is one of the best on the Cavs’ roster, so I want him to keep staying around the 3-point line to keep defenses spread out more.
To sum it up, I loved this contract extension, and I still am a fan. If he remains the starting small forward to end the season, I won’t be opposed. He is really talented, and he 100% deserved that contract extension.
Quinn’s grade: A-
Darius Garland’s contract extension
I will admit, I was a bit of a hater on Garland in his rookie season. I wanted Jarrett Culver over Garland in the 2019 NBA Draft, and I’m really glad I am not in charge of the Cavs. However, Garland did get a max contract from the Cavs in the past offseason, a whopping $193 million dollars over five seasons. He deserved every penny of that extension.
He hasn’t looked as good as he did last season, but I still think he is an All-Star talent. He is averaging 21.4 points, 7.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game this season for the Cavs. He is the second-best player on the Cavs, and the best passer on the Cavs, too. His playmaking really helps the Cavs, and his shooting also is rather helpful, as well.
The backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell is the best backcourt in the whole NBA, but still, Garland has been a bit overlooked this season, because of the arrival of Mitchell. However, I still think he deserves to be an All-Star this season, and he is a great building block for the Cavs’ bright future.