A very underrated part of any championship formula is always the role players. Having guys who fit perfectly with your stars goes a mile and then some. That is what Dean Wade does for the best players on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It has made him pretty close to irreplaceable.
The Cavaliers' commanding 109-94 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday was as good of an example of Wade's value as any game this season. The veteran role player felt like he was all over the court, all by himself, all at the same time.
Wade finished the game with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks, leading the Cavaliers with a +22. It was one of the flashier box scores for the Cavs veteran. However, his impact often goes beyond what a statistical line can produce.
Having Wade allows the everyone around him to fall back on what they are most comfortable with. The dirty work and the little things are handled by the 29-year-old. That is why when the seven-year NBA veteran becomes an unrestricted free agent during the summer, the Cavaliers must act quickly to bring their guy back.
Dean Wade has more than earned a new contract in Cleveland
There was a time this season when it would have been fair to think Wade might get lost in the shuffle of all the moving pieces in Cleveland. It's been quite the opposite. The longer the year has gone on, the more his importance has become clear.
Kenny Atkinson has even moved Jaylon Tyson back to the bench in favor of starting Wade. That decision had some serious thought behind it.
Wade fills the gaps for the current starters perfectly. He's the low maintenance offensive presence that can work his tail off on the defensive end. That is the type of player such a star-studded starting lineup needs at the moment.
Cavs reporter Chris Fedor did a great job capturing the intangibles in a digestible statistic for everyone. Wade's impact on the defensive end against an elite offensive player like Jalen Brunson was unmissable.
Fedor wrote on Twitter/X: "In three games this season against the Knicks, according to NBA.com matchup data, Cavs Dean Wade, when matched up with him, has held Knicks star Jalen Brunson to 6 total points on 1-of-15 shooting and 0-of-6 from 3-point range."
Trying to replace those contributions during the summer would be a waste of everyone's time. The Cavaliers know what they have works. Wade's new contract should be quickly becoming just a simple formality in Cleveland. Rival teams will not hesitate to swoop in otherwise.