Max Strus is back for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that should be good news for a large chunk of the organization. Dean Wade may not fall into that category.
In reality, the Cavaliers veteran is probably thrilled to have his teammate back after a long and challenging road back from injury. However, Strus' return suddenly pushes Wade into a far more replaceable position in the rotation, especially if the former is as good as his debut game suggested.
No one thinks Strus is going to average 20-plus for the rest of the campaign on shooting that nearly does not miss, but his first performance suggested it may not take as much time to ramp up as initially thought from that Jones fracture. If the veteran sharpshooter can get off the minutes restriction quickly, reassuming a spot in the starting lineup seems logical and probable.
Strus can space the floor, defend the point of attack, and do the little things to glue the starting group together. That is all great news for the Cavaliers. That is also the reason Wade can suddenly be shifted back to the bench and have his role shrink before the playoffs start.
Dean Wade could quickly tumble down the ranks in Cleveland
James Harden made his debut with the Cavaliers on Feb. 7. Since that moment, Kenny Atkinson was worked towards figuring out what this version of the team looks like in Cleveland. A lot of that experimentation has featured Wade as a starter at the three or four.
When Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were all healthy, Wade certainly got his looks as the fifth guy out there with them to begin the games. It made sense. Wade does not ask for much on offense, and has the versatility to impact the defensive end.
Since Feb. 7, though, the results with Wade as a starter are not as good as the theoretical fit suggests. The bodies available have not always been consistent, but the Cavaliers have only gone 5-5 with him in the starting lineup from that date onwards.
The Cavaliers' best choice may be to eventually return to having the same starter who was out there for the majority of the 2024-25 season. That has as much to do with Strus' potential impact on the starters as it does with what Wade could do for the bench.
Unless the Cavaliers want to experiment with Nae'Qwan Tomlin in the postseason, Wade is the perfect guy to deliver backup minutes in the frontcourt behind Mobley and Allen. That allows for more balance throughout the rotations, especially with a ton of options on the wings already.
Wade has been the ultimate do-it-all guy for the Cavaliers in a lot of ways. Realistically, whatever role Atkinson has for him, the 29-year-old should have it covered. That just might include returning to the bench before the NBA Playoffs start.