The Cleveland Cavaliers are battling the repercussions of the luxury tax's second apron in the midst of a roller coaster regular season.
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Cavs are repeatedly named in trade rumors as a potential seller to cut costs and drop back into a more favorable position with the luxury aprons. Cleveland is still chasing an NBA Finals run this season, but three maximum contracts and a rising salary sheet could push the Cavs to cut back and restructure.
Each of the Cavs' stars have been linked to trade discussions, but Cleveland continually shuts down the talks. Other key players have also been included, namely De'Andre Hunter and Dean Wade. The latter attracted trade offers in the offseason, including a pre-draft offer from the Houston Rockets before signing Dorian Finney-Smith to a multi-year deal.
Hunter and Wade are obvious trade targets for other teams
If the Cavaliers want to cut costs without losing the core four, Wade and Hunter are the easiest options. Hunter is on a hefty price tag, and his production this year has called into question his actual fit with Cleveland. Although he is a perfect option on paper, he is seeing painfully low numbers, making his $24.9 million salary next season look fairly daunting.
Wade, on the other hand, is inexpensive this season at $6.6 million this season, but he will enter unrestricted free agency in the summer with eyes likely on a pay raise. His expiring contract could be an easy out for the Cavs if they find a team willing to pay Wade handsomely and compensate Cleveland with draft picks and financial flexibility.
The Cavaliers are currently more than $22 million over the second apron, so trading either player would not drop them below the threshold with just one trade alone. Next summer, the Cavs could more easily maneuver their finances with one or both of Wade and Hunter out of the picture, though.
Still, the latest rumors suggest the Cavaliers will not put Wade on the market, and Hunter is probably safe, too. According to Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor, the Cavs have already rebuffed offers for both Hunter and Wade.
"I’m told that they’ve already gotten offers for De’Andre [Hunter], including one that they rebuffed. Dean Wade, same thing. I’m told that they’ve gotten offers for Dean Wade. Even going back to the offseason, they got offers for Dean Wade that they rebuffed because they just didn’t believe that it was going to make them a better basketball team."Chris Fedor
Dean Wade is too important to the Cavs' success
Finding the right fit at the starting small forward position seems to be an never-ending battle for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Whether it's Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, Hunter or Wade, every player the Cavs have employed at the starting three spot has been both better as a starter and better off the bench. Recently, Wade has assumed the role while Strus continues to recover from offseason surgery and Tyson ignites the second unit.
As a starter, Wade is averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 37.5 percent on three-pointers. His production on offense has been almost entirely off-ball and cleaning up on the offensive glass, perfectly slotting him in next to the core four.
Defensively, Wade is a quick, switchable defender with great strength and an endless motor. He has assumed the role as the Cavs' go-to point-of-attack defender, taking on the hardest assignments and holding star players to subpar shooting splits.
The formula for success on the wing has always been present. Shooting well, rebounding hard and defending strong are the three ingredients the Cavaliers needed from a big wing to make the core four work. When Wade is confident, he is effectively the perfect mix of these things.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers approach the trade deadline, Wade seems safe. If the Cavaliers can afford him this summer, however, is another challenge yet to be resolved.