11:08am: Wade is nearing a commitment to sign with the Cavaliers, and could finalize his decision as soon as Wednesday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
10:29am: Dwyane Wade is strongly leaning toward signing with the Cavaliers when he becomes a free agent, and may in fact have already made the decision to join old friend LeBron James in Cleveland, league sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Wade is on track to clear waivers on Wednesday.
Although Wade is expected to receive interest from several other clubs, including the Spurs, Thunder, Heat, and Lakers, the Cavs have been cited as the frontrunner for his services since even before his buyout with the Bulls was finalized.
One prominent league source with knowledge of Wade’s thinking tells Vardon that the future Hall-of-Famer has “no intention of going anywhere else” besides Cleveland. Meanwhile, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times hears from a front office source in Chicago that the Bulls also anticipated Wade would ultimately land with James and the Cavaliers.
While the Cavs can’t offer as much money as the Heat, Lakers, or Spurs, Cleveland almost certainly offers Wade a better chance to compete for a title than any of those clubs, not to mention an opportunity for a reunion with James, his good friend and former teammate. The Thunder would be an intriguing destination for Wade, with Carmelo Anthony and Paul George reportedly recruiting the veteran guard, but Oklahoma City is limited to the minimum salary.
The Cavs will likely end up offering Wade the minimum as well. The team has about $2.55MM left on its taxpayer mid-level exception, but the difference between that figure and Wade’s minimum salary ($2.33MM) would be marginal. Additionally, the NBA would pick up part of the tab on a minimum salary deal, leaving only about $1.471MM on the Cavs’ books, which will be a key consideration as the team tries to keep its projected tax bill in check.
If the Cavs do sign Wade, they’ll have to trade or waive a player with a fully guaranteed contract before the regular season begins. Cleveland is currently carrying 15 such players, so adding Wade would take them over the opening-night limit.
So who gets waived or traded? I think he signs pretty much right away with the Cavs.
One of Jeff Green, Tavares, Calderon, Felder, or Perk makes the team, rest would have to be cut or signed to a 2 way deal
To my knowledge Korver, Green, Rose, Calderon, and Osman cannot be traded umtil Dec.15, being signees. The ex-Celts Thomas, Crowder, and Zizic cannot be traded until Oct.22. That leaves Thompson, Shumpert, Smith, Love, Frye and Jefferson. It is not clear that any of the latter has positive trade value even as they have title-winning value! Frye is expiring and makes 41%-55%-85% on $7.4MM but there are no rumors! Jefferson is good on D and vs GSW but is probably the waiver candidate because of being a 3. They don’t want to trade either firstrounder to keep flexibilty.
I would like to see Shumpert given the starting 2 position for a couple weeks for him to settle in to, to establish better trade value. Also this would help defuse any Smith vs Wade thing.
As a Heat fan, I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t come back to Miami. But if he chooses against the Heat, then I really hope he signs with OKC… I’d hate to see Bron and him together again…
Why wtf
It’s whatever man…while I’m not the biggest fan of the lack of appreciation LeBron showed for how he was treated here, I’m not going to hate him b/c he wanted to live at home, in Akron, and give himself a chance to make 1 championship equal multiples in that city that happens to be the closest NBA one to his home. I acknowledge that he didn’t like that Riley and the Heat organization rightfully didn’t just let him do whatever he wanted/let his friends do whatever they wanted, but that was more than 3 years ago now. I’m not on team petty….
As for seeing Wade in that jersey…it’ll be tough, possibly sickening, but this last year or so has involved a lot worse, including how the whole thing went down with how they parted ways. As long as he’s back next year/for the last couple of years of his career, I’m cool with whatever, as long as he does what he wants
If this was in the middle of the season, coming home would have been much more possible. I personally thought he’d fit best on the Spurs, but going back with LeBron for a year, and joining that team makes them better, and gives him more of another shot this year. I personally felt that there was some circumstances of luck involved in Miami not getting a shot at Cleveland the last 2 years, but I don’t have any issue with Wade’s decision…I have way too much respect for him for that
That being said….that jersey is going to look disgusting
How many people think he’s going somewhere other than OKC or Cleveland?
Def going to Cleveland. Prolly end up trading Smith or Shumpert would b my guess. Shumpert probably has more trade value. Or they can package him with a under contributor for another shooter.
That would be a very deep lineup. I think Wade should come off the bench like a 6th man tho. He’s not a very good 3pt shooter and with Rose at the PG instead of Kyrie it means we need Smith or Korver to step up in the SG position.
Rose/Smith or Korver/LBJ/Love/Tristan
An eventual bench of Rose (once Isaiah returns), Wade, Crowder, Calderon, Green, Jefferson, Shump, Frye and others is pretty good.
Could always shift gears, with Wade there, and start Calderon next to Wade, or no traditional PG, and bring Rose off the bench, where he’ll be when IT comes back. That’s assuming they promised Wade a starting spot
…also Crowder is 100% starting. I’d be really, really surprised if he doesn’t.
Then be prepared to be really, really surprised, because theres no where for Jae Crowder to start. Don’t think they would move TT to the bench. And Wade is def starting (I don’t think he should though).
I could see multiple iterations of a starting lineup that include both Wade and Crowder. They could move Thompson to the bench. He isn’t a good defender anyway, so it’s not like they gain something from putting him at the 5 over Love, who surprisingly looked good in that spot in the finals. Cavs also lack depth at the 5, so I can see them utizing Thompson off the bench