Dean Wade went from being the Philadelphia 76ers' first big offseason move to probably being forgotten about by most fans, who simply can't get over the excitement of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, joining the trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
Every now and then, an analyst will remind the NBA that the Sixers got Wade, and he just might be one of the most underrated signings of the offseason. The four-year, $38.7 million deal he signed ($30 million guaranteed) starts with a salary of $9 million. It doesn't reach $ 10 million until the end of the deal in 2029-2030.
Wade won't start for a fully healthy 76ers team, but he'll be one of the first guys off the bench and will surely share minutes with the likes of LeBron James and the rest of the starters. When those minutes come, Wade should remind everybody why the 76ers had a big circle around his name on their free-agent big board in the first place.
Stamp of approval
On Thursday night, Wade took on a bench role in his second preseason game for the Sixers. The team got its chance to roll out the projected starting five. After two weeks of practice and a couple of games, LeBron James came away with a Dean Wade take that's perfect:
"He fits on any basketball team on the planet," LeBron told reporters. "Gotta have guys like that in order to win, but I mean, he could play for any basketball team on the planet, and he'll fit right in."
The Sixers might be a superteam, but the front office didn't neglect the bench to form an extremely top-heavy roster. Wade is one of the NBA's glue guys. He doesn't need a high usage to have high impact. He might not be a star in just one area, but he can star in his little-bit-of-everything role.
After seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wade left the club with averages of 5.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. He knocked down 36.7% of his threes (3.2 attempts per game).
When Wade debuted in the Sixers-Knicks preseason opener, he checked in for just 13 minutes, logging two points, five rebounds, and one steal. In a more normalized role with an increase in playing time, Wade was perfect from three, producing seven points and four rebounds.
There might be plenty of complaints and questions about fit in Philadelphia, but LeBron James assures everybody that Dean Wade won't be coming up in those conversations.
Add us as a preferred source on Google