The Philadelphia 76ers have made some flashy moves this offseason, one of which was signing free agent Dean Wade to a multi-year deal. One of the more highly-coveted commodities in the market, the newcomer brings some much-needed intangibles to the team. Heck, he might have already changed the pecking order on the roster even before he gets to play a single minute for the franchise.
Wade can play all frontcourt positions, which makes him the most versatile and malleable player the 76ers currently have on deck. As such, his arrival will probably stand as a major obstacle for the other players' bid for more playing time next season, especially for the big men in the lineup. Barring a successful conclusion on the LeBron James front, he is expected to be the team's new starting power forward.
Dean Wade puts a lot of pressure on the other 76ers bigs
Even if James were to end up choosing Philly as his next landing spot, Wade will be the first frontcourt player off the bench. The 76ers clearly committed to him for the long term with his multi-year contract, which speaks volumes to his current standing in the projected rotation for next season.
Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow, Ariel Hukporti, and Jabari Walker will all be competing for minutes in the frontcourt next season, but with Wade firmly cemented role-wise, there will not be a lot of free minutes available for taking. That is even more so the case, given that Joel Embiid is in much healthier shape this summer and is fully expected to be available for training camp.
It is also difficult to envision any of those players playing well enough to usurp Wade in the rotation. With his three-point shooting, defensive acuity, and underrated connective passing, he is simply the safer option for the 76ers, whether he's in the starting unit or coming off the bench. Simply put, it would take a lot for any of the aforementioned big men to force the coaching staff to play them more, taking minutes away from Wade.
Anyhow, this is a good problem for the 76ers. While Wade is the no-brainer choice for the coaching staff, his mere presence alone should compel the other big men on the roster to get more competitive and raise their level of play. That makes him a good threat, all things considered.
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