Dean Wade had plenty of reason to stay put in Cleveland, but this offseason he decided the safer comfort zone wasn’t the move anymore.
Instead, the former Cavaliers forward signed a four-year, $38.7 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in July, the biggest contract of his NBA career so far. It marked a clear break from the place where so much of his pro life had already taken shape.
Wade admitted the pull of Cleveland was real. He built relationships there, settled into a familiar environment, and had a strong attachment to the organization.
“I was so comfortable there. A lot of my life happened in Cleveland. Part of me definitely wanted to go back because that’s where my life was and I had so many great, genuine relationships there with teammates, team personnel, and so many others,” the former Kansas State Wildcats star said during an interview with Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
But comfort wasn’t enough to keep him from looking for something new.
“On the other side of things, it was kind of just time for me to go somewhere else and write the next chapter of my career by experiencing something new, added Wade.
A familiar face in Philadelphia also helped tip the scales. Mike Gansey, now the 76ers’ lead executive, previously worked with the Cavaliers as general manager, and Wade said that relationship mattered.
“My relationship with Gansey and having the opportunity to play for a real contender on a very competitive team stood out,” the 29-year-old Wade shared.
And once the move was in motion, the situation in Philadelphia only got more interesting.
“And as soon as I made my decision, Jaylen (Brown) was traded here, and then LeBron (James) joined on as well. That immediately let me know I made the right decision.”
Wade entered the league as an undrafted player in the 2019 NBA Draft before Cleveland brought him in on a two-way contract and later signed him to a multi-year deal in 2020. Over 342 games with the Cavaliers, he averaged 5.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 36.7 percent from 3-point range on 3.2 attempts per game.
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