Dwyane Wade is still amused by how quickly his Cleveland run ended.
The Hall of Fame guard revisited his brief 2017-18 stint with the Cavaliers after Richard Jefferson discussed what LeBron James did to help Wade land in Cleveland following the Cavs’ 4-1 Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2017. On the Conversations with Cam podcast, Wade made it clear he remembers the exit more than the arrival.
“No one knows I played for Cleveland… They got me out of there,” Wade said. “I was there for about 3 months, and they said it’s time for you to go homeboy.”
Wade said he did not want Cleveland to trade him, but the move came anyway. Before the 2018 deadline, the Cavs dealt him to the Heat for a 2024 second-round pick.
That trade was part of a major roster overhaul as Cleveland tried to reshape the team for another shot at the defending champion Warriors. The Cavs moved six players in separate deals, sending out Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder and Iman Shumpert while bringing in George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
The makeover didn’t produce the result Cleveland wanted. The Cavs were swept 4-0 by Golden State in the Finals, and the Warriors claimed back-to-back titles. It also marked the end of LeBron James’ final stretch in Cleveland.
Wade, meanwhile, later announced that the 2018-19 season would be his final one. In 46 regular-season games with the Cavs, he averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
In Other News...
Cavs Fans Have More Ways To Avoid Full DAZN Cost This Season
Cavaliers fans heading into this season have a little more flexibility than they might expect when it comes to watching the teams non-nationally televised games. Cleveland partnered with DAZN for local broadcasts this year, with Rock Entertainment Group handling the production, but the setup is not an all-or-nothing proposition for viewers trying to keep costs down.
DAZNs multi-device plan now runs $25, yet 31 of the Cavs 82 games will be available without that full subscription, either for free or through cheaper options such as Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. In practical terms, nearly 40% of the schedule should be reachable through cable TV or other streaming services, a sign that more NBA teams are looking for ways to widen local access without forcing fans into one pricey platform. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Brought Back A Familiar Shooter For A Reason
The Cavaliers have spent the offseason sorting through the margins of the roster, and Sean McNeil now fits right into that broader camp picture. Cleveland signed the guard to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, a move that gives the organization a closer look at a familiar shooter while keeping the financial commitment light as the roster gets closer to opening night.
For teams building out the back end of the roster, these deals are as much about rights and development as they are about immediate NBA help. The Pelicans handling of Johnny ONeil and the Warriors Exhibit 10 signings of Chance McMillian and Deivon Smith are reminders of how often clubs use these transactions to steer players toward their G League affiliates, and McNeils situation suggests Cleveland sees value in keeping that pipeline open as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Iman Shumpert Just Reopened A Painful Cavaliers What-If
Iman Shumpert has never sounded like a man eager to let the 2016 NBA Finals fade quietly into history. In revisiting Kevin Durants decision to join the Warriors, Shumpert went straight at the move that helped turn the leagues next few years into a Cavs-Rangers of the West saga, framing it as the kind of choice that cost Cleveland a chance at adding more hardware after its title run.
For Cavaliers fans, it is the sort of reminder that still stings because the alternate path always felt close enough to imagine. The championships that followed, the head-to-head stakes and the lasting debate over what might have happened if Durant had gone elsewhere have kept that era alive far beyond the final buzzer, and LeBron James recent move to Philadelphia with his declaration that it will be his final NBA stop only adds another layer to how that stretch of Cavs history gets remembered. [Read more 🡒]