Dean Wade’s NBA run is getting a new chapter.
The former Kansas State standout from St. John has agreed to a four-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his time on the free-agent market. The deal is reportedly worth $39 million.
For Wade, it’s another major step in a career that keeps rolling along after he entered the league undrafted in 2019. That was after four strong seasons with the Wildcats, and he turned that opportunity into a long stay with Cleveland.
Wade began with the Cavaliers on a two-way contract, then earned a spot on the roster and eventually became a regular part of the rotation. Over seven seasons in Cleveland, he played in 342 games and made 160 starts.
His pro numbers are modest on paper - 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game - but the value has been in the details. Teammates and coaches have consistently pointed to his defense, shooting and steady role-player presence.
The 29-year-old forward is listed at 6-foot-9 and 228 pounds, and Philadelphia will likely ask him to fill a similar role.
Wade’s path to the NBA was built on a decorated college career at Kansas State, where he was an All-Big 12 player. As a senior, he helped the Wildcats win a conference championship while averaging 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds alongside Barry Brown and Kamau Stokes.
His junior season may have been even stronger. Wade put up 16.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on a team that reached the Elite Eight.
Injuries limited his NCAA Tournament minutes in both of his final two college seasons, but he’s had better health in the NBA. Now he’s headed to his second team.
In Other News...
Is Linkon Cure Finally Ready To Matter For Kansas State
Kansas State has spent a long time waiting to see what Linkon Cure can become, and the intrigue has only grown since the tight end arrived as the programs first five-star recruit. His freshman season never really got off the ground because toe and knee injuries kept him on the sideline and limited him to six catches for 37 yards, but there is a different tone around him entering this year. The Wildcats are planning to get him on the field more often, which is exactly the sort of next step that can turn recruiting promise into something real.
The challenge is making sure that opportunity shows up quickly enough in todays transfer-portal era, where talented players are not inclined to wait forever. Kansas State still has a proven quarterback in Avery Johnson back for his senior season, so the pieces are there for the offense to grow around him, but Cures path to becoming a factor depends on more than potential. For the Wildcats, this is the kind of situation that can reshape both the depth chart and the future of the position if it finally starts to click. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Fans Just Got Another Painful Reminder About PJ Haggerty
Kansas State fans have had plenty of time to adjust to life after PJ Haggerty, but the reminder still stings. The former Wildcats scoring leader is gone to Texas A&M, and his next stop looks like the kind of fit that can make a players departure feel even louder in hindsight, especially for a K-State roster that has spent the offseason searching for answers after losing key pieces.
Haggertys value was never really in doubt when he had the ball in his hands, and Texas A&M appears set up to give him a much better supporting cast than he had in Manhattan. There are still questions attached to his game, which is why the move is more intriguing than finished business, but for Wildcats fans the broader concern is simpler: the player they watched carry so much of the offense now has a chance to do it on a better stage, while Kansas State keeps trying to build something comparable around him. [Read more 🡒]