Three-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Dwyane Wade has decided to take his talents to Cleveland for the upcoming season.
The 35-year-old shooting guard recently completed a buy-out from the Chicago Bulls that saw him leave close to $8 million on the table.
Wade is set to reunite with his Banana Boat buddy LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade and James were also previously teammates as members of the Miami Heat that became back-to-back NBA champions in 2012 and 2013.
Many pundits believe that D-Wade would have been better off signing with the Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder. The Thunder recently pulled off another free-agency shocker by landing superstar Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks. OKC’s line-up now features last season’s MVP in Russell Westbrook and star forward Paul George. Adding Anthony into the mix, OKC possesses a serious offensive threat that can rival the firepower of the defending NBA champs the Golden State Warriors.
The Thunder recently pulled off another free-agency shocker by landing superstar Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks. OKC’s line-up now features last season’s Most Valuable Player in Russell Westbrook and star forward Paul George. Adding Anthony into the mix, OKC possesses a serious offensive threat that can rival the firepower of the defending NBA champs the Golden State Warriors.
However, this past off-season saw the migration of some of the Eastern Conference’s biggest names to the now even wilder Western Conference.
Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Having a defensive dynamo in Butler, the Young Wolves’ roster definitely gets an upgrade. George, as mentioned earlier, found a temporary home in OKC, amidst talks of him “hell-bent” on being a Los Angeles Laker by next season.
For Wade, Cleveland seemed to be the better option career-wise for two reasons- LeBron James and the weak Eastern Conference.
Everyone knows that Wade and James both enjoy playing with each other and are really close friends off the court. They’re actually bestfriends. How many NBA players get to play with their bestfriends? Not many and that’s why Cleveland was an obvious destination.
Wade recognizes that LeBron is still arguably the best player on the planet. Even recently acquired Isaiah Thomas believes so. Having LeBron on your team without a doubt makes life on the court much easier on both ends. Wade, albeit showing flashes of brilliance for the Bulls last season, needs all the rest he can get to keep his legs fresh for the Cavs’ deep playoff run. It’s been a few years since Wade last played all the way to June and one would have to wonder how much pounding can his body still take.
Aside from having this generation’s greatest player, Wade can also take advantage of the even weaker Eastern Conference this season. Prior to Wade’s decision to join the Cavs, many sports analysts and fans believed that Cleveland was going back to the Finals yet again for the upcoming season. The only team that stood in their way was the re-tooled Boston Celtics. After acquiring Gordon Hayward via free agency, Boston made another move to trade Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic for Kyrie Irving.
Boston’s Big Three of Hayward, Irving, and Al Horford will pose a challenge for LeBron and Co. but Cleveland is still the heavy favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
With the departure of Irving, there was a buzz around the League that the power landscape in the East had begun to shift. Cleveland dispelled all notions of a changing of the guards by acquiring aging yet tried-and-tested veterans.
Thomas and Crowder, pieces of last year’s Eastern Conference finalist squad, provide offense and defense that the Cavs can use to bolster its second-unit. The only concern for Thomas would be his timetable of return from his hip injury. The 5 foot 9 Washington native averaged close to 30 PPG last season which is a testament to his scoring prowess at that stature.
Derrick Rose, the former Bulls superstar, signed with the 2016 NBA champs for the veteran minimum. Imagine having the youngest MVP in the L sign for such a small contract that certainly allows Cleveland to go after other high-caliber pieces.
Add Wade into the mix and you’ve got a collection of players who are uber-talented but just had issues to deal with yet are more than capable of getting the Cavaliers over the hump.
All three superstars have had their fair share of injuries that have hindered them from performing at their best the past few years. Perhaps teaming up with LeBron, who reportedly spends $1.5 million on his body, can help these aging superstars a thing or two about taking care of themselves.
For Wade, this reunion is an opportunity to reach the pinnacle of Basketball yet again. He knows that he cannot do it alone. He knows that LeBron has been there for the last seven years and that he hasn’t.
Wade, Thomas, and Rose might all piggyback on the King’s broad shoulders all the way until the NBA Finals, but that doesn’t mean that they’re getting a free ride all the way to championship glory.
Once the superstar trio finally settles in their roles and gets their legs back under them, LeBron will have what will perhaps be the most talented group of guys around him in his entire career.
Cleveland is reloaded for yet another date with championship glory.
The Cavs are ready to Defend the Land.
Featured photo courtesy of SI.com
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