The Story
Former Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls player Dwyane Wade has decided to reunite with his friend LeBron James as the newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Now that the Cavs have traded Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas of the Celtics, Wade is looking to join on for a chance to grab a potential fourth championship title.
Today I missed my first media day and tomorrow I'm missing thee first training camp practice of my 15 yr career. I can't wait to lace em up
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) September 26, 2017
Wade’s Career
Wade played for the Miami Heat during his first 13 NBA seasons and is a self-proclaimed “Heat lifer.” In the process, he’s gathered many awards while playing alongside teammates LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams, and Gary Payton, to name a few.
Accolades
- 12x All-Star
- 3x NBA Champ
- 8x All-NBA
- 3x All-Defensive
- 2005-06 Finals MVP
During his time in Miami, Wade averaged 23.7 points per game with a 0.562 true shooting percentage and won two championships alongside LeBron James, a fellow 2003 draft class member.
In the 2016 off-season, Wade decided to sign with his hometown Chicago Bulls with teammates Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler. The Bulls finished the regular season eighth in the Eastern Conference, just beating out the Miami Heat for the last playoff spot. Despite the Heat setting an NBA record for the best second half of a season to tie Chicago at 41-41, a 2-1 head-to-head record gave the Bulls the tiebreaker. Still, the Bulls eventually lost the opening series against the Boston Celtics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSz9tHogj3Y/?taken-by=dwyanewade
The Move
Wade will likely start for the Cavs because of the Kyrie-Isaiah swap and Thomas’ hip injury sustained during the postseason. Here’s a quick projection of what the new starting five would look like based on a linear regression of the past five seasons of player Win Shares – a measure of a player’s contribution (both offensive and defensive) to the team’s wins. Can this new five blow past the projections?
The Future
Ultimately, time will determine whether this is a good move for the future Hall of Famer. Although the Cavs have reached the NBA Finals in each of the past three seasons, winning one in the process, they’ll continue to face difficult opponents in the West – whether it be the Golden State Warriors with Curry and Durant, the Houston Rockets with Harden and Paul, or the newly formed Oklahoma City Thunder with Westbrook, George, and Anthony.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BY7S02bhNf8/?taken-by=kingjames
Whether you’re looking to represent the newest member of the Cavaliers or are cheering on some of the other movers and shakers of this off-season, make sure to checkout the latest NBA gear here at Fanatics.
Sources
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2003.html
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wadedw01.html
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2017.html
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/about/ws.html
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CLE/
- http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20824865/dwyane-wade-close-deal-cleveland-cavaliers
- http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20830118/carmelo-anthony-start-power-forward-oklahoma-city-thunder
- http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17086518/dwyane-wade-signs-contract-chicago-bulls
- http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-dwyane-wade-letter-s070716-story.html
- https://www.fearthesword.com/2017/9/25/16361360/isaiah-thomas-hip-injury-january
- http://thehoopdoctors.com/2017/04/miami-heat-record-in-2nd-half-of-season/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/08/30/kyrie-irving-isaiah-thomas-trade-reportedly-completed-with-extra-draft-pick/?utm_term=.e0350182044d
