Dean Wade is drawing interest from the Philadelphia 76ers as NBA free agency is set to open at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday. Cleveland still has a chance to keep the 6-foot-9 forward, which leaves his market open on both sides of the same decision.
Mike Gansey knows Dean Wade
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Wade has a lot of interest around the league, and they singled out new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey as a particular fan. Gansey helped bring Wade to Cleveland as an undrafted free agent, which gives Philadelphia a direct line to a player it already views through a familiar lens.
Wade’s path explains why he is in this spot. He went undrafted, signed a two-way contract, and worked his way to a recent three-year, $18.5 million deal. He has spent all seven seasons of his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so any move now would pull him out of the only rotation he has known.
Philadelphia 76ers need forward help
The fit is easy to map. Philadelphia is thin at the forward spots, and the need grows sharper if Kelly Oubre, Jr. does not return as an unrestricted free agent. Wade would give the Sixers size at 6-foot-9 and a player who has made a living without demanding the ball.
His shot profile points to why teams keep calling. Wade has a career three-point percentage of 36.7 percent, has never averaged as many as four three-point attempts per game in a season, and has taken 73.8 percent of his career field-goal attempts from downtown. He also averages under one free throw attempt per game, so his value comes from spacing rather than volume scoring.
Cleveland Cavaliers still involved
That interest does not lock him out of Cleveland. The sources said there is still a chance Wade stays with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that is the complication Philadelphia has to price into any offer. Wade is not viewed as a crown jewel in free agency, but there are a substantial number of teams reportedly interested in him, which should keep the bidding moving as soon as the market opens.
For the Sixers, the practical question is simple: whether a portion of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception is enough to pull Wade away before the Cavaliers decide to hold him. He projects as a terrific switch defender who can credibly guard one through five in certain matchups, and his 7-foot wingspan helps him stay in front of players, deter drives, and contest shots at a high level. That is the kind of depth piece Philadelphia can use now, even if Cleveland still has the last word.
