The Cavaliers and Nets are playing an NBA game in France, and by the time you read this, it may have been completed.
But their business together may not.
According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Nets have shown interest in Cavaliers power forward Dean Wade “in the past,” and maybe they will do so again. Wade has been starting with Evan Mobley sidelined by a knee injury — and while Wade doesn’t score (or shoot) much, he is viewed as an intangibles guy who gets after it defensively and forces nothing on offense.
That actually appeals to teams, as everyone loves having somebody who doesn’t care how many shots he gets, yet still contributes.
Along with that, the Cavs and Nets are viewed as natural trade partners, given that the Nets have a glut of wings and the Cavs reportedly have been seeking some. Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale are two players believed to be on Cleveland’s radar.
It’s doubtful the Nets would surrender either player straight up for Wade, but this is the NBA of the 2020s and the trade possibilities are always endless.
“A source tells me that the Brooklyn Nets have expressed interest in Dean Wade in the past,” Fedor said on a Cleveland.com podcast, and maybe the idea that the Nets may still want Wade is just a dream of the source.
But if the Cavs truly have hopes of landing a 3-and-D wing before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Wade will likely be among those dangled.
Along with Finney-Smith (full story) and O’Neale, the Cavs could have trade interest in Trail Blazers guard/forward Matisse Thybulle and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who undoubtedly would not come cheap.
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