Cleveland Cavaliers could shake things up, start $24 million forward

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling with a starting lineup of Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to begin the season.

With Darius Garland, DeAndre' Hunter and Max Strus out with injuries, the Cavs have a few changes to make with the first five. They could look to experiment with the starting lineup by putting Dean Wade into the mix.

"De'Andre Hunter will get first crack at the starting small forward job with Max Strus out to begin the season," Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes wrote.

"There's a good chance Hunter, a midseason acquisition last year, holds onto the gig permanently if he can stay healthy. The 27-year-old shot the lights out in 27 games for the Cavs last season, hitting 42.6 percent of his threes and 48.5 percent of his shots overall.

"Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are far more entrenched in the starting lineup than Hunter, though, so we have to go with someone (other than the injured Strus) who might slot into that small forward spot.

"Dean Wade is the obvious pick."

Wade could be starter, according to analyst

Wade, 28, is averaging eight points per game over the first two Cavs contests of the season, playing 27.5 minutes on average. He is paying plenty with the Cavs, so they feel comfortable with him on the floor.

It could be smart to try him out in the starting lineup just to toy with matchups to start the season.

"Though inconsistent health has limited him to fewer than 60 games in all but one of his six seasons in Cleveland, he is a reliable three-point shooter (36.8 percent) whose defense almost always makes him a positively impactful force on the floor," Hughes wrote of Wade.

"Though he's an extremely low-usage player, Wade's minutes have coincided with positive on-off differentials in each of the last four years. A Cavs team that won 64 games in 2024-25 was actually 1.8 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court."

The numbers don't lie. Wade is part of the reason why the Cavs have been successful, so it makes sense to make him an even larger part of the operation.

Wade and the Cavs return to the court when they take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 2-0 Milwaukee Bucks. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET inside Rocket Arena. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio or stream it on NBA League Pass out-of-network.