Key Cavaliers Starter Exits Game vs. 76ers With Injury

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been lucky enough to avoid any major injuries this season, which has been one of the reasons for their historic start to the year.

However, the Wine and Gold may be running out of luck. Evan Mobley, Issac Okoro, and Caris LeVert's injuries have forced the Cavaliers to dig deeper into their bench.

The situation only got worse on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers; Cleveland lost another key rotation player.

Dean Wade started the game in place of the injured Mobley but only played 19 minutes and was ruled out in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury.

It wasn't clear if the injury occurred on a specific play or if it emerged as the game progressed. Either way, the Cavaliers were forced to play the rest of the game without one of their best defenders.

Losing Wade was especially problematic against the 76ers, whose offense was centered on Paul George. At the beginning of the game, Wade was in charge of guarding PG before his eventual exit.

Wade may not be a household NBA name, but he's arguably one of the most important players on the Cavaliers' roster. He's a stretch forward who can play three positions and defend any position.

Wade has started 24 of the 35 games he's played this season, and the Cavs have a 30-4 record with him in the rotation.

Hopefully, Wade's exit will be precautionary and nothing more serious. We'll have to wait and see what update Kenny Atkinson provides following the game.