Report: Cavaliers Looking To Trade Dean Wade

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to trade Dean Wade. 

Wade will make $6,623,456 next season in the final year of his contract. 

“From everything that I’ve heard, the Cavs have had discussions about Dean Wade,” Fedor said. “And do they want to see if they can use him and something else to see if they can get assets back, different kinds of assets back, or different kinds of players back in return.

“So I think they’re trying to figure out what is possible for us. And if we move off of Isaac Okoro’s money if we move off Dean Wade’s money, does that make it easier to justify a Ty Jerome contract? Does that make it easier to justify a Sam Merrill contract?”

Wade appeared in 59 games this season. He averaged 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.3% from the field, 36.0% from beyond the arc and 53.3% from the free-throw line. 

The Cavaliers are projected to have $219 million in salary for the 2025-26 season and be over the second apron. Jerome and Merrill become unrestricted free agents this offseason. 

Cleveland had the top record in the East this year. The team swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in five games. 

The Cavaliers have not gotten past the second round of the playoffs since acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022.