As teams continue shaping their rosters for the 2025–26 campaign, one Cleveland Cavaliers player is reportedly drawing attention from the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets.
According to reporter Chris Fedor, the future of Dean Wade remains uncertain. The Cavaliers are interested in keeping him, but due to salary cap constraints, they may be forced to let him go if they want to avoid falling into the NBA’s second tax bracket.
The 28-year-old power forward/center is entering the final year of a three-year deal with Cleveland, earning roughly $6.6 million. However, he may not finish out the contract with the team. “The current belief is Wade likely wouldn’t return,” Fedor wrote.
During the 2024–25 season, Wade started in 30 of the 59 games he played for the Cavaliers. He recorded career highs in rebounds (4.2) and assists (1.3) over his six seasons in the NBA. However, his scoring output remains modest at 5.4 points per game, close to his career-best of 6.0 in 2020–21.
Head coach Jason Kidd of the Mavericks. Dallas is one of the teams reportedly eyeing Dean Wade.
Despite being a useful contributor, the Cavs clearly do not view Wade as a core piece. Given their potential need to trim salary to stay under the cap, he appears to be one of the likely candidates to be moved.
In this context, Wade may have a future with another franchise, as there’s reported interest from teams in both conferences. According to Hoops Wire, the Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards are considered the most likely suitors.
Among them, the Mavs have reportedly “been fans for a few years,” according to Fedor. Though they already have several frontcourt players—such as Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell—they could benefit from Wade’s defensive versatility and depth.
At this stage, however, no concrete offers appear to have materialized. “Several opposing scouts have told… that their general managers have an interest in Wade — and could make a run at him now that the free agency dust has cleared. The scouts did not know if those GMs had yet called the Cavs,” Hoops Wire reported, suggesting this story is just beginning to unfold.
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