Dwyane Wade officially signed with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, and practiced with the team. (After the practice, he and LeBron James refueled with wine.)
Does Dwyane Wade change the Cavaliers’ odds?
Good morning. We have that and more in Thursday’s NBA newsletter.
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The immediate-term question is how well Wade will fit in with his old partner LeBron and a team that lost Kyrie Irving but doesn’t yet have Isaiah Thomas, who could be back in a couple of months after his hip injury. There is little concern that Cleveland will again be at or near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. But how Wade begins to fit in now could impact how scary this team looks in May and June.
To be sure, this signing was not about October, November, or March. It was all about adding another arrow to the quiver with the Warriors’ names on it. Can Wade help the Cavaliers beat Golden State in June? He absolutely could! He’s one of the best two-guards ever, and while he’s past his prime, the talent and output is still solid.
Will Wade help the Cavaliers beat Golden State? Probably not. That’s the nature of the beast: Outside of getting a superstar via trade, there’s not much Cleveland can do to really boost its odds of beating the overpowered Warriors. We’ll see whether the Cavaliers flirt with moving the Nets pick come January and February. (I doubt it.) But no player you can sign on a minimum deal — not even a living legend like Wade — is going to materially change the high-level calculus against the Warriors.
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