The Cleveland Cavaliers had a rough postseason. Despite trading for James Harden near the trade deadline, the squad struggled through the first two rounds. The Cavs barely got past the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks and came into the Eastern Conference Finals, and got swept. It wasn't that they got swept; it was how. The Cavs looked like they weren't trying most nights, and the team lacked any physicality or desire. It was a problem to watch unfold, but despite that, the Cavs have all but guaranteed no major changes to the roster this offseason.
In fact, the hope is to run it back with basically the same core of guys. It won't be hard to make that happen, either. The Cavs only have four unrestricted free agents: F/C Dean Wade, F/C Larry Nance Jr, C Thomas Bryant, and G Keon Ellis.
The Cavs could realistically bring back all four guys, depending on how much each man is asking for, but if nothing else, they seem to want to bring back their all-around glue-guy, Wade. That is, at least, according to Marc Stein, via ESPN Cleveland.
The Cavs are likely going to prioritize bringing back Dean Wade over Keon Ellis, per @TheSteinLine.
Stein notes that he does not expect the Cavs to entertain trade offers for Evan Mobley. pic.twitter.com/2WXF4cPPk9
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 6, 2026
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Wade is a jack-of-all-trades type player. In his seven seasons with the Cavs, he's developed into a solid three-point shooter for a big, while also proving to be incredibly versatile defensively. He's someone who can defensively match up with a small forward, power forward, or center if needed.
In fact, for a while during the playoffs, Wade was the team's best all-around defender. In fact, a major reason why the Cavs skirted the Detroit Pistons in round two was in part due to his defense on Pistons' star Cade Cunningham.
While the decision to prioritize Wade over someone like Ellis, who the team traded for near the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline, may be head-scratching, it's pretty obvious why this is the route they're going. Ellis struggled to get on the floor in the post-season, while Wade was proving to be a vital part of the team's success.
Wade fills a need that few on the team can currently do.
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