Zaire Wade Has Interest in Playing College Basketball After G League, Overseas Career

Zaire Wade, the 23-year-old son of NBA great Dwyane Wade, is interested in playing at the college basketball level years after beginning a pro career, he told ESPN on Tuesday.

Multiple Division I programs are reportedly interested in Wade as he still has four years of eligibility remaining as he has yet to compete at the college level. Wade decided to skip the college basketball route back in 2021 despite receiving multiple offers from D-I programs at the time. He instead signed a professional contract with the G League, and was drafted by the Jazz’s affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars.

Wade’s G League career didn’t last long as he suffered a season-ending injury in his first season. He then joined the Basketball Africa League in 2023 for one season. The following year, Wade joined The Asian Tournament league. It does not appear that he has played basketball professionally since then.

Back in 2021, Wade received offers from programs like DePaul, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Toledo. It’ll be interesting to see which schools show interest in Wade this time around, especially as he will be in his mid-twenties when he signs, playing alongside teenagers.

The Wade news comes after two professional basketball players returned to college in the last few months. James Nnaji, a Nigeria native who played pro ball in Spain and Turkey and was drafted by the Pistons in 2023, joined Baylor’s program in December. Then, Charles Bediako—a former Alabama player who entered the NBA draft and later played in the G League—returned to the Crimson Tide in January. Bediako is the first former college basketball player to return to school after signing an NBA contract and playing in the G League.

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