76ers Got Promising Play From Dean Wade in 1st Official Game With Team

Wade missed the first two games of the season for Philadelphia due to an ankle injury.

Oct 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dean Wade (45) reacts to his three pointer against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Philadelphia 76ers fans had to wait a couple of games to see an important offseason addition make his debut with the team.

Forward Dean Wade missed the first two games of the season with an ankle injury, but he made his season debut against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. Wade was thrown directly into the fire, as he started the game in place of LeBron James, who was ruled out due to lower back and sciatica management.

Wade played 28 minutes in the game and finished with a modest stat line of 7 points, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and a block. While it wasn't a statistically significant performance, Wade showed some of the two-way play that projects to make him a great fit on this Sixers squad.

Dean Wade displayed two-way value in 76ers debut

With all of the firepower on Philadelphia's offense, Wade isn't going to have many plans ran for him. Instead, it will be imperative that he connects consistently on open opportunities from long range in order to keep opposing defenses honest and open up the floor for Philly's several stars.

He got off to a good start in this regard against Milwaukee, as he knocked down two of his three attempts from long range in the game, including his very first shot of the season early in the first quarter.

first bucket goes to DEAN WADE! pic.twitter.com/GoQYawG2FY

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 24, 2026

He also hit one to provide the Sixers with some added cushion in the fourth quarter.

ant ➡️ dwade pic.twitter.com/BSliLHh65g

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 25, 2026

Given all of the attention that the likes of LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown will draw from defenses, Wade should have ample open opportunities like those every game. If he can knock them down at a decent clip, he'll be invaluable for Philadelphia's offense.

Wade came to Philadelphia with a reputation as a solid perimeter defender, and he showed why against Milwaukee. He had a team-high three steals in the game (tied with Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) and one block. He also added two defensive rebounds.

Wade has solid size for his position, and he can move his feet well for his size. His ability to switch seamlessly off of perimeter players will be very valuable for the Sixers, especially during games in which James is sidelined, like on Saturday night. And that was just Wade's first game with the Sixers. One would assume that he'll be even better as he continues to get increasingly comfortable with his new team.

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