Impact Cleveland Cavaliers roleplayer getting closer to return

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in need of a bit more defensive consistency.

Whether it's inside the paint or outside the arc, Cleveland's had its fair share of ups and downs this season. One game, they'll hold a team to right around 110 points, and the next, they'll give up over 125 and have to be lights out offensively to win the game.

A major reason, though, for the inconsistency is due to injuries.

Throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, the Cavaliers' rotation has been faced with countless injuries, most notably both guards Darius Garland and Max Strus. Those two face the most amount of eyes, primarily due to their offensive abilities, but one injured player who's flown under the radar is forward Dean Wade.

Fortunately, news came out on Friday, Jan. 16, that Wade was progressing well and could be returning back to the court as soon as this coming week.

He had been out for six of the seven Cavaliers' games to start 2026, playing in just eight minutes of action against the Indiana Pacers back on Jan. 6.

REPORT: Dean Wade is likely to return “early this coming week” for the Cavs, per @ChrisFedor 👀 pic.twitter.com/oMg2I2y6TH
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) January 16, 2026

Wade's versatility defensively

At 6-foot-9, Wade's hustle and size make him a formidable opponent to face up against. On the 2025-26 season, Wade has posted a 116.0 defensive rating, which, if he played enough minutes to qualify, he'd be slotted in with a Top 10 mark in the league.

His best game this season came back on Oct. 31, 2025, when the Cavaliers squared off against the Toronto Raptors. Wade played in 30 minutes of action, guarding some of the league's most dynamic offensive talents, including forwards Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, recording three blocks and two steals.

While the Cavaliers did end up losing by 11 points, his involvement defensively is what makes the team so effective at holding opposing stars back.

This season, he's had over a steal a game in seven outings and four with more than one block. He also finds a way to get involved underneath the hoop, averaging 4.0 rebounds a game on the season.

Wade has received praise from the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Mobley, one of the league's best on-ball defenders.

“Dean’s a great on-ball defender,” he said. “He has a lot of size, can guard guards, and then with me and J.A. in there, it’s hard to score in the paint.”

However, when asked about what he thought of Mobley's comments, he dished praise back to him and teammate Jarrett Allen.

“It’s really easy when you play with those two bigs,” Wade told Fear the Sword a few weeks back. “They always have your back, and they’re always communicating. … Evan and J.A. can both guard one through five. They move their feet so well. So as long as we keep a body in front of a body, especially with those two, I feel like it’s almost impossible to get by those two.

"All the credit has to go to those two.”

It seems like the Cavaliers are starting to trend in the right direction and get the season back on track. With Wade returning soon, the defense should be able to regain consistency and free up more time for Mobley and Allen to rest.

The Cavaliers will next return to action against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, Jan. 16, for a rematch of Wednesday's bout. Cleveland escaped that game with a 133-107 victory.

This will be the second-to-last meeting between the two sides, with the final game of the regular-season series coming on March 9 from Rocket Arena.