Longtime Cavaliers role player named in recent trade rumors

Even as the Cleveland Cavaliers begin to turn their season around, rumors of making changes are going to follow them through the trade deadline.

The obvious names mentioned have been the underperforming stars in Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, but it turns out, those may not be the only names on the trade block.

One name who has been named in trade rumors has been long-time Cavaliers Dean Wade, who is currently serving as a fringe starter amongst injuries in Cleveland.

"I’ve been told that Dean Wade on the Cleveland Cavaliers is very likely to be moved, and he’s kind of preparing to be moved before the trade deadline,” Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints said.

In his latest NBA intel video, @BrettSiegelNBA said this about Dean Wade at the 26:00 mark:

"I’ve been told that Dean Wade on the Cleveland Cavaliers is very likely to be moved, and he’s kind of preparing to be moved before the trade deadline.”https://t.co/oYiZVZbEII
— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) January 1, 2026

Siegel added he believed Wade had some value in the offseason, but the Cavaliers opted to keep hold of him into the regular season. Teams have kept their eyes on him though, and have checked if he’s available.

He added the Houston Rockets as a team that has done their research on adding a stretch big like Wade, while also naming the Denver Nuggets as a new team that could be interested after facing recent injuries.

Wade has been a member of the Cavaliers since the 2019-20 season. He has averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, acting as a serviceable stretch big in Cleveland’s rotation.

He has briefly cracked the starting lineup from time to time, making 134 starts in his career so far, but hasn’t been able to hold down a long term spot in the starting unit. He has never started more than 32 games in a season.

This year, Wade has been one of the few consistently healthy players. He’s played in 33 games, starting 12, and averaged 5.9 points. His shooting splits are currently under his career averages as he’s hitting on just under 40% of his shots.

Wade fills a slightly unique role in Cleveland as a 6’ 9” big who specializes in three point shots. If he leaves, guys like Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Larry Nance Jr. will need to step up to fill those big minutes, while a guy like Max Strus would need to comeback from injury and be productive to make up for the shooting.

Wade’s time in Cleveland has been memorable. Fans will remember his historic game in 2024 where he scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Boston Celtics 105-104. If this is the end of his time here, he should be remembered as one of Cleveland’s best role players this decade.