Dean Wade left the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Dean Wade to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer in unrestricted free agency.
Wade signed a four-year, $38 million contract with the 76ers, who also acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics and signed NBA legend LeBron James.
During an interview with ClutchPoints, Wade opened up about leaving Cleveland for Philadelphia.
"A lot of my life happened in Cleveland," Wade said. "Part of me definitely wanted to go back because that’s where my life was and I had so many great, genuine relationships there with teammates, team personnel, and so many others. On the other side of things, it was kind of just time for me to go somewhere else and write the next chapter of my career by experiencing something new. There was definitely that feeling, but overall, I knew it was time to move on and see what else was out there."
Wade played in 59 games for the Cavaliers last season. He averaged 5.8 points per game while shooting 36.2% from beyond the arc.
The swingman will have a bigger role with the 76ers next season.
"As far as basketball goes, I wanted to go somewhere that was ready to compete and be a title-contending team," Wade said. "Playing for a team that could actually make a run to the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals was at the top of my list. That factored into my decision to sign with Philadelphia as well. They gave me a great offer as well, and money always holds weight in these conversations, but my relationship with Mike Gansey and having the opportunity to play for a real contender on a very competitive team stood out.
The 76ers will bring Wade off the bench. They have a lethal starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, LeBron and Joel Embiid.
Cleveland signed Mario Hezonja and acquired Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets this summer. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will be the Cavaliers' starters next season.
Cleveland opens next season against LeBron, Wade and the 76ers in Philadelphia. That will be an electric atmosphere.
