Dwayne Wade taking talents to Cleveland
CLEVELAND — LeBron James can hardly contain his excitement. Neither can Dwyane Wade.
Wade made it official on Wednesday, saying he has picked the Cleveland Cavaliers for a one-year, $2.3 million deal. It was finalized shortly after Wade cleared waivers, a necessary step following his buyout agreement struck with the Chicago Bulls over the weekend.
“There’s no better place to be right now to continue to play and compete at the highest level,” Wade wrote in a statement posted on his social media accounts. “Cleveland believes in my talents and what I can bring to a championship contender both as a player and leader. I look forward to reuniting and playing alongside my brother LeBron. We’ve already won two championships together and I hope we get a third.”
James said he feels like a little kid having Wade with him again.
“Come on, man, this is like one of my best friends,” James said Wednesday following the first of two practices. Wade was set to join the Cavaliers at the second one. “It’s kind of like when you start school and you walk into the classroom and you’re not quite sure who your classmates are and when you walk in there and one of your best friends is in there, you’re like: ‘Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun. It’s going to be a good class.’ “That’s the type of feeling I got.” Wade, a 12-time All-Star and threetime NBA champion, chose Cleveland over Miami and Oklahoma City for a chance to win another title. He also listened to other clubs, including San Antonio.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing for the Chicago Bulls and I feel so fortunate to have fulfilled my dream this past year,” Wade wrote. “The team is now heading in a different direction, which has made me re-evaluate where I need to be in this phase of my career. Being a part of a team that is in the process of rebuilding doesn’t align with where I want to be right now no matter how difficult that decision may be.”
For James, landing Wade is the upcoming season’s first victory.
Wade and James spent four seasons together with the Miami Heat, winning two championships and making the Finals four times as a duo as devastating as any in league history. They’ll now join forces on a Cleveland team that is almost unrecognizable following a busy summer in which Kyrie Irving was traded to BostonandtheCavaliersremodeledtheir roster with the acquisition of Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, former league MVP Derrick Rose and free agents Jeff Green and Jose Calderon.