Last season was pretty hectic for Dwyane Wade to say the least. The 36-year-old started the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers after reaching a buyout with the Chicago Bulls. Before the 2017-18 season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Chicago native reached a buyout with the Bulls.
Wade would go on to play 46 games with the Cavaliers before being traded before the trade deadline. While in Cleveland the former Bull averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. A lot of critics and analyst faulted the Marquette product for his lack of production.
However, there are multiple reasons that factored into his decline in production. One could assume that J.R. Smith’s bad vibes and negative attitude caused Wade to accept a bench role. Needless to say, the three-time champion should have been named the starter regardless.
After Cleveland won the Championship in 2016, it seems as if Smith has been mentally checked out. If Wade played in the 2018 NBA Finals, he would not have made that crucial mistake in game one. (But I digress). Another factor to consider is Isaiah Thomas.
Obviously, Thomas was still hurt both physically and mentally from his stint with the Boston Celtics. After being traded to the Cavs, the left-handed guard clearly had something to prove. But the way that the former Washington guard handled the situation might have affected the Cavs chemistry.
Wade finished averaging 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in the regular season for the Heat, and those stats improved to 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in the playoffs.#Dwade #DwyaneWade #ErikSpoelstra #CoachSpo #MiamiHeat https://t.co/pKyhwcU0bE
— Erik Spoelstra Heat (@spoelstraheat) August 11, 2018
During the second half of last season, Wade took his talents back to the Miami Heat. You may remember the nasty break up which led the 6-foot-4 guard to sign with the Bulls in the summer of 2016. The flash would play 21 regular season games with the Heat averaging 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Coupled with a solid stat line the Chicago native provided a spark for the Heat during the playoffs. In the playoffs, the shooting-guard averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 80.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Currently, Wade is still on the market and is in no rush to make a decision. Heat president Pat Riley stated that he want’s Wade to return to the Heat for the 2018-19 season, per Bleacher Report. In addition to Riley, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls offered the former Bull a three-year $25 million contract, per ESPN.
As of now, the Marquette product is still on the market, and one team that should consider targetting him is the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s right the Bucks who are knocking on the door to a trip to the conference semifinals. Milwaukee should consider signing Wade for three key reasons.
Next Up: Reason 3
