The Dwyane Wade sweepstakes are ongoing, with rumors and reports about his meetings dominating the news cycle. While public consensus says that the shooting guard will return to the Heat, it is certainly not a sure thing.
Among the teams most often linked to Wade are the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team has very little money to work with (though salary dumps are possible) to sign Wade. However, his relationship with LeBron James in addition to the Cavs’ high chances at another Finals appearance make Cleveland an intriguing destination.
Nevertheless, it does not appear that that relationship with LeBron will matter. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, James is not “actively recruiting” Wade, despite the two sharing a vacation together.
Furthermore, it does not appear that James is willing to take less money in order to clear up cap space for his friend. Following from Shelburne:
James, sources said, is not willing to take less than the maximum contract he can sign with the Cavs, who are so far above the luxury tax threshold that they could only offer Wade their $3.5 million mid-level exception. Being over the luxury tax threshold also means the Cavs couldn’t do a sign-and-trade for Wade.
All of this means that Cleveland is a long shot to sign Dwyane Wade. The only conceivable situation is that the Cavs trade away players to clear up space. And that would mean gutting the team for an older player. Wade to Cleveland is very unlikely, even if the Heat lifer leaves Miami.
