Hall of Fame guard Dwyane Wade reflected on his short stint with the Cleveland Cavs in 2017-18. After 2016 champion Richard Jefferson revealed what LeBron James did for Wade to join the Cavs following their 4-1 Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2017, Wade looked back on his short tenure in Cleveland.
For Wade, the Cavs’ decision to trade him was swift, and unexpected, he said, per Conversations with Cam podcast.
“No one knows I played for Cleveland… They got me out of there,” Wade said. “I was there for about 3 months, and they said it’s time for you to go homeboy.”
Wade didn’t want the Cavs to trade him, but they did it anyways. Ahead of the 2018 deadline, the Cavs sent Wade to the Heat in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick as part of a massive shakeup in an attempt to improve their roster.
Cleveland traded six players in separate deals, including Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, and Iman Shumpert to acquire George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. in preparation to compete with the defending champion Warriors in the 2018 Finals.
In the end, the Cavs were swept, 4-0, by the Warriors, who won back-to-back titles. It turned out to be James’ final seasons in Cleveland. At the same time, Wade, who he led the Heat to three titles throughout his career, two of which alongisde LeBron, announced his final season ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season.
Dwyane Wade averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 46 regular-season games for the Cavs.