Dean Wade deserves more minutes after the Cleveland Cavaliers picked up his fourth-year option

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up Dean Wade’s option.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have picked up the fourth-year option for Dean Wade, and the big man has more than proven his ability to hang in the NBA. Not only has he proven he can hang, but he’s arguably the team’s third-best defensive big man behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

The Cavaliers really relied on his defense over the last two seasons, where he played 63 and 51 games respectively while posting a fantastic +1.9 defensive RAPTOR score. He’s by no mean a perfect player, he does have nights offensive where he just doesn’t have it, but for the most part if he’s asked to start he can play his part.

He’s not inept offensively, with splits of .456/.359/.667, he’s just not the guy you want as your first few options while on the floor. If he can improve his three-point shot and his mid-range game, he really could be a more modern version of former Knicks and Warriors player David Lee; only with better defensive skills.

Dean Wade could be in line for more minutes really soon

If the Cleveland Cavaliers decide to trade Kevin Love or Lauri Markkanen, both ideas are a mistake, then Wade could instantly see himself getting a load of new minutes. Minutes that would’ve been well earned.

Wade is a guy that really makes a team better and isn’t exactly easy to replace. That doesn’t make him a super-talent like an Evan Mobley, but you don’t find bigs like Wade that often, especially those who are as good defensively as he is.

He’s not as good as Allen or Mobley but he isn’t far off and if you give him 25 minutes a game, and let him place 70+ games, I would be surprised if he didn’t make an All-Defense team at some point in his career.

Working on his shot and developing a better mid-range game will make sure he doesn’t go anywhere anytime soon.