Cleveland Cavaliers Forward Out “Multiple Weeks”

A bad break for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as a shoulder injury suffered Friday night will keep starting forward Dean Wade out of the lineup for multiple weeks.

Cavaliers forward Dean Wade is expected to be out 3-to-4 weeks with a left shoulder injury, team says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 4, 2022

The injury has been diagnosed as a left AC joint shoulder sprain. He'll undergo a period of treatment and rehab. He'd apparently been playing through some pain in the shoulder for several games.

#Cavs J.B. Bickerstaff said that Dean Wade has been dealing with that left shoulder injury for some time now, but has been playing through it. Bickerstaff said Wade got hit again, and "it was too much."

— Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) December 3, 2022

Unfortunately, head coach JB Bickerstaff said, when Wade got hit again Friday night, "it was too much." 

Playing in the starting lineup recently, the fourth-year 6'9" forward has helped the Cavs as a solid floor-spacer, hitting on 41.1% of his three-point attempts.

The 26-year-old Wade has started nine of his 17 games this season, overall averaging 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds. He signed a three-year extension worth $18.5M before the season. 

In his absence, Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor reports that  Mamadi Diakite will start in place of Wade.

Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports