Cavaliers Get Key Piece Back After 7 Weeks Out

After sitting out the last seven weeks with a shoulder injury, Cleveland Cavaliers' key two-way player Dean Wade is finally returning to the lineup tonight. 

A source confirms ESPN’s report to me that #Cavs forward Dean Wade will make his return to the floor tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The same source says the expectation is for Wade to get about 15-20 minutes of action tonight.

— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) January 21, 2023

Wade suffered an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder on Dec. 2. He'd been locked in as the 5th man in the starting lineup before the injury, starting five straight games. He's expected to have a minutes restriction in his return tonight of about 15-20 minutes. 

Overall, the 26-year-old was averaging 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and shooting a career-best 41.1% from three. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that defensively, Wade ranks in the top 10 in shot quality allowed. 

As an undrafted player in 2019, the Cavs have developed Wade into a reliable two-way player, and signed him to a three-year, $18.5M extension this past offseason.

The Cavs somehow lost to a Golden State Warriors team on Friday night that was without  Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green, so perhaps the return of Wade will give them a needed boost. However, they will be without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell for the third straight game, as he remains out with a groin ailment. 

Cleveland is 28-19 this season, and sit 5th in the Eastern Conference. 

Photo: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports