Because of problems in contract negotiations between the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade, there has been plenty of speculating that Dwyane Wade could join his ex-teammate LeBron James in Cleveland next year and play for the Cavaliers.
Unlikely.
First of all, the Cavaliers cannot afford to pay Dwyane what many other teams can. More than a couple teams are very desperate for a player just like Dwayne Wade. He's a star. He can be the leader and best player of your team. He has plenty of experience (including 3 titles and 1 finals MVP). There are teams that will him all the money he wants and more. I know the Utah Jazz would gladly do that. Other teams off the top of my head: Hornets, Lakers, Celtics, Kings.... Teams are desperate for stars. Guys that can be the best player and lead the team.
Secondly, Dwyane Wade is a big gamble. He hasn't played 70 games in a season since the 10-11 season, and many of those games he has played at much less than 100%. He's had several knee problems. Also his back, hamstrings, hip, and ankles have caused him problems. The Cavaliers have the best player in the world right now in LeBron James. They are in the finals. They have a good thing going for them. They can't afford to give a lot of money to the risk that is Dwyane Wade.
Other teams, however, are more than willing to overpay for a high risk. And, particularly small market teams, have no other choice but to take huge risks. The Hornets gave Al Jefferson a max contract. The Jazz game Gordon Heyward a max contract. Small market teams HAVE to take risks if they want to get a star. The Lakers right now seem pretty desperate for a star. Young teams like the Celtics or the Bucks need a good veteran leader. I'm sure the Kings (seeing how Dwyane Wade won his first title with Shaquille O'neal) would love the chance to pair Wade with their young stud DeMarcus Cousins. Teams that don't have an all star or two are more than willing to pay top dollar for the chance to get Dwyane Wade.
Lastly - Dwayne Wade isn't a very good fit with LeBron James. We saw this in Miami. They play a similar game. Both LeBron James and (even more so) Dwayne Wade were not utilized in their best way. They both sacrificed their own strengths to play with each other. The Cavaliers can't afford to pay a guy a lot of money that's going to be highly underutilized. The Cavs are better off paying players that complement LeBron's game, and not take away from it.
In summary, the Cavs cannot afford Wade's price tag. If they want to be as good as they can, signing Wade, even if it's at a semi-reduced price, is not worth it for the Cavaliers.
HOWEVER - Although I doubt Wade comes to Cleveland for all the reasons I just stated... I wouldn't be overly surprised if it did happen.
The Cavs are notorious for doing things that are bad for the team just because LeBron likes it. That's what they did when LeBron was there before he went to Miami. And (in my opinion) they picked right up where they left off - with the Kevin Love trade. I thought the Kevin Love trade was a bad from the start (see here). So history tells me that if LeBron tells the Cavs he wants to play Wade, they will overpay him to make it happen.
On the other side, I can see Wade taking (comparatively) less money to play in Cleveland. Dwyane likes LeBon and he loves winning titles. Not less enough money to make the signing worth it for the Cavs, but enough so the Cavs don't have to pay top dollar for him and feel justified in signing a huge injury risk that doesn't complement LeBron's game.
In short, the Cavs can't afford to give pay Dwyane Wade enough money to play there, and Dwyane Wade won't go there for the amount that would be worth it to the Cavs. But, I can see a scenario where they both compromise and meet in the middle, which would most likely end up bad for both sides. Wade making less than he could be making AND the Cavs paying Wade much more than they can afford. The good-old "lose-lose situation."
