The Cavaliers have exercised their team option on forward Dean Wade for the 2022/23 season, league sources tell Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The decision was an easy one for the Cavs, since Wade’s option is worth just $1,930,681 and remains non-guaranteed even now that it has been picked up. That means Cleveland could waive the 25-year-old later in the offseason without being on the hook for his 2022/23 salary.
However, Wade appears to have earned a spot in the Cavs’ plans for next season. He has been a regular rotation player for the team during the last two years, averaging 5.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.1 APG on .441/.363/.725 shooting in 114 games (19.2 MPG) during that stretch. While those numbers won’t earn him All-Star consideration, they’re solid for a reserve on a minimum-salary contract.
With Wade’s option exercised, the Cavs now have nine players on guaranteed salaries for next season and two (Wade and Lamar Stevens) on non-guaranteed deals. Even if the club brings back all 11 of those players and re-signs Collin Sexton, there will be multiple spots to fill on next year’s 15-man roster.
Our team option decision tracker can be found right here.