Analytically, Kenny Atkinson might tell you the Cleveland Cavaliers should still be competing in the Eastern Conference Finals. In practice, the New York Knicks put boots to necks as they closed out the series with a commanding 130-93 win to secure the sweep. Now, the offseason begins in Ohio.
Dean Wade, Keon Ellis, Larry Nance Jr., Thoms Bryant, Craig Porter Jr. (team option), and James Harden (player option) can all be unrestricted free agents this summer. Immediately, two of those names will jump out at the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans. That would be Ellis and Wade.
Considering the Cavaliers just fell flat on their faces in the Eastern Conference Finals, and are tightly navigating the second apron, change is expected in Cleveland. That should mean letting one, or both, of Ellis and Wade walk, setting up any willing suitor to pry them away.
That willingness could come from the Lakers. Either one of Ellis or Wade could add to the retool around Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, given their complimentary skill sets as role players. One of them does stick out as more desirable when weighing them against each other.
Dean Wade immediately stands out as what the Lakers are looking for
Wade started 14 out of 18 playoff games for Cleveland, supporting their stars with his game. The exact same reason the Cavaliers forward worked well in that role can be attributed to why his skills would compliment Doncic in Los Angeles.
Defensively, Wade is a switchable defender who is willing to do the dirty work. His versatility on the back end would give the Lakers someone who is regularly capable of guarding the opposing team's best player.
Offensively, there is more of an uphill battle to sell yourself on Wade. Despite being a career 36.7 percent shooter from deep, the Cavs forward is much more streaky than that number would initially suggest.
However, Doncic is exactly the type of offensive engine who should be capable of creating wide-open perimeter opportunities for Wade. Having Luka playmaking should allow that aspect of the veteran forward's game to be maximized as best as it could be.
Ultimately, there are a couple of things that give Wade the clear edge over Ellis as a more desirable target for the Lakers during the summer.
Keon has always been known as a defensive playmaker. That much is true. However, Ellis offers the Lakers far less versatility on that end than Wade would.
The second point has to do with the offense. Ellis' ability to be an impactful player on that end has often been criticized, and those issues were clear during these playoffs. Keon could not maintain a spot in the Cavaliers' playoff rotation due to his lack of juice on that side of the court.
There are injury concerns with Wade. Having 63 games as a career high for games played in the regular season raises a red flag. If the Lakers feel they can work around that, the Cavs vet is a phone call that no one should be surprised to see the franchise make.
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