Dwyane Wade reportedly set to join Cavs, Perkins likely jettisoned

Dwyane Wade is joining forces once again with LeBron James. And that means Kendrick Perkins is likely on his way out.

Wade, fresh off a buy-out of the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls, is set to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a one-year deal for $2.3 million, according to multiple reports. The deal was first reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical.

This will be the 13-year NBA veteran's third team in as many years after playing the first 12 seasons of his career in Miami, including four with James. Last season, Wade averaged 18.9 points per game -- his second-lowest career total -- while playing 29.9 minutes per game, his fewest minutes in his career. He played in 60 games and shot a personal-worst 43.4 percent from the field, but he improved to 31 percent from three-point range.

Since the Cavaliers already had 20 players in camp, they'll have to cut one of their non-guaranteed camp invitees to make room for Wade, who can't sign until he clears waivers on Wednesday. And that player is probably Perkins, who was brought in as a veteran presence to camp just last week.



What does this mean for the Celtics? First off, one of their competitors just added a significant piece of depth. Wade isn't the eight-time All-NBA player he once was, but he's still a force on the offensive end and can be another playmaker, something the Cavaliers needed with Isaiah Thomas reportedly out until at least January.

With Derrick Rose, Jose Calderon, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith already in the backcourt, Wade has the potential to get more rest than he did in Chicago and therefore be more productive come playoff time. Still, his defensive shortcomings and lack of outside shooting don't help the Cavs as much in their pursuit of dethroning the Warriors. If he's matched up against Eastern bench units, it's a different story.

As for Perk, it's a rough turnaround for him after a year out of the game. He doesn't seem equipped to be much of an on-court factor at 32, but he appears to be in solid shape and is renowned for his locker-room demeanor. The Celtics still have a roster spot that could be used on a player like him and perhaps that's just what they need.

However, if the team needs a rotation piece, they should probably look elsewhere. Perkins hasn't averaged 20 minutes a game since 2012-13.


Photos: Stacy Revere/Getty Images (Top), Jason Miller/Getty (Bottom)

Follow Steven Tydings on Twitter @StevenTydings
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