Many Cavs' Players Didn't Want Dwyane Wade On The Team

What's the story?

According to LeBron James, the Cavaliers roster wasn't pleased with the addition of Dwyane Wade to their squad.

In case you didn't know...

Lebron James and Dwayne Wade's friendship goes way back as they were drafted together in the 2003 draft as the first and fifth overall pick respectively. They eventually ended up playing together in Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014, reaching the finals all four years and winning on two occasions.

The heart of the matter...

Dwayne Wade, who is a three-time champion and a future Hall Of Famer with still a lot to offer at this stage of his career, looked like a blockbuster signing for the Cleveland Cavaliers to the outside world. But to their roster, it meant integrating a whole new piece into the system at the start of training, who came in place of the beloved Richard Jefferson, as James told The Athletic's Jason Lloyd "There was a couple of guys with it. But it wasn't a lot.".

James was annoyed by the unreceptive nature of the Cavaliers at the inclusion of Dwayne Wade. "I still know what he’s capable of doing. Why wouldn’t you want another guy in the locker room that brings a championship mentality and a guy who can still p9lay?" said James. "So, of course, it bothered me, but f*** it. It is what it is.”.

All the doubts surrounding Wade might have been cleared in the past few months as the Cavaliers are on a ten-game winning streak.

James doesn't say much about any lasting antipathy between the two as long they continue winning games as he said "I don’t know," James added. "But that ain’t my worry. We don’t care. We’re ego-less guys. That’s why we get along so well - myself, D-Wade, CP3 (Chris Paul) and Melo (Carmelo Anthony). We don’t really give a damn what people say and what people think. We just want to play ball and win."

What's next?

The Cavaliers are on a ten-game winning streak and would like to continue to stack up more and more wins. They face the Memphis Grizzlers (7-14) on Saturday night.

Author's take

The Cleveland Cavaliers (15-7) player's concern to adjust to the addition of a new piece into the system is justified, but Wade has proved that he can take on the role of a bench player and still be productive for the team when required.