Dean Wade is expected to have a long list of suitors if he reaches the open market on Tuesday at 5:00 pm CT, but the Cavaliers are trying to prevent that from happening. The two sides are having “ongoing negotiations and dialogue,” sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
According to Fedor, both parties intend to keep talking to see if a contract agreement can be reached, and neither side has ruled out Wade’s potential return to Cleveland.
Fedor’s report isn’t surprising, as re-signing Wade has been long considered a priority for the Cavs. The problem is the team is also trying to avoid being over the second tax apron for the second consecutive season, so a cost-cutting move may be necessary to retain him.
Here are some more rumors ahead of the start of league-wide free agency:
- It’s “highly likely” the Wizards will retain restricted free agent wing Jamir Watkins, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who reports that the team plans to re-sign the former Florida State star to a new contract. It’s unclear what that new deal will look like, but it would be surprising if it doesn’t cover multiple seasons, given the team’s decision to decline his minimum-salary option and instead issue him a slightly more lucrative qualifying offer.
- Veteran NBA big man Maxi Kleber is expected to head back to Europe after spending the last nine years in the NBA, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. According to Urbonas, the German forward/center, who played for the Lakers last season, is “actively” exploring EuroLeague opportunities and is likely to continue his career overseas. Kleber, 34, was a valuable role player in his prime, but injuries have sapped his athleticism and mobility and he has struggled with his outside shot the past two seasons.
- While Kleber appears likely to return to Europe, his German compatriot Isaac Bonga is focused on making it back to the NBA, according to Urbonas’ sources. As Urbonas reports, the former second-round pick is coming off a career-best season with Partizan Belgrade and has received lucrative offers from multiple EuroLeague teams. Bonga, a four-year NBA veteran who last played for Toronto in 2021/22, plans to weigh potential NBA offers against the contracts he has on the table in the EuroLeague, per Urbonas.
