In Mike Gansey’s first free agency move running the Sixers, he’s bringing in a familiar face in Dean Wade.
The 6-foot-9 forward, who was initially signed by Gansey and the Cavaliers’ front office as an undrafted free agent in 2019, has spent his entire seven-year NBA career in Cleveland. He now comes to Philadelphia on four-year, $39 million deal, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Wade’s calling card is his perimeter defense. With a 7-foot wingspan, a 228-pound frame and good lateral quickness, he’s able
to guard multiple positions at a high level. We heard a lot of talk about the Sixers needing to find an identity this offseason. With a trio of Wade, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe handling the tough perimeter assignments, and Tyrese Maxey digging for steals while Joel Embiid protects the rim, forming a defensive identity feels possible.
Nothing about his raw numbers will impress you, but Wade is far from a zero on the offensive end. He can make open looks. He’s shot 36.7% from three for his career, though you’d maybe like to see an uptick in his volume. He’s not a shot creator by any means, but he’s a good connector and is comfortable putting the ball on the floor when needed. He’s a solid rebounder, but that could still remain an area of weakness for the Sixers overall.
With that said, Gansey and the front office still have avenues to improve. The Sixers are likely signing Wade using a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which comes in at roughly $15 million for 2026-27. They’ll now be hard capped at the first apron, but it also means they’ll have some of the NTMLE left over (likely around $6 million) for another player above the minimum. They also could access the bi-annual exception ($5.5 million).
Free agency is just beginning, so there should be plenty of business remaining. The Sixers could still use more depth across the board. Make sure to follow our tracker and we’ll update you as much as we can.
