Dwyane Wade Says Goodbye To Cleveland, Thanks Fans

CLEVELAND, OH — Dwyane Wade was one of the six players traded away by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. It was a frantic trade deadline that saw Cleveland bring in four new players, three of them 25-years-old. The crop of youngsters would have likely meant less playing time for Wade.

Wade was traded to the Miami Heat for a heavily protected second round pick. The trade represented a homecoming of sorts for the 36-year-old shooting guard.

The majority of Wade's career was famously spent with Miami, winning three NBA titles, including two with LeBron James at his side. Then in the 2016-2017 season, Wade left South Beach and headed to Chicago. He was reportedly upset about not getting paid by the Heat.

His tenure with the Bulls lasted just one season before he joined the Cavaliers this year. He came off the bench for Cleveland and averaged a career low 11.2 points per game. With Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood joining the Cavs at the deadline, and Cedi Osman scrapping for more minutes, it appeared Wade would be squeezed out of the rotation.

Then the team traded him to Miami, in a move that appears to be an attempt to do right by Wade. After the trade became official, James took to Instagram saying he was, "truly happy for my brother." He threw out some love for his old friend and said Wade's return to Miami was the "way it's supposed to be."

For his part, Wade took to Twitter to say goodbye to the Cleveland Cavaliers fanbase and hello to Miami's.

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)