76ers Agree to Four-Year, $39 Million Deal with Forward Dean Wade
May 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Dean Wade (32) shoots in the first half against the Detroit Pistons during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
NBA free agency is here, and Mike Gansey has his and the Philadelphia 76ers’ first signing of the offseason.
According to ESPN senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, the 76ers have signed forward Dean Wade to a four-year, $39 million contract, with the fourth year of the deal being a partial guarantee. The 76ers are signing Wade using their non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
By signing Wade with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, the team will now be hard-capped at the first apron. They still have around $6 million left in the non-taxpayer MLE, but another move there will likely put them over the luxury tax, which the 76ers have been known not to go over.
Wade fielded offers from several teams, with the Pistons reportedly being his other finalist alongside the 76ers, but the former Kansas State Wildcat elected to reunite with an old friend from Cleveland. Wade signed with the Cavaliers after going undrafted back in 2019, where, coincidentally, now 76ers president of basketball operations Gansey was the team’s assistant general manager at that time.
Despite going undrafted, Wade was eventually able to carve a role in the Cavaliers’ rotation very quickly into his career, going from backup forward to this past season being inserted into the starting lineup for the second half of the season and Cleveland’s entire playoff run.
While Wade’s stats are off the charts and eye-popping, his play style doesn’t rely on scoring and posting fantastic stat lines. His game is defensive-driven while also having the ability to stretch the floor when needed, and he can guard nearly all five positions on the floor.
Wade averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.3 minutes per game last season, while also shooting 36.2% from three. He ranked as the third-best for On-Off Plus/Minus in this past playoffs with a +47.1, and he posted that while being the main defender of Brandon Ingram, Cade Cunningham, and Jalen Brunson.
A three-and-D power forward has been the 76ers’ No. 1 priority all offseason long, as they’ve continued to try to improve their starting lineup and rotation following the embarrassing playoff performances this past postseason. Too often did their defense fall flat in big moments in the playoffs, which led to multiple 30+ point playoff defeats.
This move locks down an opening night and full-time starting power forward who can help improve the team’s defense even more. With three starters on the floor who are all expected to score nearly 20+ points a night, having great defenders and facilitators around them is the right direction for how to improve this team.
However, this move likely means that Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. will not return to the 76ers next year. Oubre’s starting spot may have been filled with the signing of Wade, and Grimes’ price may be too high for the 76ers to take on.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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