How ‘Veteran Dwyane Wade’ (2015-2019) would fare on this Utah Jazz team
While this is a nice idea and could improve the Utah Jazz, I don’t think it would make them a favorite. The Cleveland Cavaliers tried to beat a super team with Dwyane Wade as their savvy veteran, but it didn’t work out.
In this NBA, players must learn to shoot 3-pointers once they lose their athleticism. Otherwise, they will no longer be relevant. Wade would be a nice player off the bench and could help give Mitchell a breather at times. With Wade, Jordan Clarkson, and Joe Ingles off the bench, the Jazz could bolster their claim as the deepest squad in the NBA.
Utah has never been where Wade has been. In a way, Wade might help motivate this team to go where they haven’t before. Of the current Jazzmen, only Mike Conley has been been a starting player on a team that has made it past the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The good news is that Wade would likely take a veteran’s minimum if he decided to trade in his business suit for a warm-up suit at age 39. A couple of years ago, he could at least have commanded a mid-level exception. This would allow the Jazz to retain Conley and would just tire out other teams even more due to Utah having more depth.
Without any top five players in this scenario, it would be tough for the Jazz to survive in this Western Conference. They could make a deep run, but this lesser version of Wade likely wouldn’t get them as far as one might think it would.
This team looks good on paper, but this version of Wade wouldn’t have the same high level of intangibles to help Utah win games it otherwise wouldn’t.
Projection: The Utah Jazz would reach the Western Conference Finals and lose to the Los Angeles Clippers in five games.