The Utah Jazz may have a way to boost interest in the Salt Lake City Stars.
Zaire Wade is the oldest child of NBA legend Dwyane Wade, who became a Utah Jazz minority owner back in the spring and has been a franchise fixture ever since.
Now, according to a Tuesday report from insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, the 19-year-old high school graduate is in the process of finalizing a deal to become a member of the Salt Lake City Stars, the G League affiliate of the Jazz.
Wade is choosing the pro route instead of playing any college basketball. He held offers from DePaul, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Toledo.
Assessing the Utah Jazz affiliate’s addition
At one time, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound three-star played alongside LeBron James Jr. for prep powerhouse Sierra Canyon near Los Angeles. But Zaire Wade finished at only No. 289 overall and No. 29 among combo guards on the 247Sports 2021 Composite.
However, as Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report noted in response to Tuesday’s news, Dwyane Wade wasn’t on the national radar either when he was a teenager:
"“While Zaire would seemingly have few pro prospects based on his high school career, the same was said about his father before he attended Marquette and blossomed into a superstar. It’s possible the new environment will allow Zaire to thrive and eventually reach his NBA dreams.”"
If nothing else, the presumed regular attendance by Dwyane Wade to watch his son ought to translate — perhaps by design — into at least a few extra ticket sales for Salt Lake City Stars games.
After finishing their abbreviated 2020-21 season with a 4-11 record, the Salt Lake City Stars will look to drastically improve on that mark when their 2021-22 campaign begins with a road game on Nov. 5 against the Oklahoma City Blue.