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Wade, who won two of his three NBA
championships with James while the two were teammates with the
Miami Heat from 2010-2014, joins a Cleveland team that has
reached the last three Finals and won it all in 2016.
"There's no better place to be right now to continue to play and
compete at the highest level," Wade, who was the NBA Finals'
Most Valuable Player when he won his first title in 2006, said
in a statement.
"Cleveland believes in my talents and what I can bring to a
championship contender both as a player and leader.
"I look forward to reuniting and playing alongside my brother
LeBron. We've already won two championships together and I hope
we win a third."
Wade, who agreed to a contract buyout with the Chicago Bulls on
Sunday, will be relied on heavily in Cleveland with
recently-acquired point guard Isaiah Thomas likely out until
January as he continues to heal from a hip injury.
A 12-times All-Star, Wade has averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds
and 5.7 assists per game during the regular season and ranks
11th on the all-time postseason scoring list.
Wade, taken fifth overall by Miami in the 2003 NBA Draft, also
won a gold medal with the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2008
Summer Olympics in Beijing and a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer
Games in Athens.
"Dwyane has proven time and time again that he is a leader and
competitor of the highest caliber and that his focus is centered
on the ultimate goal," Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman
said in a statement.
"The deep commitment and consistency that he has shown to the
game as a 12-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Champion is
remarkable and he’s going to be a difference maker on the court
and in the locker room with our team."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Rex Gowar)
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