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Dwyane Wade put his $170 million net worth to use
Reclassifying to the Class of 2021 did not go as well as Zaire Wade had intended. Last year, the son of former NBA player Dwyane Wade enrolled in New Hampshire’s Brewster Academy in the hopes of impressing college scouts.
Instead, a ruptured ligament in his ankle kept him out for the majority of the season.
He will now try to rekindle his professional hopes in the NBA G-League with a local team.
Wade, 19, is expected to join the G-Salt League’s Lake City Stars, according to rumors.
The Utah Jazz’s G-League affiliate is the Dallas Stars.
In April 2021, his father happened to purchase a stake in the Jazz.
But, before anyone accuses Zaire of nepotism, keep in mind that he is a long way from making the NBA squad.
How Dwyane Wade joined the Jazz ownership group
According to SI.com, the Utah Jazz announced in April that Dwyane Wade had purchased a share in the organization and expected to play an active role.
“Aside from my basketball background, I add a lot to this collaboration as a businessman, entrepreneur, and investor,” Wade stated at the time.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of taking the Utah Jazz to the next level.”
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Wade has a net worth of $170 million.
He made $196.4 million over his 16-year NBA career.
The majority came from Wade’s six-year contract extension with the Miami Heat in 2010.
He also played for the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers before returning to Miami for the last tour.
Ryan Smith, the team’s governor, introduced him to the Jazz.
In 2020, Smith acquired a majority stake in the franchise.
Wade and Smith are frequent golf partners, and their business alliance grew out of that.
None of those elements, at least on the surface, have anything to do with Zaire Wade joining Utah’s G-League club.
Zaire Wade is on his way up the G-League ladder
Zaire Wade had already traveled extensively as a basketball player before making his professional debut.
He spent his freshman year at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago before transferring to American Heritage School in Miami for two years.
He spent the 2019-20 school year at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, where he shared the court with Bronny James.
They were second-generation teammates; their fathers, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James played together for portions of five NBA seasons with the Heat and Cavaliers, respectively.
Wade is classified as a combo guard by 247 Sports.
Wade, a 6-foot-3 left-hander from South Carolina, earned offers from South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Toledo.
Salt Lake City will kick off its season on November 5th against the Oklahoma City Blue.
Nathan Peavy is in his second season as the Stars’ head coach, following a 4-11 season on the Orlando bubble in 2020-21.
It’s a far different path to the NBA for him than it was for his father.
Wade attended Marquette University in Milwaukee after graduating from Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
As a junior, he led the Golden Eagles to the Final Four before declaring for the NBA draft.
Wade was the fifth overall pick and is counting down the days before he is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2023.
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Zaire Wade’s path to the NBA is significantly more difficult
According to the NBA website, roughly half of all NBA players spent time in the G-League prior to the start of last season.
Any NBA team can call up G-League players.
Most enter the NBA on 10-day contracts, frequently as injury replacements or to fill roster slots left by transactions.
Even if Dwyane Wade is a minority owner in Utah, Zaire is not guaranteed anything.
To begin with, the Jazz is an NBA contender.
Last season, the Jazz ended with the best record in the NBA before falling to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference playoffs.
And Utah’s backcourt is deep, headed by two-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell and experienced point guard Mike Conley.
The Jazz also boasts Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, Australian sniper Joe Ingles, and Royce O’Neal, who is a solid defender.
Trent Forrest, another guard on a two-way contract, has excelled in camp, as has Jared Butler’s second-round pick.
Yes, Zaire has ties to the Utah Jazz through his father.
However, although being the boss’s child may win you a mailroom position at an office, this is the NBA.
If Zaire Wade fails to deliver, Dwyane Wade’s name will be meaningless.
