Photo: Cleveland Cavaliers/X

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade encountered some discomfort in his knee after a knee-to-knee collision during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

To ensure his recovery and avoid aggravating the injury, the Cleveland Cavaliers opted to exercise caution. They held him out of Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Sources indicated to Fedor that Wade is on track to return for Cleveland’s next game, scheduled for Friday against the Denver Nuggets. In his absence, Sam Merrill stepped into the starting lineup.

Interestingly, the versatile forward himself had been filling in for Isaac Okoro, who remains unavailable due to a shoulder sprain suffered earlier.

Wade, in six seasons with the Cavaliers, has averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds over 245 regular-season games, providing solid defense and floor spacing as a reliable role player.

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