Wade volunteers to come off bench, J.R. Smith to start
Dwyane Wade is the ultimate team player.
The veteran shooting guard, who started in the Cleveland Cavaliers' first three games this season, has agreed to come off the bench, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters Monday, according to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.
Wade approached Lue about moving to a reserve role for the benefit of both himself and the team, reports ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
The change will bump J.R. Smith back into the starting lineup.
Wade's averaged only 5.7 points, 3.3 assists, and two rebounds over 23.7 minutes per game this season.
Meanwhile, Smith is averaging 6.3 points, 1.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds across 21.7 minutes per game to begin the campaign. He'd started regularly for Cleveland since being acquired in the 2014-15 season, and said he was frustrated with his move to the bench earlier this month.
On Sunday, Wade admitted that he was still adjusting to his new role with the Cavaliers. "This has been a long, long week," the 35-year-old said.