DETROIT -- Dwyane Wade returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers after a two-game absence spent by the side of his agent, Henry "Hank" Thomas, who died over the weekend at the age of 64.
"This is the best place to be, back on the court with my teammates, back in the locker room," Wade said at shootaround Tuesday morning before the Cavs' game against the Detroit Pistons. "I come back to a good vibe -- the team has won two in a row. So just happy to be back, happy to be around the guys."
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Wade will return to his role leading the second unit against the Pistons, but he revealed the 36-year-old guard is dealing with discomfort in his left shoulder.
"I had shoulder surgery before on that shoulder," Wade said, referring to a 2007 procedure to fix a torn labrum and dislocation. "Sometimes it gets hit and doesn't feel as great. I've had a couple days off; it feels a lot better."
The Cavs got some things right while Wade was gone, beating the Indiana Pacers by seven and the Pistons by 17 to string together their first winning streak since mid-December.
Lue will face a challenge of shuffling his lineup again to work Wade back in. The coach said he hopes his players accept their minutes for the good of the team's success, as starters Tristan Thompson, Isaiah Thomas, Kevin Love and JR Smith did on Sunday when they were benched in the fourth quarter while the Cavs reserves, teamed with LeBron James, steamrolled the Pistons 31-17 in the final frame.
"It's very important," Lue said. "They understand we have a deep team. When guys are rolling, guys want to see them play and play well. It's a step forward for Tristan just to say, 'Those guys are playing well, keep them going.' And they came in and did a good job."
Wade said he will go back to Chicago at the end of the week to attend the funeral for Thomas, who died of a neuromuscular disease, but "won't miss any significant time" away from the Cavs.
"It's tough, obviously, for anybody who's lost somebody who's close to them and loves them," Wade said. "I've never lost anybody in my family that has been close to me. This is the first person that I've lost. Just dealing with that. Obviously understanding for the last year he's been getting sicker and sicker. But it doesn't make it any easier. I've definitely tried to remember the 15 years I've had with him. I've tried to remember the good times. As I said in my [Instagram] post, I hated calling him my agent because he's definitely been so much more than that in my life.
"He's definitely a father to me. He's going to be missed. My goal is to take what he taught me and take the legacy that he leaves and try to continue to live it out, continue to live it on and continue to make him proud of me."
Wade shared a light moment with James before the team took the court to commence shootaround, playing the song "I'll Be Around," a throwback hit from the Detroit-based band The Spinners, on his phone.
"I love that song: 'Whenever you call me, I'll be there,'" James sang, along with Wade. "It's great to have him back. That's my guy. I love him."
