How This Deal Impacts Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised a lot of people during the 2021-22 season. While they didn’t qualify for the postseason, losing to the aforementioned Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Play-In Tournament, they had a great season. The 44 wins they had were the most without LeBron James on the roster since the 1997-98 season.
They would be looking to top that number significantly with Kevin Durant in the lineup. Inserting Durant into one of the starting forward spots would make the Cavaliers instant contenders. Darius Garland has already reached the All-Star level and Evan Mobley likely isn’t too far behind, providing Cleveland with a strong Big 3.
The team is in desperate need of another go-to scorer outside of Garland. They won games last season suffocating teams defensively, but their offense would sometimes go stagnant as Garland was the hub creating for himself and his teammates. Durant would take a ton of pressure off of him.
While the team’s defense was much better with Jarrett Allen on the court, as things got ugly when he was sidelined near the end of the regular season, for Cleveland to reach its potential, he likely has to be traded.
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Including him in this deal better balances out the lineup, as J.B. Bickerstaff used three big men in his starting five with Allen, Mobley and Lauri Markkanen.
The Cavaliers would have to dip back into free agency for a few veterans to fill some gaps in the rotation, but players should line up to try and compete for a ring on this team. Collin Sexton is also still a restricted free agent and could fill the void at the shooting guard spot with LeVert included in the deal.
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This is the kind of move an ascending team should be looking to make. The draft capital is a worthwhile price to pay to contend for the next few years as Garland and Mobley are an excellent duo to build around in the future once Durant moves on.
